THIS IS MY PAGE FOR OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN MY LIFE
HAPPY OBAMA DAYS!
I was overcome with joy at Barack Obama's historic inauguration which sent out the message to our children that anything is possible if they believe in themselves and work hard.
I celebrated at the 'YES WE DID' BARACK OBAMA INAUGURATION & UK HONOURS GALA DINNER at the InterContinental Hotel in London's Park Lane. Also present were 500 Black British Achievers, amongst them, Baroness Scotland, Andy Cole, Rudy Walker, Tim Campbell and Mica Paris to name but a few. It was a great night....so inspirational. Well done to Rich Kit International and Hill Davenport for organising and sponsoring the event.
Where were you and how did you celebrate?
I was empowered and overjoyed to celebrate on the special day because it marks a re-alignment of the world.
I want people of all cultures to rejoice, as I believe we should use it as a catalyst to drive HOPE forward.
Especially for our children, the young black boys in particular who don't believe in themselves and have low self esteem to start understanding the importance of education and their time at school, if they want to succeed.
Barack Obama can see the bigger picture and needs everyone to support the vision of change. For decades evil has walked across our wounded world, I believe now is the time for the tide to turn and Barack Obama is the one to steer us on our new journey to repair some of the damage done. It has to happen for the sake of future generations.
Black people must now briefly glance over their shoulders at the adversity and horrors of the past before turning their gaze to the future. My parents always told me I could achieve anything I put my mind to if I was prepared to work hard. They also believed this day was possible, it's just a shame they aren't here to witness it.
There have been cynics who have said this day would never happen and are now saying Barack Obama cannot deliver. I believe he cannot deliver all by himself. We citizens of the world have allowed too many leaders with evil and hatred in their agendas to rule and cause conflict across the globe. Now is the time for us all to give support to a leader who represents good and reconciliation. Let's help him work to achieve this for the sake of our future and our decendants. I also send my support and strength to his beautiful wife Michelle and his two lovely daughters, they too will play an important part in his leadership.
www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/nov/15/family-children-tv-floella-benjamin
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mandrake/3834355/Floella-Benjamins-search-for-gravitas.html
A TAX ON THE CARIBBEAN. I'm urging the Government to re-think its decision on the Air Passenger Duty (APD) Tax. A tax which is grossly unfair to the Caribbean See the following link: www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/20/caribbean-tax-flights
I don't believe it's a two horse race. The Lib Dems are visionary and if they had a bigger presence in parliament the country would be in a far better place than it is now. Think what they said about the Iraq war, the Environment, Gurkas and Banking. See the following link: www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/19/liberal-democrats-floella-benjamin
VLV 'A GLIMMER OF HOPE CONFERENCE'
I recently gave a speech to the VLV 'A Glimmer of Hope' - Conference about the crisis in Children's Television on the 5th November 2008 click on this link to read the speech and download it if you want.
Here is a link to the Telegraph piece I did on Children's Television: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/7492849/Floella-Benjamin-has-criticised-parents-for-using-television-as-a-babysitter.html
HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS ON THE STATE OF CHILDREN'S TELEVISION AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE.
What is it about modern TV that worries her?
There are 28 odd dedicated children’s channels at the moment. THIS IS FAR TOO MANY There is no way many of them can sustain a quality output. The sums simply don’t add up. They are forced by financial constraints to put on low cost, imported animation which can be repeated ad infinitum in order to fill their schedules. As a consequence children who watch them are being fed a one dimensional diet of imported programmes which do not have the diversity, culture and richness needed to stimulate and inspire creativity and imagination. It is so important that we support the BBC who are the last bastion of the kind of production that benefits our children’s needs and development.
Substantial finance is needed to produce home grown high quality children’s programmes, with good writers, artists, producers, directors and above all human presenters, This is not in place and needs to be urgently addressed before it’s too late. We are seeing the influence television is having on children’s behaviour in school and in the playground. This worries me greatly because we are creating society’s future.
How has it changed since her presenting days.
As I say the biggest change is in production values. In my days the need for commercial success never came into it. The people who produced and wrote the programmes didn’t expect to make a fortune, they did it because they loved it, they wanted to entertain and communicate with children. Importantly the presenters didn’t look at it as a stepping stone on the path to stardom. Many of my contemporaries were already well established actors and actresses who simple looked at is as another job to which they gave their very best performance. And in turn have become household names.
The most important thing is we gave children what they needed not what we think they wanted. There’s a big difference. You can feed a child burger and chips three times a day and they won’t complain, but it won’t do them any good in the long run, in fact it will do them a lot of harm. That is what’s happening with the unbalanced diet of programmes we have on offer for our children.
What would she do to improve the situation.
I would insist that everyone, the government, all politicians, educationalists, parents, families and those in the media realise how important this issue is. And wake up to the fact that we are letting down our children. We are showing disregard for our children by not providing a proper balance in the type of content needed to form the necessary foundations of their early life. Furthermore we are not asking enough questions as to why not.
‘Childhood lasts a lifetime and everything we do, every decision we make effects children. The war in Afghanistan effects children, worries over the environment effects children.
So politicians especially, must put measures in place to ensure that we are giving children the very best start possible. Parents must not simply trust TV channels to put on appropriate programmes, just because they call themselves a ‘children’s channel’. They must sit and watch what is being served up to their children, and many of them will be appalled at what they see. They must demand that their children get a good service by writing to their MP’s and to the TV channels and supporting the ones who show a true commitment to quality home produced output.
One more thing, I strongly believe that we must take televisions out of children’s bedrooms. If a child is left alone with a television they can watch all sorts of inappropriate things at all hours of the day or night. That is why many of them turn up at school tired and unable to concentrate on their work.
Any other ideas.
Politicians need to be made aware of the crisis in children’s public service programming. Children’s aren’t voters but their parents are and need to let the government know how they feel about their children not being served well, despite the fact they claim ‘every child matters’. All political parties need to recoginise this.
I would really like the Sun newspaper to start a campaign highlighting the demise of Children’s television and take up this issue, which is supported by people like Jacqueline Wilson, Tony Robinson, Philip Pullman, Michael Palin, Kay Mellor and Save Kids TV to name but a few.
The idea would be to encourage your readers to let their MP’s and our political leaders know of their concerns about the type of dire programmes children are being exposed to.
There needs to be legislation so that imported programmes reflect the culture of British children the same rules that exist in other countries in Europe. And for provision to be made to ensure there is production of British made television programmes.
Let’s start once again to create Children’s television ‘national treasures’ the way we used to do, to inspire future generations and give them aspiration.
MY CONCERNS ABOUT CHILDREN'S TELEVISION AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
What is it about modern TV that worries her?
There are 28 odd dedicated children’s channels at the moment. THIS IS FAR TOO MANY There is no way many of them can sustain a quality output. The sums simply don’t add up. They are forced by financial constraints to put on low cost, imported animation which can be repeated ad infinitum in order to fill their schedules. As a consequence children who watch them are being fed a one dimensional diet of imported programmes which do not have the diversity, culture and richness needed to stimulate and inspire creativity and imagination. It is so important that we support the BBC who are the last bastion of the kind of production that benefits our children’s needs and development.
Substantial finance is needed to produce home grown high quality children’s programmes, with good writers, artists, producers, directors and above all human presenters, This is not in place and needs to be urgently addressed before it’s too late. We are seeing the influence television is having on children’s behaviour in school and in the playground. This worries me greatly because we are creating society’s future.
How has it changed since her presenting days.
As I say the biggest change is in production values. In my days the need for commercial success never came into it. The people who produced and wrote the programmes didn’t expect to make a fortune, they did it because they loved it, they wanted to entertain and communicate with children. Importantly the presenters didn’t look at it as a stepping stone on the path to stardom. Many of my contemporaries were already well established actors and actresses who simple looked at is as another job to which they gave their very best performance. And in turn have become household names.
The most important thing is we gave children what they needed not what we think they wanted. There’s a big difference. You can feed a child burger and chips three times a day and they won’t complain, but it won’t do them any good in the long run, in fact it will do them a lot of harm. That is what’s happening with the unbalanced diet of programmes we have on offer for our children.
What would she do to improve the situation.
I would insist that everyone, the government, all politicians, educationalists, parents, families and those in the media realise how important this issue is. And wake up to the fact that we are letting down our children. We are showing disregard for our children by not providing a proper balance in the type of content needed to form the necessary foundations of their early life. Furthermore we are not asking enough questions as to why not.
‘Childhood lasts a lifetime and everything we do, every decision we make effects children. The war in Afghanistan effects children, worries over the environment effects children.
So politicians especially, must put measures in place to ensure that we are giving children the very best start possible. Parents must not simply trust TV channels to put on appropriate programmes, just because they call themselves a ‘children’s channel’. They must sit and watch what is being served up to their children, and many of them will be appalled at what they see. They must demand that their children get a good service by writing to their MP’s and to the TV channels and supporting the ones who show a true commitment to quality home produced output.
One more thing, I strongly believe that we must take televisions out of children’s bedrooms. If a child is left alone with a television they can watch all sorts of inappropriate things at all hours of the day or night. That is why many of them turn up at school tired and unable to concentrate on their work.
Any other ideas.
Politicians need to be made aware of the crisis in children’s public service programming. Children’s aren’t voters but their parents are and need to let the government know how they feel about their children not being served well, despite the fact they claim ‘every child matters’. All political parties need to recoginise this.
There needs to be legislation so that imported programmes reflect the culture of British children the same rules that exist in other countries in Europe. And for provision to be made to ensure there is production of British made television programmes.
Let’s start once again to create Children’s television ‘national treasures’ the way we used to do, to inspire future generations and give them aspiration.