These attacks run the gamut of social and economic assaults, meant to demoralize and cause crisis; such as revenge evictions, stoppages of social benefits , unannounced police visits, impromptu court appearances, and illegitimate Council tax levies, among other things.

From the outside, all of this could appear to be a string of bad situations or could even be summed up as something that is a result of Kushinda’s poor management; but hundreds of pages of correspondence to and from Brent Council says otherwise.

Over the course of 17 years Kushinda has been in constant battle with the state after initially filing a complaint against the school district for the treatment of her learning disabled son, Meshach Boland who was 12 years old at the time.

First, they cancelled her income benefits without explanation, then they denied her carer benefits and so on and so forth until the present day.

But all along Kushinda has fought for clarity. She has been in the courts, gone down to their offices, written extensive appeals, emailed and protested only to be met with silence or additional attacks.

The State retaliates after push back against police

In August 2015, everything started to escalate for Kushinda after Brent police sent a targeted letter to families following a stabbing in the African community.

The letter demanded that African youth attend a meeting to discuss the stabbing and warned that if the youth did not attend the meeting, Brent Police would heighten its efforts in the community.

Knowing the implications for black youth and even Kushinda’s learning disabled son, Meshach who is now 29- years old, the Uhuru Movement responded to the letter by writing our own letter which exposed the colonial nature of the police – the letter was published in a local paper; which elevated the issue.

The Uhuru Movement began organizing the community and building a resistance to the policy of police containment.

Only a few months later, in January, Meshach was involved in an altercation with a store owner – a result of his denied access to treatment for his learning and behavioral disabilities – which resulted in a warrant for his arrest and attempted criminal prosecution.

The African National Women’s Organization responded with the First they Fail Us! Then they Jail Us! Campaign which organized a mass call-in to Crown Prosecution Services (CPS) and a protest – led by Kushinda – in front of the Willesden Magistrate court on May 11th, the date of Meshach’s hearing].

This resulted in the court pushing back their attempts to incarcerate Meshach. It was a short-lived victory.

Economic Sanctions is State Violence

Brent retaliated against Kushinda with tax levies and eviction proceeding among other things; which temporarily prevented her from organizing.

We saw her become more isolated and depressed as the state’s agencies collaborated with each other to strengthen their attacks.

First Brent said she owed taxes on a business that never belonged to her, then they sent an eviction notice, next they levied her with additional Council taxes that came up to over two thousand pounds. Then they attempted to move her ailing mother from her home, then they tried to move Meshach’s hearing to an earlier date.

Kushinda and ANWO couldn’t respond fast enough to everything so we decided to go on the offensive. We decided to bring Brent Council’s dirty laundry to their front steps by organizing a daily protest during the month of August, to be held in front of their headquarters at Brent Civic Centre.

ANWO Takes the Offensive

There, Kushinda sat in front of their doors with her mouth taped and hands and feet bound surrounded by poster boards that read “Stop the Revenge Eviction of Kushinda Olanrenwaju”, “Black Lives Won’t Matter, Until we Get Black Power”, and “Stop Britain’s War on Oppressed People”. Everyday she was flanked by her sister Lorna and fellow comrade Antony, who served as agitators and security .

As soon as the protest started, Council representatives scurried to find a resolution so that they could move this “poor black woman” from in front of their shiny state-of-the-art building.

They came out to the street with her files in hand and tried to figure it out, right then and there. This was after Kushinda had been ignored for months. Within two weeks we had met with Council representatives and her eviction had been stopped.

We organized a committee who played pivotal roles in the demonstrations both locally and internationally. Nemequene Tundama and Awqa Colque, indigenous comrades who stand in opposition to colonialism and the oppression of African and indigenous people. We gathered support from Deepa Naik and her daughter Sunaya from This is Not a Gateway; Sister Steffney from London Campaign Against Police and State Violence (LCAPSV); and Sister Jacqui and Brother Cecil from the Pan African Community Society Forum (PACSF).

When we organize we win

By the end of the 20-day protest, we had collected 200 contacts, organized media coverage, recruited other African organizations and supporters to join the protest, held solidarity protests in Phoenix AZ and Washington D.C. and led a successful social media campaign with #DefendAfricanWomen.

We also saw CPS move to end their prosecution of Meshach and are currently working to throw out the case.

These are huge victories! However, we know that there is more to fight around Kushinda. Kushinda still does not have income or her carer benefits restored.

Meshach’s access to Brent Adult Social Care Services to meet his learning disability needs, is still being denied.

The Council does not want to consider their role in denying his access for 17 years. They want to start fresh in order to avoid the reparations they will have to give Meshach for the years of their neglect.

In the meeting we had with the council, in the first two weeks, the Adult Social Care Services Director, declared they did not have an Adult Social Care file on Meshach – which was a total lie since we have records.

So in response, on the last day of protest, we delivered a copy of the 515 page file to the Director of Operations for Adult Social Care – Ms. Helen Woodland.

This action served as an example of resistance for other African women who are currently suffering in silence. Kushinda was lifted out of isolation and empowered to action through organization. We encourage other African women who are struggling to join ANWO. Join a movement of African women who refuse to be isolated and targeted by the state. Let’s win it!

Local members in D.C. held up signs outside of the British Embassy that read #DefendAfricanWomen , Stop Britain’s Attack on Oppressed People, and Black Lives Won’t Matter Until We Get Black Power.

Drivers passing by honked their horns in support of our messages and a few stopped to get more detail about the campaign.  One N. American man on a bicycle was surprised to hear about the case because he says “England is a welfare state” implying that issues like this shouldn’t exist because of their system is supposedly set up to ensure the most vulnerable are provided services.

We were there to bust up that assumption, as England and most of Europe is often looked at as leaders in progressive policies. But lift up the covers you’ll see that African and other oppressed people are suffering the worst as Councils throughout the country make up arbitrary rules that usually leave many without access and in crisis  – just like Kushinda. ‘

We are calling on others to join Kushinda in the last few days of protest especially if you are experiencing issues that are related to state maladministration of your cases.

Since Brent Council refuses to recognize Meshach’s learning disability (for which he carries a Freedom Pass), he has been without specialized care for over 17 years and has suffered severe developmental delay – which means that at 29 year old Meshach functions as a 6 year old. What makes the problems worse is that Brent Police has targeted Meshach and have arrested him on charges related to his diability and seek to prosecute him criminally.

Following a protest led by Kushinda held on May 11th to expose this injustice, she received notice that she is to be evicted and that she owed thousands of pounds in council taxes. All of this is related to the benefits that were stopped without explanation.

Kushinda has been driven into deep economic and emotional crisis by these varied attacks, however instead of allowing the Council to drive her into isolation, she is bringing her own charges to their doorstep.

We are asking people to support her by:

1. Select your protest days to stand with Kushinda. Let us know which days, by signing up to participate.
2. Organize other people to stand with Kushinda by sending this message to your contacts and sharing with your family and friends
3. Show material support by donating to the campaign
4. Post a picture on Social Media with the hashtag #DefendAfricanWomen and tag @ANWOUhuru on Facebook and Twitter.

In retaliation for the 11th of May protest outside of Willesden Magistrates Court, Genesis Housing Association, Kushinda Olanrewaju’s (a.k.a Shirley Campbell) rogue landlord, obtained a scheduled hearing on Monday, 13 June 2016 at 11am for non-payment of rent.

On 11 May 2016, we were successful in pushing back the State’s aggression against Kushinda’s learning disabled son, Meshach,

The State postponed his trial to 1st of September pending an updated assessment.

The victory was possible only due to the community’s phone calls, emails, and direct participation at our protest which helped to elevate Kushinda and her family out of isolation. In response to this triumph, the State immediately moved on Kushinda with the threat of eviction.

ANWO is calling again for your support and vigilance of this latest attack which is a combined assault by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the London Borough of Brent, Genesis Housing Association and Willesden County Court.

DWP terminated her entitlement to Income Support in September 2011. Later her Carers Allowance and Child Benefit was terminated. To ensure her and her family’s housing needs, Kushinda made a Housing Benefit (HB) application to Brent Council which she received. Last year, on the advice of the DWP, the council suspended Kushinda’s HB payments on the pretext that her circumstances changed. Although Kushinda’s HB application was processed by the Council and not by the DWP she provided the Council with the requested information but received no acknowledgement or reinstatement of HB.

This is a clear assault on a family that is struggling for justice, not just for themselves, but for others.

How you can help?

1. Join our protest at 10am on Monday, 11th of June outside Willesden County Court
2. Call: Brent Council’s Revenue and Benefits Services on 020 0937 1800 or email: benefits@brent.gov.uk to demand the reinstatement of Shirley Campbell’s Housing benefits based on nil income
3. Donate to the campaign to support Kushinda at anwouhuru.org/donate select “London campaign”