5 Stories to read on International Romani Day

5 Stories to read on International Romani Day
Today, April 8, celebrates Roma people and culture around the world, while challenging the issues and persecution they face. Revisit some of our best features challenging stereotypes and highlighting their stories.

Today, April 8, marks International Romani Day. With discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities remaining “troublingly persistent” in the UK and beyond, we stand in solidarity with members against racism and oppression.

To mark the occasion, we revisit five Huck stories that celebrate the beauty and resilience in Romani communities and cultures from the UK to the West Coast of the USA, while highlighting the systematic racism and oppression they face.

HORSING AROUND: A WILD WEEKEND AT APPLEBY FAIR

The Travel Diary — Every year, a tiny town in Cumbria, UK, plays host to the Appleby horse fair – the largest gathering of Travellers in Western Europe. Read here.

A GLIMPSE INSIDE CALIFORNIA’S ROMANI COMMUNITIES

Between 1990 and 2003, Cristina Salvador Klenz spent time documenting a Roma community in the US. Her photos offer a vital insight into their everyday lives and the stigma they face. Read here.

HOW GYPSIES WERE LEFT BEHIND DURING THE PANDEMIC

Forgotten voices — GRT communities are some of the most marginalised groups in the UK. As Covid-19 exacerbated inequalities they face from living conditions to education, many are now at breaking point. Read here.

AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF SOUTH LONDON’S GYPSIES, ROMA AND TRAVELLERS

Capturing community — A project bringing together archival images of GRT people in South London seeks to allow the community to tell their stories on their own terms. Read here.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT ANTI-GYPSY RACISM

Forgotten victims — For centuries, Romani people have faced violent oppression – so when will we start talking about the racism they face? Read here.

Latest on Huck

This erotic zine dismantles LGBTQ+ respectability politics
Culture

This erotic zine dismantles LGBTQ+ respectability politics

Zine Scene — Created by Megan Wallace and Jack Rowe, PULP is a new print publication that embraces the diverse and messy, yet pleasurable multitudes that sex and desire can take.

Written by: Isaac Muk

As Tbilisi’s famed nightclubs reawaken, a murky future awaits
Music

As Tbilisi’s famed nightclubs reawaken, a murky future awaits

Spaces Between the Beats — Since Georgia’s ruling party suspended plans for EU accession, protests have continued in the capital, with nightclubs shutting in solidarity. Victor Swezey reported on their New Year’s Eve reopening, finding a mix of anxiety, catharsis and defiance.

Written by: Victor Swezey

Los Angeles is burning: Rick Castro on fleeing his home once again
Culture

Los Angeles is burning: Rick Castro on fleeing his home once again

Braver New World — In 2020, the photographer fled the Bobcat Fire in San Bernardino to his East Hollywood home, sparking the inspiration for an unsettling photo series. Now, while preparing for its exhibition, he has had to leave once again, returning to the mountains.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Ghais Guevara: “Rap is a pinnacle of our culture”
Music

Ghais Guevara: “Rap is a pinnacle of our culture”

What Made Me — In our new series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that have shaped who they are. First up, Philadelphian rap experimentalist Ghais Guevara.

Written by: Ghais Guevara

Gaza Biennale comes to London in ICA protest
Activism

Gaza Biennale comes to London in ICA protest

Art and action — The global project, which presents the work of over 60 Palestinian artists, will be on view outside the art institution in protest of an exhibition funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Written by: Cyna Mirzai

Ragnar Axelsson’s thawing vision of Arctic life
Culture

Ragnar Axelsson’s thawing vision of Arctic life

At the Edge of the World — For over four decades, the Icelandic photographer has been journeying to the tip of the earth and documenting its communities. A new exhibition dives into his archive.

Written by: Cyna Mirzai

Sign up to our newsletter

Issue 81: The more than a game issue

Buy it now