Wesley Bell, Missouri, Congressional Seat

by Sharelle B. McNair

November 6, 2024

Wesley Bell Celebrates 50th Birthday By Winning Missouri’s 1st Congressional Seat

Bell rose to prominence when he ran for Ferguson City Council in 2015 following the tragic death of Mike Brown.

St. Louis-based prosecutor Wesley Bell won Missouri’s race for the 1st Congressional District seat on the Democratic ticket, Fox 2 Now reported.

Bell defeated Republican Andrew Jones in a heavily Democratic district, pushing a continuous trail of victory after defeating incumbent Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) for the party’s nomination. Bell told supporters that he is “humbled” by the results. “Today, the people of the St. Louis region voted for a brighter future and greater opportunity. During my campaign, I promised to serve the First District with integrity, transparency, and accountability. I recommit myself to that promise tonight, and pledge to always remember who sent me to Congress to fight for them — the people of this region,” Bell said.

“I am humbled and honored to have the privilege of representing our region in Washington. We must build an economy that works for everyone, protect our rights and freedoms, and make sure that America remains on the forward journey towards building a more perfect union. I’m ready to get to work.”

Bell rose to prominence after originally planning to run for Sen. Josh Hawley’s Senate seat, prompting a showdown with Lucas Kunce, but he instead opted to challenge Bush. His name started to float through the political realm following the backlash of the 2014 Ferguson protests as a result of the shooting death of Michael Brown. He then ran for Ferguson City Council in 2015 and successfully challenged Bob McCulloch — seven-term incumbent in the Democratic party — for the role as chief prosecutor in St. Louis County in 2018.

Shortly after, he shocked the state’s political world by beating out McCulloch over a referendum regarding the handling of the Michael Brown shooting and aftermath.

According to The Hill, Bell was sought out to take over Bush’s seat as the member of the progressive group of lawmakers known as the “squad” received aggressive pushback over her criticism of Israel during the uprising of the country’s war with Hamas. The prosecutor expressed support of Israel, while pro-groups like AIPAC spent millions to support him, although he was running as a progressive.

Bush, along with New York’s Jamaal Bowman, was one of two “squad” members to lose their seats, however, Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN) and Rashida Tlaib (MI) won their reelection bids, becoming the first Muslim women to serve in the U.S. Congress. Bell’s district covers all of St. Louis City and a number of cities surrounding the area including Ferguson, Maryland Heights, Jennings, and University City. With the prosecutor’s victory, Democrats will carry on a continuous legacy of controlling Missouri District 1, which has been held for close to 75 years. There have only been two GOP lawmakers who have held the seat since the beginning of the 20th century, Frank C. Millspaugh and Samuel W. Arnold.

by Kandiss Edwards

November 6, 2024

Trump Promises Mass Deportations On Day 1

Mass deportation is on the Project 2025 agenda.

Donald Trump won his bid for the United States Presidency. The President-elect surged ahead of his opponent in large part due to the surge in Hispanic and Latino voters. However, according to Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, he will be instituting mass deportations on Day 1 of his term.

After Trump declared victory on the Nov. 5 election, Leavitt appeared on Fox News Live to reinforce the republican candidate’s policies and diminish the achievements of the current administration:

“American people delivered a resounding victory for President Trump and gave him a mandate to govern as he campaigned, to deliver on the promises that he made, which include, on day one, launching the largest mass deportation operation of illegal immigrants that Kamala Harris has allowed into this country.”

“Trump Campaign Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said this morning that Trump will launch the "largest mass deportation operation" of undocumented immigrants on Day 1.”

pic.twitter.com/K1Hf2xqI4c
— Juan Diego Ramírez (@juandr47) November 6, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump won the, Nov. 5, election in what appears to be an overwhelming victory. According to USA Today, the majority of Latino Voters cast their ballot in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris, yet the vote of Latinos has increased since Trump’s first election win.

“Trump didn’t win a majority of either group, he won support from about 13% of Black voters nationally and 45% of Latino voters,” according to CNN exit polls. “In the 2020 election, Trump won just 8% of Black voters and 32% of Latinos.”

The rise is small but significant. To many, the rise in Latinos for Trump is a confusing. Throughout his campaign, Trump and his surrogates have made derogatory comments about legal and illegal Latino and Hispanic people.

Most recently, BLACK ENTERPRISE reported on comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s distasteful speech at a the Oct. 27 Trump rally at Madison Square Garden. Hinchcliffe took shots at the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

“There’s a lot going on like. I don’t know if you guys know this, but there is literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. Yeah, I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” he said.

The comedian continued to be inclusive by adding more distasteful commentary, this time his aim was the Black community. Pointing at a Black person in the audience Hinchcliffe joked using a long-standing and stale stereotype.

“That’s one of my buddies. He had a Halloween party last night. We had fun. We carved watermelons together. It was awesome.”

Though President-elect Trump claims to have no knowledge of the comedian and did not endorse his brand of comedy, it is not lost on observers that the comedian and his material were vetted before taking the stage.

Only time will tell if more Trump surrogates feel emboldened during the course of his presidency to spew such rhetoric.

Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland, house, senate, U.S. Senate Seat, Democratic Nomination, tax breaks, report

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 6, 2024

Maryland Elects Angela Alsobrooks For Senator In Historic Win For Black Women Politicians

Alsobrooks is the first Black Senator from Maryland, and the third Black woman ever elected into the congressional body.

Maryland has officially elected Angela Alsobrooks as its next Senator in an historic win. Alsobrook defeated the state’s former governor, Larry Hogan, to become one of the two Black women elected to the Senate.

The Democratic lawmaker received 54% of the vote, as announced by WUSA9. Hogan lagged behind with 43.3%. With this win, Prince George’s County Executive will take over the position from its Democratic incumbent, Ben Cardin. The 81-year-old Cardin opted to retire at the end of this year.

Born and raised in Prince George (colloquially known as PG) county, Alsobrooks was elected as the county’s executive in 2018. She obtained her law degree from the University of Maryland, working across the mid-atlantic state before returning to her hometown.

In Prince George’s, she served as its first full-time domestic violence prosecutor. The role led her to becoming the first woman and youngest person elected state’s attorney for the county.

Her latest win calms the nerves of Democrats. Many of whom felt nervous of the seat’s potential upheaval driven by Hogan’s entry into the race. However, Alsobrooks leaned into reminding voters of the dangers of a GOP-controlled Senate throughout her campaign, ultimately helping her case.

Her election also marks another first for the Senator-elect, becoming the third Black women ever elected into the congressional body. The last Black woman to do so was Vice President Kamala Harris, who was elected to represent California in 2016.

Despite Harris’ loss in the presidential race to GOP candidate Donald Trump, Alsobrooks’ win was a brighter moment for the Democratic party on Tuesday night. She and Lisa Blunt Rochester, elected in Delaware, will be the first two Black women serving in the Senate simultaneously.

Moreover, Maryland Governor Wes Moore released a statement congratulating the candidate, who he also endorsed.

“Angela Alsobrooks will fight every single day for the values we cherish as Americans – from the ability to have economic mobility and own more than you owe, to the freedom of feeling safe in your own skin and your own community, to having control over personal health care decisions,” shared Gov. Moore.

He added, “Maryland is better because of Angela Alsobrooks – and the United States Congress will be better because of her presence too. I knew that when I endorsed her, and I feel just as strongly today. Her fight is our fight.”

by Daniel Johnson

November 6, 2024

Opinion: Trump Won Despite Running A Divisive Campaign–Here’s How

Trump’s 2024 campaign will be remembered as the most racist, sexist, and xenophobic campaign in modern American history

On Nov. 5, Donald Trump became the first president since Grover Cleveland to win a re-election campaign after previously losing, and he did so despite running the most openly racist, sexist, and xenophobic campaign in modern American history.

According to the BBC, Trump’s win also makes him the first convicted felon to occupy the Oval Office, and despite a campaign that leaned heavily into fascism and authoritarian tendencies, voters thought his message on the economy made him the better choice.

Another plank of Trump’s platform that resonated with voters that the outlet talked to was immigration, although they were unlikely to espouse racist views, they did say they wanted a more secure border.

Americans, it seems, did not care that the people who were closest to Trump issued dire warnings about him, calling him a liar, a fascist, and unfit for the office, and cautioned that if he insulates himself with loyalists, his most extreme ideas will become a reality.

According to The New Yorker, “In the end, Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric about invading immigrant hordes, his macho posturing against a female opponent, and his promise to boost an inflation-battered U.S. economy simply resonated more than all the lectures about his many deficiencies as a person and a would-be President.”

Over 74 million Americans voted for Trump, and the question of whether or not outgoing President Joe Biden stayed in the race too long will linger over the outcome of this election.

Despite Vice President Harris’ sparkling debate performance and a swell of optimism following her announcement to run, the race became a deadlock yet again.

Trump’s campaign, the outlet notes, will be remembered by history as the most racist, sexist, and xenophobic campaign in modern American history. And none of that mattered in the end.

The economy voters claimed to be concerned about will likely be made worse by his plans to introduce tariffs on goods made in other countries and to deport immigrants, according to independent economic experts, but none of that mattered either.

According to Vox, Trump was able to get rural voters in Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia, and North Carolina as well as other states to increase their support in 2024, those voters were key to his victory in 2016.

Working in concert with this, voters in some suburban areas in swing states shifted away from Democrats, toward the Republican Party.

Also, the increased support of Trump from Latinx Americans nationally will be a hot topic of discussion as far as who helped Trump win during the 2024 election.

In addition to this, Harris was in a difficult spot as the sitting vice president of an unpopular president, voters were not pleased with Biden’s handling of the economy, immigration, or foreign policy, notably the approach to the Israeli shelling of Gaza which also fractured Democrats.

Harris tried to play the middle ground with her electoral strategy, not fundamentally presenting enough change to voters from the sitting president.

This happened in part because she did not want to pick fights with the party’s left wing, but Harris also distanced herself from more left-wing policies she endorsed in 2019 and did not offer any actual change of course on the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

According to Vox, Trump has made no secret of his admiration for leaders like Hungary’s Viktor Orban, and that country may well be the blueprint for what a Trump Administration wants to achieve with its newest grasp for power.

However, as Zack Beauchamp writes in Vox, what happens during Trump’s next term in office will largely depend on how much the American people are willing to fight, to resist.

“Trump has won the presidency, which gives him a tremendous amount of power to make his antidemocratic dreams into reality. But it is not unlimited power, and there are robust means of resistance. The fate of the American republic will depend on how willing Americans are to take up the fight.”

AARON JONES, PACKERS, DOLPHINS, PURCHASE

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 6, 2024

Minnesota Vikings’ Aaron Jones Performs Honorific Ritual For Rookie Who Died In Car Accident

NFL rookie Khyree Jackson died in a July car accident.

In July, NFL rookie Khyree Jackson, who the Minnesota Vikings drafted in 2024, was killed in a car accident in Maryland, where he grew up.

He never played a game, but his impact has been felt all season.

According to People, after Jackson’s death, the Vikings announced that during the season, the rookie’s locker would not be occupied, and they would not be using his jersey number, 31, to pay tribute to him. While being interviewed by NBC after the Vikings’ Nov. 3 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, teammate Aaron Jones mentioned how he honors Jackson.

“I normally put flowers in Kyrie Jackson’s locker, so I walk by and see the flowers. I’m the only one in there, and I just had a moment with him. Told him tonight was for him.”

He also mentioned that he saws Jackson’s parents at the game and told them that he gives flowers each week.

BEAUTIFUL: #Vikings RB Aaron Jones puts flowers in Khyree Jackson’s locker before every game.

“I put flowers inside Khyree Jackson’s locker. I had a moment with him, I said tonight is for him”

Khyree’s parents were in attendance, beautiful🥹

(Via NBC)
pic.twitter.com/x6Hd224SnY

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 4, 2024

The 24-year-old Jackson never got to play a regular NFL season game after being selected by the Vikings with the 108^th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

People reported that the NFL team paid Jackson’s estate the remainder of the rookie’s $827,000 signing bonus and gave $20,000 for his funeral expenses.

Throughout the season, players for the Vikings have worn helmet decals with the initials “KJ” while team staff members have donned special pins, according to Sports Illustrated. The media outlet also reported that special stenciling was added to the Vikings practice fields in honor of Jackson.

by Daniel Johnson

November 6, 2024

Shomari Figures Becomes 4th Black Alabama Representative Since Reconstruction

Joining Figures in the House as Alabama Representatives is Democrat Terri Sewell, giving Alabama two Black representatives for the first time in its history

Shomari Figures, an ex-Obama and Biden administration aide in the Justice Department, won his race for Alabama’s Second District seat on Nov. 5, becoming only the fourth Black representative from Alabama since Reconstruction.

According to Al.com, Figures won 54% of the votes to Republican Caroleene Dobson’s 45% as of 10:30 p.m. on Nov 5, which led his opponent to concede the race.

At 11:00 p.m., The Associated Press called Figures the official winner of the election.

District 2 was ordered to be redrawn after the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision determined that the district’s current layout potentially violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965, resulting in a map that was not conducive to the will of Black voters.

Joining Figures in the House as Alabama Representatives is Democrat Terri Sewell, whose 7th District win gives Alabama two Black representatives for the first time in its history.

In his victory address to his supporters, Figures reflected on his family’s political history and the strength of his mother and thanked his opponent for running a strong, competitive race.

“This journey that we are on now, this is the beginning of the work,” Figures said. “Today is great. We are grateful that we have the opportunity to sit here today and be elected and be put into a position to go do the work. But now we got to do the work.”

Figures continued, thanking his mother, longtime Alabama State Sen. Vivian Figures, “We wouldn’t be here without you,” Figures told his mother. “There is no way we would be here without you and no way I’ll continue this speech without you here on this stage. We made no secret of the fact that a large reason we were able to get into this race and think we would be competitive is (because of) the legacy laid down before I was even born.”

Figures concluded his discussion of his family’s political legacy, “My father died in ‘96, and my mother did more than just keep that legacy going. She raised three of us, as we came of age, and we were 14 and 11 and 7 at the time my father died. She kept it going in more ways than one.”

Figures’ father was Michael Figures, the first Black person to serve as president pro tem of the Alabama State Senate.

His son, Shomari, became the first Black representative from Mobile in the state’s history, which the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Suzan DelBene, alluded to in a statement released following Figures’ win.

“Tonight, the voters of Alabama’s newly redrawn Second Congressional District elected Shomari Figures to usher a new era of representation from Mobile to Montgomery. In Congress, Shomari will champion the issues that matter most to everyday Alabamians like making life more affordable, preventing gun violence, and expanding access to rural healthcare,” DelBene explained. “I look forward to working with Shomari to push back against Republican extremism and get big things done for the American people.”

Figures also discussed what he would like to see Alabama accomplish in the area of rural healthcare.

“I spent a lot of time on the campaign (talking about) healthcare access. We literally live the shortest lives than any other state in the United States of America with the exception of two states, and I know we can all guess one. Mississippi and West Virginia and they have us beat by only a few weeks. We can fix that by expanding Medicaid in Alabama.”

by Kandiss Edwards

November 6, 2024

Fani Willis Re-Elected To Atlanta’s Fulton County District Attorney’s Office

Willis will serve another four years as Fulton County District Attorney.

Fulton County (GA) District Attorney Fani Willis was easily reelected to a second term Tuesday, defeating Republican Courtney Kramer with 69 percent of the vote, Newsweek reports.

The victory was declared shortly after Georgia polls closed on Nov. 5.

Though Willis’ run appeared in jeopardy due to her decision to prosecute Donald Trump for Georgia election interference, she prevailed. During her bid for reelection, Kramer highlighted what she deemed unethical practices and a lack of professionalism in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.

“As a lawyer myself, it’s disgusting to see her not follow her rules of professional conduct or take her oath of office seriously,” Kramer told Real America’s Voice in March. “It’s a disgrace to the legal community.”

While Kramer believes Willis’s tenure is a disgrace, Georgia’s electorate and political fundraisers disagree. Willis secured $2.5 million toward her reelection while Kramer raised only $278,000.

Black social media users were seemingly split over Willis’ reelection.

https://twitter.com/jacquelynehowa7/status/1853989722080604609?s=46

Shoutout to Fulton Country for re-electing Fani Willis. Now she can finish the job she started #faniwillis #georgia #fultoncounty #DumpTrump pic.twitter.com/AM4EK03mEl
— Big Patti (@darealpattimayo) November 6, 2024

Other social media users hold the same concerns as Willis’s defeated opponent.

I'm embarassed to be from Atlanta right now.

Seriously, yall voted Fani Willis back into office?!

Her office literally just held an innocent man in jail for 30 days over mistaken identity!? pic.twitter.com/YeLytrooPj
— Shaina M (@smac0905) November 6, 2024

The ongoing RICO trial of rapper Young Thug and the alleged YSL gang is also a sticking point for Willis’ detractors.

I'm voting for Courtney Kramer for Fulton County DA. The current DA's office under Fani Willis has fumbled the Georgia's most high profile and longest running case in the states history with utter incompetence. The world took notice.
— MansaMook (@IamEmTuu) November 1, 2024

Willis has had to deal with more than online criticism of her work. On Oct. 30, Arthur Ray Hanson ll, was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison and 2 years of supervised release for threats against the district attorney.

Hanson’s voice messages insinuated that Willis was unsafe as a result of the Trump indictment.

“When you charge Trump on that fourth indictment, any time you’re alone, be looking over your shoulder.”

Those that are not fans of Willis will have to deal with her for another term, including supporters of Donald Trump, who was elected president again on Tuesday.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 6, 2024

Georgia Prosecutors Move Forward With YSL Trial After Young Thug’s Sentence and Guilty Plea

The remaining two co-defendants in Georgia's YSL Rico trial will have their fate determined.

Now that Young Thug has been sentenced after his guilty plea, Georgia’s district attorney’s office is moving forward with the remaining 14 defendants in the state’s longest-running trial.

Fulton County’s Young Slime Life racketeering trial resumed Monday with the two remaining co-defendants, Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick and Shannon Stillwell, Fox 5 Atlanta reports.

The RICO case took a new turn after four defendants, including rapper Young Thug (Jeffrey Williams), accepted plea deals last week and are no longer involved in the trial.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker instructed the jury to disregard the absence of the co-defendants who recently took plea deals and not to speculate about why they were no longer involved in the high-profile case.

“The prosecution of those co-defendants is no longer a part of this trial,” Whitaker said, noting how the jurors needed to base their verdict solely on the evidence presented and make individual determinations for each defendant.

Last week, Young Thug was sentenced to 40 years, with the first five years to be served in prison, but commuted to time served. He will then serve 15 years on probation, with the first half requiring him to report to a probation officer. If he fails to comply with his probation, he faces an additional 20 years in prison.

The sentence followed the rapper pleading guilty to gang, drug, and gun charges.

“I want to say sorry to my family, my mom…my mom’s got 11 kids..” Young Thug said. “My managers…everybody that’s got anything to do with this situation, I’d like to say sorry.”

As part of his plea deal, the “Lifestyle” rapper is required to leave the metro Atlanta area and is prevented from returning for the first 10 years of his probation, with exceptions for weddings, funerals, graduations, or the serious illness of family members.

Additionally, Young Thug must conduct four annual live anti-gang and anti-gun violence presentations at schools in metro Atlanta or community organizations that work with children.

Along with Young Thug, three other co-defendants reached plea deals for their charges, including Rodalius Ryan, known as Lil Rod, Marquavius Huey, known as Qua, and Quamarvious Nichols. Before the trial began, Gunna (real name Sergio Giavanni Kitchens) pleaded guilty to a charge as part of a deal that allowed him to avoid additional time in custody.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 6, 2024

New York City Agency Being Sued For Not Disclosing Hazards In NYCHA Apartments

Three New York City residents have filed a lawsuit against the housing development for not disclosing violations

Three people residing in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) apartments have filed a lawsuit against the housing development for not disclosing violations associated with the units.

According to the Gothamist, the residents claim that the agency does not publicly list violations for conditions harmful to tenants, such as rat infestations, mold blooms, and lead paint, in an online database. A 2022 state law requires that the agency disclose that information.

The complaint, filed on Oct. 30, accuses Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Adolfo Carrión of ignoring a 2022 state law requiring transparency about the conditions in the 177,000 public housing apartments, which can be seen on an online database (HPD Online).

One of the litigants who filed the lawsuit, Stewart Gracia, who lives in Jacob Riis Houses in Lower Manhattan, stated that due to the agency failing to report the violations, he and his neighbors are being deprived of using a vital resource that could help them make decisions about moving into a new apartment or challenging their landlord in court.

The lawsuit states that people who go online to use the site to find out information about a public housing apartment are typically met with a message saying, “This property is under the jurisdiction of the New York City Housing Authority” or “buildingIsNYCHA.” It’s alleged that employees who conduct inspections inside housing are explicitly told not to enter the pertinent information into HPD’s online portal.

“Certain things need to be more transparent and easily accessible,” Gracia said. “People [would] like to investigate before they move.”

A spokesperson for the HPD, Ilana Maier, said she could not comment but said that the agency is “working to further strengthen transparency.”

“We are reviewing the suit and — most importantly — want to reassure New Yorkers that our top priority is keeping them safe in their homes,” Maier said in a written statement.

Dr. Paul Stephenson, British Civil Rights Leader, Dies At 87

Stephenson's story needs to be told more widely because of the transformative nature of what he helped make possible.

Dr. Paul Stephenson, a civil rights activist and a British contemporary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., died on Nov. 2 at the age of 87 after a battle against Parkinson’s Disease.

According to the BBC, Stephenson organized a 1963 bus boycott in Bristol, which convinced the city to overturn an edict banning Black people and other ethnic minorities from working in Bristol’s transportation department.

That boycott was a key event during the country’s Civil Rights struggle, whose capstone moment was the passing of the country’s first Race Relations Act in 1965.

Reflecting on the passing of Paul Stephenson OBE, a pioneer of British civil rights and leader of the historic 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott. His courage and dedication challenged discrimination & paved the way for a more inclusive society. His legacy will continue to inspire.

Rest… https://t.co/z9JuLEBUM9
— Brenda Dacres (@Brenda_Dacres) November 5, 2024

https://twitter.com/CalvinBailey/status/1853763008708632757?s=19

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Paul Stephenson OBE, a pioneer in the fight for racial justice in the United Kingdom. He was a giant in Bristol, whose unwavering commitment to a fairer society has been an enduring inspiration for all who envision a better world. pic.twitter.com/BKzuFIPp9K
— Black SW Network (@BlackSWNet) November 4, 2024

In their statement regarding his death, his family described Stephenson as a pioneer in the civil rights movement.

“It is with a heavy heart that the Stephenson family share the passing of our beloved father, Dr Paul Stephenson, a true pioneer in the civil rights movement,” the family’s statement read.

The family continued, “He left this world on the evening of Nov. 2, 2024, after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease and dementia, which he faced with the same unwavering determination that defined his life. We have been immensely fortunate to witness first-hand the profound impact Dr. Paul Stephenson had on our community and our nation.”

Stephenson started on his path of fighting for equality when he became the first Black social worker employed by the City of Bristol. In that role, he rallied thousands of Black people in Bristol to stand up against the Bristol Omnibus Company’s rule against hiring Black and Asian drivers.

“Paul lived an incredible life. Not just for his friends and his family, but contributed to Bristol, the country and the world,” Bristol’s former mayor, Marvin Rees, told the BBC. “Most famously, Paul will be known for the leadership of the Bristol Bus Boycott. Less well known but incredibly significant is that that turned into legislation to protect people from racial discrimination.”

Rees continued, “His impact was not just around the buses. It was about what it led to in terms of creating a legal framework to protect black and brown people —and other people—from being discriminated against in everyday life.”

According to writer and historian Edson Burton, Stephenson’s story needs to be told more widely because of the transformative nature of what he helped make possible.

“By being able to put that stake in the ground. Our social attitudes have fallen in behind. No longer is it legal, but it’s also not part of British values and our legal framework to discriminate,” Burton told the BBC.