If You Don't Know

We’re off to space for this one, following the European Space Agency’s recent announcement of a new bunch of astronauts. Nearly 23,000 people applied but not one of the people who were chosen was a person of colour. De-Graft looks into why this was the case and hears from Dr Sheila Kanani, who applied for the job. We’re also back on Earth for two stories about Nigeria. The first is about the gover...

Author and content creator Toni Tone is in the building and on the pod to share some words of wisdom with De-Graft. They discuss Channel 4’s Highlife - aka the black Made in Chelsea according to De-Graft, Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover and how she managed to get on top of managing her money. Plus, BBC sports correspondent Nesta McGregor and Newsround presenter Shanequa Paris join us from Qatar, to g...

With a big environment summit happening in Egypt, De-Graft finds out why there are so few people from ethnic minorities working in the environment sector in the UK. He hears about a scheme set up to change this. We’ve also got an update on the Metropolitan Police’s database of people it believes could be gang members – it’s called the Gangs Violence Matrix and is being overhauled. We hear from law...

Musician Loyle Carner drops in for a chat this week. He talks to De-Graft about what it’s like being a dad, identity and his ADHD. He also reveals his top tips in life… remember “nothing good happens after 1 am”. Also, Stephanie Phillips from punk band Big Joanie takes us through the black cultural roots of rock music. The Nova Twins stop by too, to tell us how they had to fight stereotypes to mak...

Black women in England are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with more advanced breast cancer than white women, according to Cancer Research UK. But when it comes to research, black women are underrepresented in clinical trials. De-Graft gets into this with Dr Georgette Oni, a surgeon who works with breast cancer patients, and Toye Mary, a singer-songwriter and blogger who was diagnosed with...

After three years without a solo release, Stormzy is back with a new single, Mel Made Me Do It. It’s named after his personal stylist, aka Melissa’s Wardrobe. But not everyone knew that, and a satirical tweet by journalist Tobi Rachel ended up highlighting the lack of black journalists in newsrooms. Tobi drops in to tell De-Graft what happened. And Stormzy’s track isn’t the only thing that’s dropp...

There are 575 chemistry professors in the UK, but only one of them is black. An investigation also found that racism is “pervasive” in this area. So, a new scheme called Broadening Horizons has been launched to try to change things. Grace Odunlade, who is about to begin the programme, drops in to tell De-Graft about her own experiences. Also, a swimming cap designed for afro hair has been approved...

The Metropolitan Police has suspended the officer who shot Chris Kaba, an unarmed black man in his 20s. BBC reporter Greg McKenzie has been talking to Chris’s family who want answers about his death. Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, De-Graft looks into the process of transitioning to a new monarch and what we can expect next. Also, London Fashion Week is back, so we’ve pulled...

Prince Charles has edited the latest edition of The Voice, Britain’s longest-running black newspaper, to mark its 40th anniversary. Following criticism online, De-Graft asks its editor, Lester Holloway, why he made this decision. Pinch punch… it’s officially September and back to school season…but do you know how many black students are going into further education and top universities? We hear fr...

It’s uncomfortable to talk about, but government statistics from 2020 show rates of sexually transmitted infections were highest among black people. De-Graft teams up with guest presenter Cherry, to look at the reasons why this has been the case for several years. They sit down and delve into it with Dr Annabel Sowemimo, who founded the sexual health organisation, Decolonising Contraception. We al...

Two black students, Jemima and Elizabeth, tell De-Graft about what happened after they called out a racist incident at their university. The uni did investigate but the women felt things weren’t moving fast enough so they posted the photo at the centre of the story on social media – they were then suspended themselves. We also hear from a young woman who’s turned to food banks because of the cost...

There’s a myth that black people don’t need to wear sunscreen, but doctors say this is a dangerous misconception. De-Graft talks to Dr Kemi Fabusiwa to get the truth, and also hears from Isser Nener, who was diagnosed with skin cancer when she was in her 20s. Isser says she didn't realise the sun could harm her skin and she's now working with Cancer Research UK to warn others not to make the same...

With Beyoncé and Drake’s new house tracks dominating the dance charts, we check out the origins of the genre and how it started in the black LGBTQ community. Lynnée Denise, a DJ and dance music expert, tells De-Graft about the history of house, and BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra presenter DJ Jeremiah Asiamah explains why it’s not just “oontz” music. We also talk to Katouche and Hannah, who are both disable...

Black Pride is back this summer, so the co-founder, Lady Phyll, stops by to talk about why she set up the movement and why it’s so important to the black and POC LGBTQ+ community. We also get into Black Pound Day with its founder, Swiss, from So Solid Crew. They’ve just opened a new shop where black-owned businesses can sell their stuff. And Jamelia Donaldson, who set up Treasure Tress, tells De-G...

People have been asking whether black contestants on Love Island are getting as much airtime as the other islanders, so we got our stopwatch out to measure it. Also ex-islander Rachel Finni reveals what her time on the show was like in 2021. And De-Graft visits Ghana to look at its historical links with Britain. He drops in to see his granny who has a bit of personal advice for him.

Britain’s Got Talent winner Axel Blake drops in and reveals how to write a good joke. He also answers critics who’ve questioned whether he should have been allowed on the show. De-Graft has the lowdown on Lizzo’s new song too, and he chats to a doctor in training about her experiences of racism in the health service.

It’s five years since the fire at Grenfell Tower in west London killed 72 people. And to mark the anniversary the local community has released a single called West Side Story. Two of the artists featured on it, AC and G2 Slime, drop in to chat to De-Graft about a friend one of them lost and how the community is recovering. The single’s producer, Toddla T, also stops by to explain why he got involv...

Actress Nkechi Simms drops in to tell De-Graft and Roshan about her role in BBC Three’s new comedy PRU and her own time in pupil referral units. And we get to the bottom of why black pupils are more likely to be excluded from school than white students, with Jessica Perera from the Institute of Race Relations. Also, we hear the distressing account of how a 15-year-old girl, who is mixed race and a...

The Metropolitan Police has a database of people it believes are gang members – it’s called the gangs violence matrix, and most of the people on it are black. We speak to lawyer Lana Adamou and musician Awate Suleiman who are taking the police to court, arguing the system is discriminatory. Also, we hear from Taylor Epps, a reporter in Buffalo, New York, where 10 people have been killed and three...

Have you ever felt lonely? Black people are more likely to feel lonely than the general population, according to research from the Mental Health Foundation. Marwah El-Murad, who works for the organisation, explains why. And Rhyanna shares her own story of being young, black and lonely. She tells De-Graft and Roshan that you can feel like that even when you have lots of people around you. Presenter...

The author of the sold-out play For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy, Ryan Calais Cameron tells Roshan why he wrote it. He says he wanted to give black men something that would make them go: “Wow. I am something. I am worthy enough to be alive.” And he explains how he’s made the theatre a welcoming place for people who’ve never felt comfortable there before. Prese...

BBC journalist Chi Chi Izundu joins us to talk about her investigation into DJ Tim Westwood and allegations of sexual misconduct – accusations he strenuously denies. Also, for the first time ever a black woman has represented Britain at a major arts festival in Venice… and she won the top prize. The artist, Sonia Boyce, featured other black women in her art and one of them, singer Poppy Ajudah, dr...

There’s been a bit of a ruckus after the Grammy for Best Reggae Album went to SOJA, a nearly all-white band. They won over five Jamaican artists. We hear from DJ, BBC 1Xtra presenter and Grammy award-winning producer Seani B, for his take on the backlash… and he has plenty to say about it! We also catch up with Mary, a Nigerian medical student, who was left stranded in Ukraine when Russia invaded....

When social media star Munya Chawawa posted a picture from his holiday in Spain of people in blackface, it got us talking about what it’s like going abroad when you’re black. Travel blogging couple Jason and Sekai tell us about their experiences and give us a few tips. We also sit down and share the tea with the iconic Charlene White, the first black woman to present ITV News at Ten and Loose Wome...

There’s been outrage over the way a 15-year-old black girl, known as Child Q, was strip-searched by police while she was at school. A report on what happened says the search was unjustified and it’s likely that racism played a part. We speak to the most senior black female police officer in the UK, Commander Dr Alison Heydari, BBC reporter Celestina Olulode who’s been following the story, and Ebin...