Rhammel Emmanuel Basil Afflick (born 6 April 1994) is a British writer and political activist. He is best known for his campaigning on race, knife crime and
LGBT+ rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the Capital punishment for homosexualit ...
. He was Director of Communications for
Pride in London
Pride in London is an annual LGBT pride festival and parade held each summer in London, England. The event, which was formerly run by Pride London, is sometimes referred to as London Pride.
Pride in London celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ ...
from 2019 to 2021.
Born and raised in
South West London, Afflick has been campaigning since the age of 11 when he was elected to
Kingston Youth Council.
In 2021, Afflick was awarded
BEM for services to the community in London in the
2021 New Year Honours
The 2021 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebration ...
.
Early life and education
Afflick was born in
Wandsworth
Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan
The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Gre ...
and grew up in
Balham
Balham () is an area in south London, England, mostly within the London Borough of Wandsworth with small parts within the neighbouring London Borough of Lambeth. The area has been settled since Saxon times and appears in the Domesday Book as B ...
. He attended
Chessington School
Chessington School (Chessington Community College until September 2018) is a co-educational secondary school with a sports centre, in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Greater London. The current building was opened in September 2009. ...
, known as Chessington Community College at the time, for secondary school and sixth form, completing in 2012. He has written about his experience as a
bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
man in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. Afflick is of
West Indian
A West Indian is a native or inhabitant of the West Indies (the Antilles and the Lucayan Archipelago). For more than 100 years the words ''West Indian'' specifically described natives of the West Indies, but by 1661 Europeans had begun to use it ...
descent with both sides of his family originating from
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
.
Career
Afflick began campaigning aged 11, initially focusing on the relationship between young black men and the police. He subsequently became heavily involved in local politics in the
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is a borough in southwest London. The main town is Kingston upon Thames and it includes Surbiton, Chessington, Malden Rushett, New Malden and Tolworth. It is the oldest of the four royal boroughs in Eng ...
. Afflick was appointed an advisor of local authorities School Admission Forum, Kingston's Community and Police Partnership and many other panels. He was elected a member of the
UK Youth Parliament
The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom, consisting of democratically elected members aged between 11 and 18.
Formed in 2000, the parliament has 369 members, who are elected to represent the views of young ...
and Chair of the
Kington Youth Council in 2011 advocating on issues such as child poverty and public transport.
Afflick continued to campaign on issues affecting young people making regular appearances across the
British media
There are several different types of mass media in the United Kingdom: television, radio, newspapers, magazines and websites. The United Kingdom is known for its large music industry, along with its new and upcoming artists. The country also has a ...
. He then started writing for a number of publications including
HuffPost
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
and ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
''. Alongside many other young people he has been an advocate of social action following his nomination as an ambassador of the
Prince of Wales’ charity Step Up To Serve. In 2015, he co-hosted the charities annual award ceremony alongside British television presenter
Susanna Reid
Susanna Reid (born 10 December 1970) is an English television presenter and journalist. She was a co-presenter of ''BBC Breakfast'' from 2003 until 2014 alongside Bill Turnbull and Charlie Stayt. In 2013, she finished as a runner-up on the elev ...
.
Afflick has been outspoken about serious youth violence and gangs in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, campaigning on the issue alongside activists like
Jeremiah Emmanuel, the founder of One Big Community.
He's been vocal about his support for a public health approach to the knife crime epidemic in the capital calling on politicians to take different steps to address the root causes of inequality. He has been critical of the approach taken by successive governments and politicians in response to knife crime.
Afflick has repeatedly spoken out about the use of stop and search on young black men in the UK. He has stated he believes policing tactics such as
stop and search can be counterproductive and divisive. His joint work with other young activists led to the formation of the
UK Parliament
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative supremac ...
Youth Violence Commission where he later gave evidence.
Afflick has been a strong supporter of the UK campaign for
lowering the voting age to 16, speaking in support in the lead up to Britain's
EU Referendum
This is a list of referendums related to the European Union, or referendums related to the European Communities, which were predecessors of the European Union. Since 1972, a total of 48 referendums have been held by EU member states, candidate st ...
.
He campaigns on LGBT rights, racism, hate crime and inclusivity in the workplace in the UK. He has spoken about the importance of tackling
racism in the LGBT community
Racism is a concern for many in the Western lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities, with members of racial, ethnic, and national minorities reporting having faced discrimination from other LGBT people.
In the United State ...
, intersectionality and allyship.
Afflick volunteers with a number of charities including government-funded charity Police Now where he serves as a trustee.
Pride in London
Afflick volunteered for
Pride in London
Pride in London is an annual LGBT pride festival and parade held each summer in London, England. The event, which was formerly run by Pride London, is sometimes referred to as London Pride.
Pride in London celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ ...
for more than 7 years starting in 2013 and was appointed Communications Director in November 2019. During his time within the organisation he campaigned on the importance of Pride and championed the need to elevate black and transgender people within the LGBT community.
Resignation and aftermath
In March 2021, Afflick revealed he had resigned from his position at Pride in London earlier in the year, citing concerns over the organisation's lack of intersectionality and reluctance to listen to black voices or commit to meaningful anti-racism. Pride in London responded by issuing a formal apology. In an interview with
ITV News
ITV News is the branding of news programmes on the British television network ITV. ITV has a long tradition of television news. Independent Television News (ITN) was founded to provide news bulletins for the network in 1955, and has since conti ...
Afflick responded to
Pride in London
Pride in London is an annual LGBT pride festival and parade held each summer in London, England. The event, which was formerly run by Pride London, is sometimes referred to as London Pride.
Pride in London celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ ...
's apology by saying the time had come for pride to demonstrate it was serious about change.
The following day, on 19 March 2021,
Pride in London
Pride in London is an annual LGBT pride festival and parade held each summer in London, England. The event, which was formerly run by Pride London, is sometimes referred to as London Pride.
Pride in London celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ ...
's entire Community Advisory Board resigned over the matter. Approximately 20 volunteers resigned in solidarity as the organisation became 'engulfed in a race row'. The
Mayor of London
The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the 1998 Greater London Authority referendum, Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first Directly elected may ...
,
Sadiq Khan
Sadiq Aman Khan (; born 8 October 1970) is a British politician serving as Mayor of London since 2016. He was previously Member of Parliament (MP) for Tooting from 2005 until 2016. A member of the Labour Party, Khan is on the party's sof ...
, also intervened shortly after Afflick's resignation stating he was taking the allegation seriously. One of Pride in London's key sponsors, DIVA Magazine, pulled in protest at the revelations from Afflick.
Several leading
LGBT+ organisations in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
issued statements in support of Afflick, and the other volunteers who resigned including
Stonewall,
Mermaids
In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Mermaids are sometimes asso ...
and
UK Black Pride
UK Black Pride (UKBP) is a black gay pride event in London that has taken place since 2005. It is Europe's largest celebration of African, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American and Caribbean heritage lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and qu ...
on Friday 20 March 2021. In an interview with
Gay Times
''Gay Times'' (stylized in all caps), also known as ''Gay Times Magazine'' and as ''GT'', is a UK-based LGBTQ+ media brand established in 1975. Originally a magazine for gay and bisexual men, the company now includes content for the LGBTQ+ commu ...
, Afflick disclosed that he felt ‘relief’ after issuing his statement. He went on to say “black people shouldn’t have to withdraw from these mainstream spaces for fear of racism”. Later that day five Directors of
Pride in London
Pride in London is an annual LGBT pride festival and parade held each summer in London, England. The event, which was formerly run by Pride London, is sometimes referred to as London Pride.
Pride in London celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ ...
, including Co-Chairs Michael Salter-Church and Ali Camps stepped down following ‘critical media coverage and feedback'. However, many including Afflick called for an overhaul to increase trust in communities with Afflick stating that entirely new leadership was needed.
Britsh Youth Council
Afflick has worked for the government-funded charity
British Youth Council
The British Youth Council, known informally as BYC, is a UK charity that works to empower young people and promote their interests. The national charity, run by young people, exists to represent the views of young people to government and decisi ...
for more than a decade often acting as a spokesperson for the organisation in British media and in
UK Parliament
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative supremac ...
.
Commentary
Afflick spoke out repeatedly in the media against
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
's decision to host the
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
in
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
. Afflick also joined calls for celebrity ambassadors of the game to withdraw their support given Qatar’s well-documented human rights abuses and its laws surrounding
LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 33 ...
.
Awards
Afflick was a recipient of the
British Empire Medal
The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. The current honour was created in 1922 to ...
in the
2021 New Year Honours
The 2021 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebration ...
. He was recognised for more than a decades commitment to campaigning and volunteering in the community
Commonwealth honours
Community Awards
Afflick was recognised as one of the 40 Black British individuals who are poised as the next generation of leaders of African and Caribbean descent by the
Black Cultural Archives.
References
External links
Profile on Twitter
Articles in the ''HuffPost''Articles in ''The Independent''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Afflick, Rhammel
Living people
1994 births
Bisexual male politicians
Bisexual male writers
Bisexual rights activists
Black British activists
Black British politicians
Black British writers
British charity and campaign group workers
British people of Jamaican descent
Black British LGBT people
British LGBT rights activists
English bisexual men
English bisexual politicians
English bisexual writers
LGBT people from London
People from Balham
People from the London Borough of Wandsworth
Recipients of the British Empire Medal
Writers from London