Forever Family (also known as the Forever Family Fund and the FF Force) is a

grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...

anti-racism and black power organisation in the United Kingdom.

Background

The group was founded by rapper Khari McKenzie (known by the alias Raspect Fyahbingh) and Rachelle Emanuel during the 2020 George Floyd protests in the United Kingdom, which were initiated by the murder of George Floyd by police in the United States. The protests were led by activists from the Black Lives Matter movement and resulted in the toppling of statues across the UK of people associated with the transatlantic slave trade. McKenzie first became politically active in 2011 after the

Killing of Mark Duggan Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old black British man, was shot dead by police in Tottenham, North London on 4 August 2011. The Metropolitan Police stated that officers were attempting to arrest Duggan on suspicion of planning an attack and that he was ...

by police in

Tottenham Hale Tottenham Hale is a district of north London and part of the London Borough of Haringey, bounded by the River Lea and located to the south/south-east of Tottenham proper. From 1850 to 1965, it was part of the Municipal Borough of Tottenham, in Mi ...

, London, which sparked the

2011 England riots The 2011 England riots, more widely known as the London riots, were a series of riots between 6 and 11 August 2011. Thousands of people rioted in cities and towns across England, which saw looting, arson, as well as mass deployment of police ...

. He was previously a member of G.A.N.G, a group that would turn up at the site of gang violence incidents in stab-proof vests and call on residents to "reclaim the space". Forever Family made their first notable public appearance when on 1 August 2020 - the anniversary of the Slavery Abolition Act - members of the group joined the annual

Emancipation Day Emancipation Day is observed in many former European colonies in the Caribbean and areas of the United States on various dates to commemorate the emancipation of slaves of African descent. On August 1, 1985, Trinidad and Tobago became the fir ...

march in

Brixton Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th ce ...

, London to demand reparations for Britain's role in the enslavement of multiple generations of people from Africa.

Methods and image

Forever Family often engages in forms of

direct action Direct action originated as a political activist term for economic and political acts in which the actors use their power (e.g. economic or physical) to directly reach certain goals of interest, in contrast to those actions that appeal to oth ...

including protest marches, but also responds to incidents of violence against Black British people by establishing a visible presence in the area. In February 2023 a black teenage girl was beaten by white children while being encouraged to do so by their white parents outside

Thomas Knyvett College Thomas Knyvett College () is a medium sized mixed school with Academy Converter status (conversion to an Academy is underway during the 2014–2015 academic year) educating students aged 11–16 in Ashford, Surrey, England. The college is part ...

in Ashford, Surrey. Members of Forever Family including founder Khari McKenzie (Raspect Fyahbingh) gathered outside the school demanding the resignation of Headteacher Richard Beeson for failing to protect black students from racial abuse, a demand also backed by London rapper Dave. Members of Forever Family are notable for their distinctive all-black and military-style dress code and use of body armour, which has been compared to that of the former

Black Panther Party The Black Panther Party (BPP), originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, was a Marxist-Leninist and black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in October 1966 in Oakland, Califo ...

and the more recent

NFAC The Not Fucking Around Coalition (NFAC) is a black nationalist militia part of the militia movement in the United States. The group advocates for black liberation and separatism. It has been described by news outlets as a "Black militia". I ...

in the United States. This fact has proven controversial among some of the group's critics, who have suggested that Forever Family's methods could be illegal under the Public Order Act 1936 which prohibits both the use of

political uniforms A number of political movements have involved their members wearing uniforms, typically as a way of showing their identity in marches and demonstrations. The wearing of political uniforms has tended to be associated with radical political belie ...

, and organising for the purpose of "usurping the functions of the police". Former

MEP MEP may refer to: Organisations and politics * Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, a political party in Sri Lanka * Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (1956), a former political alliance in Sri Lanka * Maison européenne de la photographie, a photography centre ...

Nigel Farage described Forever Family as "a

paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

-style force" in reference to their presence at the 2020

march in Brixton, which Farage also labelled "terrifying" and "divisive". The Forever Family Fund's website states that the group organises a number of charitable activities such as "collection of food, clothing and essential items for those in need". It also offers contacts for "legal support", and promotes the growth and self-sufficiency of Black-owned businesses in the UK. The Forever Family newsletter also indicates that a branch of the organisation exists in Scotland.

Legal status

Forever Family Ltd was registered with Companies House as a private limited company on 20 June 2020, with the nature of the business described as "fund management activities" and "general public administration activities". Rachelle Emanuel was listed as company secretary, and Khari McKenzie as director and a person with significant control. The company was dissolved via compulsory strike-off on 1 November 2022. Forever Family UK CIC was registered with Companies House as a

Community Interest Company A community interest company (CIC, colloquially pronounced "kick") is a type of company introduced by the United Kingdom government in 2005 under the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004, designed for social ente ...

(CIC) on 1 June 2021, with the nature of the business described as "activities of head offices", "educational support services" and "other social work activities without accommodation". This company was similarly dissolved via compulsory strike-off on 20 December 2022.

Notable members & supporters

* David Orobosa Omoregie, a rapper who performs under the name Dave * Rachelle Emanuel, co-founder and secretary of the Forever Family Fund * Sasha Johnson, a Black Lives Matter activist who survived being shot in the head in

Peckham Peckham () is a district in southeast London, within the London Borough of Southwark. It is south-east of Charing Cross. At the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census the Peckham ward had a population of 14,720. History "Peckham" is a Saxon p ...

, London in May 2021 * Khari McKenzie (also known as Raspect Fyahbingh), a rapper and co-founder of Forever Family * Dwayne 'Megaman' Vincent, a member of the UK garage collective

So Solid Crew So Solid Crew are a British UK garage and hip hop collective originating from the area on and surrounding the Winstanley and York Road Estates in Battersea, London which achieved wide success in the early 2000s. The group consisted of many m ...

References

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External links