Covid Conversations - Black Perspectives on Covid

Over six episodes, broadcaster and journalist Nikki Tapper speaks to people living and working in Black Communities across the West Midlands to understand how Covid has affected their lives.

This episode explores the experiences and reflections of being young and Black during Covid-19. Speaking to Nikki this week are Nubia Shayaam-Smith and Joshua Williams. Nubia has written an anthology of poems entitled 'Silent Screams', to address mental health and well being in the young Black community. Joshua is a Birmingham based campaigner and personality. A former Birmingham Awards Winner and Guild of Students President at the University of Birmingham, Joshua has speech much of his life tackling inequality whilst championing the voices of minority groups; both regionally and nationally. His career has seen him work with charitable organisations, national advocacy services, the Bank of England and Government to name a few.

Over six episodes, broadcaster and journalist Nikki Tapper speaks to people living and working in Black Communities across the West Midlands to understand how Covid has affected their lives.

A special guest on this weeks episode of Covid Conversations is Reverend Eve Pitt from Holy Trinity Church in Birchfield. Eve has officiated at 33 funerals since April and she speaks to our host Nikki Tapper about bereavement and grief and the impacts of Covid-19 on black communities in Birmingham. Nikki also speaks to Veronica Brown from Wolverhampton, who sadly lost her sister to the virus earlier this year and her experiences of loss under lockdown .

Over six episodes, broadcaster and journalist Nikki Tapper speaks to people living and working in Black Communities across the West Midlands to understand how Covid has affected their lives.

Birmingham artist son.of.virgo is one of our special guests on the latest episode of Covid Conversations. This week we explore how the lives of Black Men across the Midlands have been effected by Covid, Lockdown and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Host Nikki Tapper is also joined by filmmaker, writer, actor and long time Red Earth collaborator Daniel Anderson,  Creative Director of Rites of Passage Productions and mental health support worker and PhD student Emachi Eneje.

Over six episodes, broadcaster and journalist Nikki Tapper speaks to people living and working in Black Communities across the West Midlands to understand how Covid has affected their lives.

This week, Nikki is joined by Director of Planet Arts, Birmingham Playwright and Actress, Viv Manjaro. Viv wrote 'Close to the Edge' a play exploring mental health and wellbeing of Black Women, that showed earlier this year.  Also joining Nicki is PhD Student Anna Jieman,  who is exploring the mental health experience of Black women and Jade Laurie-Hart, Mental Health Advocate and former actress.

Over six episodes, broadcaster and journalist Nikki Tapper speaks to people living and working in Black Communities across the West Midlands to understand how Covid has affected their lives.

There were  5000 births in Birmingham during lockdown and national figures state that Black women are five times more likely  to die in childbirth than their white counterparts. During episode 2, host @nikkitapper asks Doula and Birth and Wellbeing expert Amanda Smith and mum to be Sophia Griffin how maternity services can best support Black mums in the coming months

Amanda is the founder of Maternity Engagement Action an organisation offering perinatal support to Black and Brown women across the Midlands . She also works as a birth educator with  #bestbeginnings supporting new families right here in Birmingham.

Over six episodes, broadcaster and journalist Nikki Tapper speaks to people living and working in Black Communities across the West Midlands to understand how Covid has affected their lives.

The first episode focuses on mental health. Nikki is joined by special guests Alicia Spence, the Chair of the African and Caribbean Community Association (ACCI) in Wolverhampton and Birmingham based mental health campaigner and activist Tippa Naphtali from Catalyst 4 Change.