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In case you missed it!
You can now catch up on our panel discussion that took place on Tuesday 20th October - view the recording here
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We have prepared a bumper issue for you since today is our last daily Black History Month 2020 circular! But you can continue to get your fix once a month as these will continue throughout the year.
If you have missed any issues you can view them in the
Celebrating Black History Month 2020 Circular Archive, and you can subscribe to receive future circulars directly to your inbox.
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Words that can change your world
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”Self-pride is the catalyst for achievement and there is no greater “truth” than knowing yourself.” — Akyaaba Addai-Sebo
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As Black History Month draws to a close, we wanted to end the month with a history of Black History Month itself!
Black History Month has been celebrated in the UK since 1987. Its origins are drawn from the US, where the precursor to Black History Month was started in 1926 as Negro History Week by celebrated historian Carter G. Woodson. The second week of February was chosen since it included the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. It was renamed to Black History Month in the 1960s in the wake of the Civil Rights movement.
Britain in the 1980s was in turmoil in the Thatcher era following the 1981 riots in Brixton, Toxteth and Tottenham, in which black Britons fought for acceptance and against racism. The first official Black History Month was held in October 1987, coordinated by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo from the Greater London Council.
1987 was also the year that African Jubilee Year Declaration was launched which called on local and national government to recognise the contributions of Africans to the cultural, economic and political life of London and the UK. The declaration also called on authorities to implement their duties under the Race Relations Act 1976 and to intensify their support against apartheid.
Today across the UK, more than 4,000 Black History Month events are organised, as well as activities in schools. But black history should be celebrated throughout the year - and we highly encourage you to continue exploring the contributions of people of African descent and our shared British history.
Where to start?
- Keep an eye out on British History Month events listings throughout the year
- Visit the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton to view their collections, including oral history recordings, personal papers and organisational records
- Look back at our BHM circular archive to look for inspiration for what to read/listen/watch
- Take a look at the Keep Exploring section below for ongoing ways to keep learning
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Did you know that our panellists from 20th October do more than discuss?
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Yomi Ṣode is a spoken word artist, poet and MC. Yomi founded free poetry night BoxedIN in 2012, and in 2019, was one of three writers awarded the Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship.
Listen to Remnants (at 28mins) with the full Chineke! orchestra.
Yomi has worked with UCL in the past, his poem Superhuman discusses the psychological impact of being in spaces named after eugenicists. Yomi's project in collaboration with renowned photographer Gioncarlo Valentine On Uniformity was born out of this.
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Marcia Jacks is Institute Manager for Women’ Health, Faculty of Population Health Sciences. She has been Co-chair of the Race Equality Steering Group since 2014. Since joining UCL, Marcia has taken a keen interest in, and sought to be involved with, equality issues at various levels.
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Gyan Quartey is a chartered management accountant (CIMA) and has worked across the Retail and the Financial services sectors. Working in an environment where he is clearly a minority, Gyan aims to offer that helping hand to others like him who are trying to navigate the world of finance.
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Read...
Afropean - Notes from Black Europe by Johny Pitts
'Afropean. Here was a space where blackness was taking part in shaping European identity ... A continent of Algerian flea markets, Surinamese shamanism, German Reggae and Moorish castles. Yes, all this was part of Europe too ... With my brown skin and my British passport - still a ticket into mainland Europe at the time of writing - I set out in search of the Afropeans, on a cold October morning.'
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Listen...
Bustle has compiled a list of 42 podcasts about the Black British experience and race in the UK
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This Walk has come about as a result of the extensive research conducted by the University College London (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/) on the Legacies of Slave-Ownership. This added to my obsession with discovering more about the substantial Black history that literally ran throughout the streets of London.
Saturday 31st October, 11:00 - 13:00 GMT
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Find out how London keeps its memory of the glorification of stolen African lives that capitalised the "streets paved with gold".
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This special walk delves into an amazing depth of African/Caribbean history between Soho Square and Russell Square
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Today's issue was compiled by
Terrie Fiawoo & Francesca Cavallaro from ICH Population, Policy & Practice Research & Teaching Department
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