If You Don't Know

From Amazing Sport Stories, this is The Black 14. In 1969 Wyoming, racism is rife and 14 young black American footballers decide to take a stand. But the repercussions will change their lives forever. BA Parker takes us back to America’s turbulent 1960s to explore the injustice suffered by the “Black 14”. For the full four-part series, and other incredible tales, search for Amazing Sport Stories w...

Special guests, goodbyes and the news that you still need to know. In this final episode, De-Graft looks back on some of the podcast’s best guests and biggest stories. We also have a major update from Mary, a medical student from Nigeria who was studying in Ukraine when Russia invaded - and a VERY special guest drops in too. For the very last time, this is… If You Don’t Know. Presenter: De-Graft M...

Social media has been flooded with talk and questions about the Democratic Republic of Congo. So, for those of you wondering what’s going on in the country... What’s the history behind the conflict? And why has it led to calls to boycott tech companies? This is the episode for you. The Democratic Republic of Congo has been home to war and conflict for decades. This year there’s been an increase in...

Despite his death 27 years ago, Tupac Shakur is still making headlines. He’s also widely considered to be one of the most successful rappers of all time. So, why is he so iconic? What was he like as a person, and why has it taken so long to arrest someone for his murder? De-Graft gets a rare look into Tupac’s life from someone who was close to him, his godfather, Jamal Joseph. Jamal is also the au...

De-Graft is joined by the brother, sister and close friend of Gboyega Odubanjo for a special episode to remember his life. The award-winning poet was sadly found dead after going missing at a music festival in Northamptonshire. He was due to perform at Shambala in August. Rose and Yomi Odubanjo and Tice Cin share their favourite moments and memories of Gboyega and look back on his life, achievemen...

We’re celebrating Black History Month with a special collaboration with the one and only George the Poet! De-Graft and George join forces for a bit of black history, a competitive quiz and some unapologetic realness. From rapping to poetry, rejecting MBEs and the tokenism of Black History Month… we get into all of this and more. You won’t want to miss this one! Presenters: De-Graft Mensah and Geor...

In July 2020, Nicole Thea - a popular content creator and YouTuber - died, along with her unborn son, Reign, who she was eight months pregnant with. Her husband Global Boga joins us to share how he’s been coping three years on, and to tell us about the Nicole Thea Foundation. After Nicole died, her inquest found she had an underlying heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It’s also kn...

It’s our first episode back after our summer break, so we’re kicking off with some BBC News royalty. Following the release of his brand new memoir, presenter Clive Myrie joins De-Graft for a chat and some exciting revelations… And it was around this time last year that our social media feeds were flooded with some of our favourite creatives donning flamboyant garms at the GUAP Gala. But what actua...

Drill music… it’s topping the charts, on the radio and stuck in our heads. But despite its popularity, it remains a controversial genre. BBC Three has just released a documentary, which looks at the police’s response to Drill music. De-Graft sits down with Rianna Gayle, one of the documentary’s producers, as well as Kingsley Okyere - co-founder of Mixtape Madness - to discuss Drill, which is now e...

We’re celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Windrush’s arrival with a special episode and some very special guests! Kicking off with music, 1Xtra Talks host Richie Brave - who is of Guyanese heritage - takes De-Graft on a timeline tour which explains how influential sounds from the Caribbean helped create modern music genres such as jungle, grime and drill. Did you know that the words barbeque,...

De-Graft’s got some company and is joined by new podcasting friend Buzzfeed’s Seasoned Sessions producer and presenter, Ada Enechi, who’s here to add a little spice to this week’s episode! Love Island has been accused, by fans, of not conducting contestant background checks. This year’s winter winner, Kai Fagan, drops in and reveals what the process is like and what life’s like when you leave the...

Liv Little joins De-Graft and talks about her journey and transition from gal-dem founder to author. Her debut novel, Rosewater, has just been released. It’s a love story about all kinds of love. There was a fuss online and in the media after it was announced that new play Tambo & Bones would hold a performance specifically for black audiences “free from the white gaze”. We’re joined by the sh...

Musician Masego pays us a visit as he gets ready to headline the Cross The Tracks Festival in Brixton. He spills the tea on what it was like growing up with two pastor parents, how he learned to play so many instruments (spoiler alert: he plays at least FIVE) and what the future has in store for him. Also, we hear from one of you guys who messaged us about awareness of multiple sclerosis in the bl...

We’re talking about one thing today… Netflix’s new docudrama series on Queen Cleopatra, which has a black mixed actor, Adele James, playing the lead role. Adele joins De-Graft to talk about the joys of playing the part, but also the backlash and racism she’s received. In Egypt, there’s been upset and accusations that her casting aims to "erase the Egyptian identity". So, who was Queen Cleopatra an...

You’ve probably heard about Sudan in the news recently because of the fighting that’s broken out in the country’s capital, Khartoum. BBC journalist Beverly Ochieng, who is in nearby Kenya, breaks down what’s going on and why. Also, the former professional basketball player and Love Islander Ovie Soko joins us live and in the flesh to talk about the sport, which has been getting more popular among...

Everyone’s talking about Rye Lane, the popular black British romcom currently in cinemas. So naturally, we are too. Nathan Bryon – one of the co-writers - drops in and reveals why he wrote the film which highlights male vulnerability, black love and joy. And rapper Avelino pays the pod a visit to share his positive outlook on life, laughs with De-Graft, and chats about his upcoming debut album God...

Lenny Henry and his podcasting partner Marcus Ryder drop in for a chat about Saturday Soup and how comedy has helped them get through some tough times. Over in the US, more than 75 lawsuits have been filed against companies that make hair relaxers, alleging they’ve caused serious health problems. So our very own Kamilah McInnis jumps behind the mic to explain what it’s all about. De-Graft also get...

After his first week on the job, Cambridge University’s youngest black professor, Jason Arday, drops in for a chat with De-Graft. Jason couldn’t speak until he was 11 or read and write until he was 18 due to having global development delay and being autistic. Now he’s 37, has a lot to say, and is achieving his dreams. Also, you might have heard a lot about the BBC, Gary Lineker’s tweet and migrati...

It’s a year since Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, so we catch up with Mary – a student from Nigeria who was studying medicine in Ukraine when war broke out. De-Graft also speaks to BBC Africa reporter, Soraya Ali, who explains what’s happened to thousands of other African students who fled Ukraine. And Korrine Sky, a British-Zimbabwean who was studying medicine in Ukraine, also...

It’s National Storytelling Week, so new author Taylor-Dior Rumble drops in to share a reading from her first novel, The Situationship. It’s being published by Stormzy’s Merky Books in the summer and is about something many of us will be familiar with. De-Graft also catches up with Joy Battick, who now has two life-sized bronze statues of herself at Brixton Railway Station. Her first statue, instal...

A tweet from a mum accusing her daughter’s school of having a racist hair policy has gone viral on social media. But what is hair discrimination? How do you prove it and do you know your rights? Lawyer Laith Dilaimi pays the pod a visit to answer these questions. Jackie Killeen from the Equality and Human Rights Commission also drops in to explain the guidelines. We’re also talking about dyslexia....

So, why isn’t air pollution being cut faster? It’s 10 years since nine-year-old Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah died – she was the first person in the UK to have air pollution recorded as a cause of death. Her mum Rosamund talks to De-Graft and Cherry about her daughter and why she’s so frustrated at the pace of change. Hip-hop legend Chuck D from Public Enemy drops in to talk about his new doc that’s drop...

Black people who need a transplant wait up to six months longer than other patients, according to a new NHS report. Winnie Andango from NHS Blood and Transplant stops by to explain why and tells us what can be done to change things. And we meet the Hutchinson family - 22-year-old footballer Shae has had two kidney transplants, his mum Sarah is waiting for one and his uncle Simon donated one of his...

What led to two people dying at an Asake gig in south London? Many details remain unclear, but with the help of BBC correspondent Greg McKenzie and witness accounts - we’ve pieced together what we do know. Mike Kill from the Night Time Industries Association also drops in with advice on what you can do to try to protect yourself in a dangerous crowd. And it’s Christmas time… but the latest census...

We’re talking about OCD in this week’s episode. It affects two to three per cent of the population and is the lowest-funded mental health condition for research, according to the charity Orchard OCD. De-Graft is joined by Shaun Flores, who reveals what his life is like living with the condition. He noticed a lack of black people speaking about their OCD experiences and is on a mission to change th...