Bristol Black History Month Magazine 2021 by Bristol Black History Month

HERITAGE

ISSUE 6 Bristol 2021

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FOREWORD Christelle Pellecuer, Creative Director of Razana Afrika

I am a big advocate of celebrating our histor y and culture all year round, but I also believe we should embrace the special opportunity that Black Histor y Month presents to us. It is a chance to pause and ref lect on all the achievements and the contributions Black people have made to our society. As the concept of Sankofa reiterates, learn from the past, look back to move for ward. We need to look back at the achievements and contributions we made, at the knowledge of the past in order to address today’s challenges and to inspire us to move for ward. It is also an opportunity to honour our shared heritage, and a time to remember the people who

have enriched our world with their knowledge, wisdom and courage. As I write this, I cannot help but think about those who have transitioned this year but have left a legacy behind. Cicely Tyson, Jacob Desvarieux, Melvin van Peebles, Jonas Gwang wa, Kenneth Kaunda to name just a few of those who paved the way for us in theirrespective industries. Black histor y has been written out of histor y books and our culture is ver y often misrepresented in the media. As I write this, I see how the media is currently portraying the crisis in my countr y of Madagascar and I do not always agree with how this stor y is being told. Black Histor y Month is an opportunity to tell our stor y the way we want it to be documented and remembered. It is also an opportunity to tell local stories such as Bristol Bus Boycott, to highlight the positive contributions of our local role models, and to bring these stories to the national and international arenas. I invite each and ever y one of you to continue to celebrate our histor y all year round but also to celebrate during the month of October. Please take full advantage of all the activities on offer this month. It is an opportunity to come together, to reconnect after 18 months of being apart. It is time for celebration, enjoyment, and empowerment. I am so inspired to see how young Black talents are taking their space in various platforms and to see initiatives such as the ones described earlier being developed. My hopes are that we continue to press for ward and that soon the stories that are being portrayed in the media in the UK ref lect its population, and that we build on the much-needed initiatives already started. Only time will tell how these initiatives will make a difference. For now, all we can ask ourselves is, as Dr Martin Luther King Jr. asked 50 years ago: Where do we go from here? w w w.christellepellecuer.com

As I write this foreword, I have to stop and ref lect on the year we just had. So many key moments come to mind that highlight Black excellence. These include the inauguration of Kamala Harris as Vice president of the U.S. in Januar y, Amanda Gorman reading “The hill we climb” at the inauguration ceremony, Kerby Jean-Raymond as the first Black designer to show at Paris Haute Couture Week in July, UN celebrating the first International Day for People of African Descent in August, and Channel 4 ‘Black to Front’ project dedicating a whole day in September to programmes fronted by Black talents, to address the lack of diversity and representation in programmes and advertising, both on-screen and off-screen. And there is so much more to mention.

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EDITORIAL Bristol Black History Month Magazine provides an exclusive focus point for the city to celebrate the contributions and achievements of Black African and Caribbean community. This year we are reflecting on the power of legacy, especially born of female leadership and how that inspires households and communities. For this reason, the 2021 magazine cover and feature story celebrate The Cole Family, as a symbol of heritage, education, talent and knowledge. Their perseverance and tenacity is a light of inspiration for Bristol and beyond. As with every issue of the Bristol Black History Month magazine, our focus remains on increasing the visibility of Black entrepreneurs, creatives, speakers and scholars who continue to embrace their African and Caribbean heritage despite adversity and show their commitment to raising the aspirations of future generations. Our thanks go to all those who have submitted their articles, poems, listings and adverts. This is a grass-roots project, made possible by the contributions of everyday people. We would also like to thank all our commissioned partners, steering group and Black South West Network team. Our collective vision of increasing market access and visibility to the amazing work done by the Black communities is demonstrated through this year’s BHM’s 6th issue. There is a fantastic line-up of events this year, from respected commentators, historians, community leaders, to artists and musicians who discuss, remember, preserve and continue the cultural heritage of the African and Caribbean Diaspora. Sibusiso Tshabalala Project Director Cognitive Paths

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TEAM

CONTRIBUTORS

Director Sibusiso Tshabalala

//Kabbo Hue Qua, Peninah Achieng-Kindberg, Ros Martin, Lathisha Cesar-Simmons, Brad Morrison, Gyasi Taylor, Lottie Boateng-Kennett, Jennifer Sharratt, Mrs Peaches Golding OBE CSTJ RNR, Shaun Clarke, Noelia Cepeda, Higher Heights, Sophie Brown & Ruth Pitter, Rebecca NK Gibbs, Carmen Carrol, Peter Miles, Swing Circus, Bianca Jones, Naomi Gennery, Kwame Bakoji-Hume, Daisy Charles, Sherrie Eugene-Hart.

Editor Martina (Mina) Drobná

CREATIVE TEAM Head of Design & Project Lead Marta Celio Creative Direction & Communications Kat Garoës-Hill Junior Contributors Morayo Omogbenigun & Adan Jirde

COMMISSIONED PARTNERS Film Production Lead Gary Thompson Advert Designers Safia Belhaj & Samira Belhaj

BECOME AN ALLY Black History Month Magazine has been an evolving project that aims to provide support and bespoke programmes for young and seasoned creatives. We are looking for venue partners, program sponsors and creative agency partners.

Email: magazine@cognitivepaths.co.uk Disclaimer: Bristol BHM Magazine is a Bristol based online and print magazine of writing, art, advertisement, listings, and “other tings.” No person, organisation or party can copy or reproduce the content on this site and/or magazine, or any part of this publication without written consent from the editors’ panel and the author of the content, as applicable. The publisher (Cognitive Paths), authors and contributors reserve their rights with regards to copyright of their work. Cognitive Paths is a company limited by guarantee 10085634 www.cognitivepaths.co.uk 62A Halston Drive, St Pauls, Bristol, BS2 9JN

Exhibition Producer Rick Thompson

COVER Front Cover Photography Gary Thompson & Rick Thompson Featuring Amirah Cole & Amari Cole Back Cover Photography Safia Belhaj & Samira Belhaj

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THE COLE FAMILY

Councillor Amirah Cole and her entrepreneurial son Amari, aka Wish Master, share their journeys with Rob Mitchell. The Cole family illustrate the aspirations of two generations of ‘Black Bristolians’, a child and grand-child of the now-called Windrush generation. Amirah and Amari both hold on to some sense of history and community, while also having to embrace the changes in St Paul’s & the Ashley Ward. In 2021, they are looking to push their voices out of the old ‘inner city’ into more mainstream areas, to shape their own futures and the communities around them. Interview with Amirah Cole I: Who are you? A: So I’m Amirah Cole, I live in the Ashley Ward of Bristol, I’ve grown up in St.Paul’s and live in Montpelier and have done for the majority of my life. My introduction to community work was through a placement at College, through a community project which I did at Kuumba, I once did a performance at the Malcolm X and I’d written this poem ‘Who am I, What am I, and Where should I be?’. So when you said ‘Who are you?’, that’s the question. And the poem actually looked at different women’s lives throughout histor y and took on the characters of each of these different women. And I think I’m still finding myself actually. I: Do you remember the poem? A: I can do a little bit, shall I? Cause it’s a long poem, there were five people, but the beginning is: Who am I, What am I and Where should I be, If I was born tomorrow, Would I be the same me? Who am I, What am I and Where should I be, A butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker? Is this really all that life has in store for me? I studied their books from the first to the last I understand how many things have come to pass I studied their laws and religion too And each day I look in the mirror And say ‘This just is not you’. I: So how did that come about then? How old were you then?

A: So I’d left school and this was a year’s course which I did at what was then called the Brunel College, it was a Community Care project. And it looked at different aspects of community care, so you know young people, the elderly, all the kind of things you would go through. It looked a bit at the leisure activities but that was a project we had to do on our own. And it was a fundraising project and this is what I did. So the idea was to raise funds and those funds went to some community group. So I put on that event at

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the Malcolm X Centre. As I said, I had a placement at Kuumba, I worked with the Malcolm X Centre ver y closely any way so they gave me the venue to put it on and it was ver y well attended. I: So let ’s go back, a bit more biographical. So you were born where and when? A: I’m born here in the UK, my parents came here in the 60’s. My father was fortunate enough to be able to purchase a house. Not by himself, in them times. I remember growing up, in the house my mum is in now, that’s our family home where we all grew up but also with my auntie and cousins. And that’s how it all started off, with ever ybody in a room or t wo rooms, depending on how big the family was. I think we had t wo rooms as we had the most children. My auntie lived upstairs and my cousins lived downstairs and as time progressed, my dad managed to pay for this house and my auntie moved to Easton and then she did the same in her house, she rented out rooms, managed to purchase her house as well. So Montpelier is where dad bought the house which is literally five minutes from Brook road. And across Brook road, you’re in St. Paul’s. Although most of my younger days, the activities we were in were in St. Paul’s. You know, Malcolm X Centre, Cabot Sports Centre, Kuumba like I said. Most of the young people growing up in the area went to schools in St. Paul’s so we used to have a joke because they used to say we as a family were the posh ones because we came from Montpelier. I: When was all this? A: Oh my gosh, you want me to show my age now? *laughs* Well I left school in the 90’s so you know, the 80’s. In terms of Kuumba, I had older brothers who were Rastas and they were ver y much involved in what was going on at Kuumba at the time. One of my younger brothers was involved in drama, which they travelled around the countr y with and did productions. Kuumba of course then was Inkworks, was ver y much the place, you know the hub of the community. It was mainly Rastafarians who were there. Ver y close-knit, ver y progressive. I remember also what they used to do was buy food wholesale and what you could do was just go and buy what you needed there. They also had the nurser y there, as well as doing productions and also little bits of woodwork. So it was ver y much a different place, and it was my introduction. You could go there and sit down to have a talk with the elders. My introduction to the Malcolm X Centre was ver y different as well, we used to go on trips with them to a much older community, my mum and dad’s age group. But a ver y well run and organised place to be. I: Would you call yourself a Rasta? A: I would say no, in terms of practicing as a Rasta. I know we’d like to be able to identif y things, like once you have locks you’re a Rasta. But it’s not that, it’s so much more. So I would say no, because I would be doing it a disser vice. But I would say that it’s the philosophy of Rasta that has been a part of my upbringing and has shaped the way that I think, the way that I feel about the community and the way that I think we should work as a community. It’s been ver y inf luential in my life. I actually grew up as a Baptist, so growing up we had both sides and I think for me the Rasta side touched me a bit more because it was ver y much about you and yourself, and taking responsibility for yourself. What you look for outside is actually within you. It just resonated with me more.

“ I used to say African-Caribbean because I wanted to acknowledge my African roots. First and foremost I am African. ” I: And how was that transition in the house? Because you weren’t always called Amirah, were you? A: No. As I grew closer to my Rasta brothers and formed that connection, as I got older I caught more knowledge about African histor y and eventually I changed my name to Amirah. I’d rather not say what my name was before. *laughs* I had a lot of friends who were Muslim and it was actually the Imam at the Muslim camp who named me Amirah. I: And what do you understand Amirah to mean? A: So it has a dual meaning, princess and leader. I: It ’s very fitting. There’s so much there. And how does that fit in the home, does your mum call you Amirah?

A: Sometimes. I’d gone through the school system here as not Amirah, and my children know this as well. Anyone who went through school here will know me by my original name. I’m not one of those people who

I: Who are your brothers?

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will make a lot of fuss about that, but there have been people who have changed their names and it has taken me some time to change to the name they chose as well. But I’m not one of those who get upset.

A: I have four brothers, t wo are still in Bristol. They’re all older than me so my oldest brother is still here and I have a brother who suffers with mental health whom I’ve been a carer for, for a number of years. And then I have t wo brothers who are up in London, moved there quite a while ago. Out of the four, not the oldest and not the youngest one are Rastas. My younger brother had taken on some of the ideologies, he was ver y much kind of like me, he’d gone out to protest and he would stand for his rights. But he never took on the rest in terms of growing locks. But the others did.

“ That poem came from how I was feeling at the time. I was quite young, just left school, didn’t know what I wanted to do. There were so many influences out there so you can be called one way or the other. ” I: So did everybody come to Bristol or live in Bristol? A: Yes, at one point we were all here. I have a sister who lives in Reading, another in London, one back in Bristol now but she actually went to live in Namibia with her husband. So in Bristol I have three sisters. And I have a sister who lives in Jamaica as well. All my brothers and my t wo oldest sisters were born in Jamaica. Bristol was ver y much that city, in terms of culture, it was more of a culture hub and that’s why it was happening here. Bristol was the place for Rasta. That would be the closest city further out where there was the cultural vibe and their cultural spirit was met. I: As far as you are aware, how did Rasta come to Bristol? A: Well I don’t know how it came to Bristol but like I said t wo of my older brothers were definitely ver y much drawn to that and that is how I was drawn to it. You have to remember back then, you grow up in a Christian family so they definitely don’t want a Rasta there. So not only do you have that external conf lict of being Black in this countr y but then you’ve got being Black and being Rasta. Internally, family, that was a struggle as well. The same for Rasta in Jamaica, lately Rastas are seen to be just as intelligent as anyone else and they are able to hold the same jobs as anyone else. I feel like that’s progress, a change in the whole thought process of what you can do as a Rasta. I: What would you say underpins the whole Rasta connection for you? A: It’s the closest connection I have here to Africa. I want to be, and wish that I could be, in terms of what my lineage and connection is to Africa. That connection about oneness, this place where you can be free, live off the land. It gives you that connection which is also in line with religion, it places you. And that’s for me why I also in terms of describing myself, I used to say African-Caribbean because I wanted to acknowledge my African roots. First and foremost I am African. I: As you were saying the poem, where were you at the time and what did it mean to you doing that? A: That poem came from how I was feeling at the time. I was quite young, just left school, didn’t know what I wanted to do. There were so many inf luences out there so you can be called one way or the other. And that question was a genuine question that I was asking myself. And then having asked that question and written up the first bit of the poem, I looked up the people I wanted to explore. They were all pieces of my character. But individually they were not fulfilled. Looking at them as a whole, looking at myself, recognising the different characteristics that I had, holding them apart and they are the whole that makes you. If you don’t understand yourself, you can get inf luenced so easily. I was lucky to understand that early, and I wish I could share those experiences with young people. It’s okay to be confused and not know what you want to do, but I was lucky I had the arts and poetr y to express myself in.

A: Community has always been important to me and that comes from my home, family was ever ything to my dad. He didn’t finish his education in school but he raised us all, never took a penny from the state and we were his centre. And that’s the way I see the community. But the way I see the arts, they can help

I: And you spent a lot of your years investing in arts and the community. What have you seen has been the use of that?

“ You need to understand yourself to make progress. If you don’t understand yourself, you can get influenced so easily. It’s okay to be confused and not know what you want to do, but I was lucky I had the arts and poetry to express myself in. ”

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you in your journey, with the community and in life. I was the Head of the Arts and Education at Kuumba and that allowed me to get into the education system and fit the work we were doing into the curriculum through arts. Creative rhythms and drama was one of the projects, and we looked at different genres of music through eight weeks in schools. We also had a good link at the time with Bristol OId Vic, and we used to have young people from there come to Kuumba and to also be able to perform there, the young people in the community who would other wise never have the opportunity. It’s great to see when they tell me about the opportunity that was given to them through me, or something I did that has inf luenced them in life, I think that was my gift. I always think whatever your gift is, you should use that to channel and use in life to do. I can see that manifest in my son who has his own production company. I: You are so busy as a Councillor, and of course you have your family, you are a mother, you’re a carer. How did you get to ‘Councillor Amirah Cole’? A: For me, I’d never actually ever thought I’d be a Councillor, it’s not something I planned, it wasn’t a long-term goal. Probably quite the opposite because my experience with local authority was unproductive. I never used to apply for jobs, I never thought they would even consider me, I always used to fight and clash with them. But working in the community, so many issues come up and that’s where I see my skill. It’s about what I’m good at, looking at the issue, taking it apart and understanding what is the barrier and how do we get over it. The Malcolm X Community Centre was my last major challenge, where the Council ser ved notice. And I was told there was nothing I could do and they were going to take that building. But it never stopped me. I wasn’t even involved in politics, I got involved in politics in 2016. When I left school, I did vote, I knew ver y little about politics. I voted Labour because my parents voted Labour. Then for a while I stopped, I didn’t vote at all, I thought ‘What’s the point? They will do what they want’. And a series of things happened, like Mar vin standing and he would always encourage me to get involved, as well as others. I then joined Labour when Jeremy Corbin was the leader because I felt he was down to earth and he really wanted to see a change. It was about the hope he brought back in 2016. I then became the BAME Officer for Ashley, quite quickly I was in a position within the party and then I was asked to stand in the 2020 election and I wasn’t sure. But then I thought to myself, all I’ve been doing is supporting and helping people, and if being a Councillor meant I could do that better and sit around the table and have a say in things that are inf luencing our lives, it was worth it. My children never experienced the community the way we did, and we don’t recognise or appreciate the level of comfort that we used to have that is now gone. This all came to me when I was campaigning, knocking on doors and realising there were whole streets that changed. What this means is that we don’t have that community anymore. I: What difference do you hope to make in your role? A: I hope to support people, to really make changes. People in St Paul’s have been done a disser vice, they’ve not had anyone fighting their corner and if you’re able to do that, you’re likely to make a change. When I said I would stand as a candidate, I didn’t think I was going to be selected. But I was, and I came top. I never made any fancy promises, all I was hearing over and over again was that our voice was not being heard and I know that needs to change. The main thing for me is that Councils are getting less money and it’s crucial for communities to become sustainable. And that’s something I want to bring to the table, for residents to be heard and be a part of decisions in their community. I: What ’s the biggest difference looking from the outside or the inside of the Council? A: On the inside you see the mechanism it takes to access a ser vice, all the reasons why someone might wait to access it. But you can also see the changes that can be made to make it better for that person to access it. The lack of communication is a big thing but seeing the mechanism is useful, sometimes you’re even able to contribute to the solution. I: What does someone like you - a mother of three, a Black woman - bring to the table?

A: Someone can look at me as a Black woman who worked most of her life in the community, but that’s not my limit. I also worked for Education Action Zone, in schools, worked with different organisations. I always think I get put in that box - I have the experience of a Black woman, of growing up in a Black community, that’s my lived experience. I have three children, I have experience with the education system. They all accessed it differently and left it differently, so experienced different aspects of it. I don’t think people look at me and think I actually strategise, but I’m a deep thinker and wonder what this city is going to be like in five, ten, even fifteen years for children, young people, the elderly. We need to put more things in place and make things happen. And I am in the position to be having this conversations with the leadership. There’s a lot more I can bring to the table than my lived experience.

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Interview with Amari Cole a.k.a Wish Master I: Who are you? W: I’m Amari Cole, I’m known to the world as Wish Master - musician, artist, entrepreneur. I grew up in St Paul’s, I’ve always been into creative things like drama, drumming, poetr y, and I got more into music as I grew up as a teenager and started experimenting with it by listening to garage and grime, and started to do a bit of that myself. But as I got older, I felt like I couldn’t really express myself through this genre and felt like hip hop allowed me to be myself a bit more, be a bit more expressful, a bit more meaningful. I started my journey in 2009, then I was in a group with my cousins and friends in 2012 and then we all went our separate ways. In 2017, I started my own record label, Official Recordings (OR Records), and just been building from there really. Last year I decided to go to university to do Music Business and Event Management. I felt like I’ve done ever ything I can do for the moment to get myself with what I got and to take myself to the next level, that’s what I felt I needed to do. Starting my second year now, so riding the journey! Started uni at 30, I’m a mature student. I wanted to go and it was to do something I was already doing that I needed to enhance so it was only beneficial for me really. I felt like when I was younger, I didn’t know what I wanted to do so I did some things that I didn’t want to do and wasted a bit of my time. Which at the same time is not a waste because sometimes you’ve got to do things you don’t want to do to get to things that you want to do. I did a lot of things in bet ween and studied a lot of things I don’t need now but the experiences I gained helped formulate me to who I am I guess. I: So what did you do in between, at College? W: I did engineering, music technolog y, also did a bit of bricklaying and then started working. I felt like it wasn’t really a career I could see myself sticking to for ten, fifteen years and being satisfied and happy doing it. Not to disrespect those careers, I just didn’t have the passion, the love for it. I was basically doing it because I felt I had to do something but I didn’t figure out what I wanted to do. In the first year at uni I learned a lot about basics, about the industr y, owning your own music, understanding your rights, mechanical and compositional, all the things you need to have if you tr y to do music and you want to make sure you get paid. If you don’t have the prep, it doesn’t matter what you do. Like when you have a music campaign or event on, there are specific things to target like marketing, understanding your market to get you the best and the most of what you’re tr ying to achieve. I’ve got a record label and my own events management company so I’m actively implementing what I learn. I: Tell us about your record label. W: OR Records began in 2017 as a platform to release my own music. At the time, I was tr ying to get signed and get onto record labels. In Bristol we’re quite behind things, the scene isn’t in the space where things are happening. You have to go to bigger cities to make it happen and make those connections. I thought, there isn’t a hub in Bristol so I’m going to make it myself and put out the label. Now I’ve got ten to t welve artists on the roster from all over the countr y - Devon, Exeter, Glastonbur y, Bristol. I’ve got DJs, producers, rappers and I’ve been looking for female artists - if you’re ready to work and looking for an outlet for your work, come to Bristol. We have a radio show, me and my DJ Billy Whizz. We do it once a month so we have a platform for our artists to inter view them and have links and connections to other platforms. We’re building, working with people who are serious and ready to build and grow. I: You emphasise work, and working hard. You do that in your album as well, hearing a lot about taking chances, being an entrepreneur. Living the quote of ‘If you don’t fail, you’re not trying’. W: Yeah you only succeed if you by keeping trying. Nothing really good comes easy. And sometimes nothing easy is really good. Everything I’ve worked hard for, when I reap that reward, I feel like I deserve it. I: What are your recent successes?

W: I got a few, got to support GhostFace Killa, a couple of years back I got to go on BBC Maida Vale, that was special. I’ve gone to the room, and this man tells me ‘You know Jay Z, Rihanna, Elton John, and John Lennon have all been sat in that chair’. And I was just thinking I’ve got to take this legend energ y on. Another big moment, the release of my album Coldharbour Tales. It’s a sixteen track album, and it’s my best work to date. It gives you a ver y round view of me, my views, of Wish Master, who he is, what’s tr ying to build and what he represents. I’ve got fifteen artists who feature on this. There’s a lot of forking out but I just worked out that ever yone spends any way, but it’s about what you choose to spend on. Some people go out and like to party, shop, and spend money on tech. My money goes on my music, I’m investing in myself. The only thing I can do is to invest in my music. I would love to live off music but unfortunately

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“ Sometimes things just come because if you’re dealing with the thing in the right way, with the right intentions and energies, the right things will happen. There’s no point in crying about it, just get it done. The only person who can stop you is you. ”

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I still have to work like ever yone else to pay the bills, because it’s about sacrifice. If you have a dream, you have to go a bit hard, you have to work to make sure you have a bit of extra money coming in as well as studying. Whatever I put in, I’m gonna get out. It doesn’t always come in money but it comes through opportunities. I’ve met so many people on this journey that I wouldn’t have met other wise. I: What would business success look like for you with this album? W: I’m tr ying to get national recognition now, I feel like it’s slowly starting to happen. I’ve been getting pre-orders for this album from all over, world-wide. T wo albums ago, it was only England, the last album before this one I have a few from America and Europe but this one, ever y where. Overtime, the progress builds up, your following builds up and you just have to work hard and be dedicated. I: How does one get paid in the business? W: You get paid for shows, for your contract and what you promise to make on that project. Getting paid in the business is about understanding and knowing the business. You need to know how to collect those royalties, for owning your compositional and master rights. That’s the importance of owning your music. I: You’re relatively new in the business but how does it compare to the old days with CDs and vinyls? W: Actually I do CDs, vinyls and tapes. Distributors are the middle men. With streaming, you get something like 3p for 300 streams or something. You have to get millions to get paid. Whereas, if I just sell you a vinyl for £20, I have that physical cash in hand, without the middle person. I concentrate on my fans and supporters. I don’t even call them my supporters. I call them investors because they invest ever y time I drop a project, they buy a pre-order before it’s out. So I have to make sure whatever I drop, they have to be happy with it. I put on shows, actually meeting people, so you build a rapport and a relationship. I: What do you mean by hip hop being better to express yourself compared to grime? W: I felt like at the time grime had a ver y hype hostile energ y to it. It was about getting the crowd hype. Not so much so about your content and what you were saying, more about energ y and vibe. Sometimes I was saying some good stuff, and no one was reacting. And a guy who just said ‘boo’ would have the crowd mad. I just thought, this isn’t for me. I got into rap, started working on some metaphors, perfecting my f low and getting used to how to craft it up. I: What were you like in English at School. W: I was okay, I was always good at writing stories and poems. Alright on the spelling, nothing amazing but I used to read the Thesaurus and Dictionar y to learn more words. I wanted to check my rhyming patterns were there. I: How did you get on with school? W: That was a funny one. Primar y was fine, the Secondar y was an interesting one, I went to t wo schools. When you’re younger, you don’t understand certain things. At Colston Collegiate, I guess for me I let certain situations get the best of me because I felt not really wanted there. Which kind of made me act a certain way towards people, as a kid I felt like I had to prove myself. It contributed to me not tr ying to impress anyone later, I just do what I do. Build and they will come, innit? Just doing what I’m doing, building with the family. Colston Collegiate, I was happy to go, they are sick at sports. I was into sports when I was younger. I left because I was on the brink of getting expelled. Having a stressful day, I couldn’t go on certain trips. My mum is a single working parent. I had a choice of four trips and I couldn’t go to ever y single one. She had no money to do all the stuff like go to France, snowboarding. Sometimes I was late, because I took the bus. My mum couldn’t just drop me into school and stuff. I: What would your advise to a little Amari be? W: Just be focused and know why you’re there. It’s for the opportunity, they’re not gonna come around ever y day. Education is the most valuable thing you can have. If I had stayed in that school, maybe I could have done A-Levels and gone on to do something else. But for me, ever ything is the way it’s meant to be. I: What was it like growing up in St.Paul’s and Montpelier?

W: It was alright, I felt like we had a lot of stuff to do. We used to go camp, they used to have Saturday school. There were things to do in the summer. I don’t really see much stuff to do now. I think we were

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lucky, we had a good upbringing, it was a strong sense of community back then. You do something wrong, your mum already knows. The word travels fast! I just think I was all part of the community, proper, ever yone knew ever yone. Right now, you don’t really know your neighbour, it’s all gentrified. I: You have a lot of cousins and a tight family, I was talking about it with your mum. W: Yeah, I’m big on that. Obviously you have your business partners and friends. But at the end of the day, who’s known you from the beginning? Your family. They’re always going to be there for you. I: How influenced do you feel by Rasta? W: To be honest, I’m a rather spiritual person. Not a Rasta, I don’t have locks and stuff. I mean my mum and dad both have locks, they’ve both had that inf luence growing up. But I wasn’t like ‘yeah, this is for me’. And I wouldn’t do it unless I was serious about that commitment. I: Was there anything that landed you in music in particular? W: To be honest, the big push was doing drama at Bristol Old Vic when I was about t welve. That really shaped me, gave me my stage presence, the ability to project my voice even. I was there for t wo years, did a couple of theatres and pantomimes. Sometimes as a child you’ve got to be encouraged to do things to find out what you like. There was a waiting list, so mum made me go. There were children from all walks, that were even in a bad school but were really good at what they were doing. I feel like when you have the understanding of the waiting list and that you are ver y lucky to have the opportunity, it makes you want to apply yourself more. To prove you should be here. And I ended up really enjoying it. Not really many black faces, maybe one other Black girl. The fact that mum had the link, I felt privileged to be there any way so I didn’t really think or concentrate on being the only Black guy there. I focused on shining the most, felt like I needed to focus on proving it even more. It contributed to me going that extra mile then. I: How do you now with this perspective look at being a miracle child? W: Shout out to my mum, she gave me a lot of opportunities. And no matter what she was doing for me, I would always see her doing a lot for the community as well. I remember that meant a lot to her. When you’re young, you really don’t understand what your community is to you. If you don’t do it for your community, no one else is going to do it. If my mum is that way inclined, she’s gonna take it upon herself, not going to sit around and wait for someone else to do it. Growing up, seeing her, I used to say ‘you’re always doing things for other people’ but as I got older, I’ve seen how respected she is, the love people have for her. And now she’s a Councilor, people are voting for her because they respect her, and they believe what she says. Because she has a histor y of proving and showing people what she says. Big shout out to mum and I feel like I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a blessing. I: And where and when did you learn to graft?

This mother and son duo pull from their lived experience in the streets of Montpelier and St Paul’s, supported by the aspirational expectations of their family, and continue to break the glass ceiling through different mediums of leadership, lyrics and community cohesion.

W: I think I learnt it, it’s literally ingrained on both sides of my family. My grandpa is nearly ninety and he stopped working maybe five years ago. That’s the grafter in me. I always see my mum working. My mum once had three jobs. T wo of them were voluntar y. I know my mum was the only person who wouldn’t take a wage from the Carnival. To her it was like taking money from her people, when it was from the people. She made some sacrifices. When I was younger, I didn’t get the ethics of it. If you’re struggling, why are you doing this? But it’s like sometimes things just come because if you’re dealing with the thing in the right way, with the right intentions and energies, the right things will happen. That’s how I’ve applied to life. There’s no point in cr ying about it, just get it done. The only person who can stop you is you.

BHM 2021

//KORE AND THE HYENA INTERNATIONAL DECADE OF PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT PLAYING GAMES, CHANTING RHYMES, WEAVING THREADS TO THE RHYTHM OF OUR LIVES WELCOME TO CREATE YOUR WELL THE STREET LENS

BHM 2021

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22 28 32 36 42

KNOWLEDGE

STRIKE THREE WINDRUSH: A HISTORY OF ‘UNBELONGING’ FREEDOM IN THE CITY THE QUEEN’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE 100 BLACK MEN RISING OR FALLING?

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TALENT I AM ARTIST SPOTLIGHT ASHER SIMMONS ABOUT BRISTOL STEPPING SISTAS LIBATION @60 (2021) STRAIGHT OUT OF BRIZZLE INSIDE-2-OUT MISFITS WALK AND TALK

70 74 78 82 84 86 88

EDUCATION 92 98 100 104 106

EMPOWERMENT THROUGH EDUCATION ARE YOU SURE IT’S BLACK HISTORY? DIVERSITY AND THE CURRICULUM ONE BRISTOL CURRICULUM LAUNCH SCHOOL DAY MEMORIES

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Bristol Black History Month is dedicated to providing a platform that preserves and celebrates the shared history and achievements of Black communities and individuals. We need to recognise and celebrate cross-cultural connections and the role of music, art, culture and histories in creating legacies of past and present. Our aim is to facilitate an exploration of Bristol’s historical legacy through both a critical and celebratory lens, because to understand our history is to know ourselves today.

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THE HYENA How musicians bring joy to their communities and how despite the best intentions, things can go wrong. Our story emerges from an ancient memory in a mythical place called //Hui !Gaeb, Hoeri!kwagga, Camissa, Mar. It was a troubling time, filled with angst and fear that it was the end of days. Remorseful that their ways have angered the Gods. In difficult times, human beings either grow closer together or drift further apart. As true today as it has been for thousands of years. There was flooding and drought, crops failed and people hunted more. The chain reaction forced carnivorous animals to hunt closer to human settlements. Rumours of disappearing people being eaten started surfacing, with man-eating Hyenas being a particularly nasty tale. There was to say, an ominous feeling in the air... Brothers turned on each other, sisters gossipped about another, chiefs acted like politicians of today. Promising one thing but doing another, the people unable to hold them accountable. In amongst the turmoil, there was a drummer called /Koré with a dream to bring a little joy to the people and hopefully appease the angry gods. Every day he’d find a tree to sit under and drum. Sometimes under a Mango tree, other days under an apple tree, or so he guessed. All the trees were now barren. Whilst playing a lamentable tune, an idea popped into his mind, “Go to market! You’ll find your way”, unsure of where it came from. Nwatas, a known mischievous spirit, planted the idea. In floating by, it was moved to cast ‘a feeling a bit sorry for the people spell’ after hearing /Koré’s sad song. Causing mischief amongst so much hardship and sadness was not proving to be much fun. The market was some way away and he needed a plan.

Troubled and on the brink, he falls asleep. The route emerges whilst he’s dreaming. He wakes invigorated, packs his instruments and sets off. To survive, he’d have to get creative about everything. How? When? Where? Who? Why? He shrugged to himself, not knowing, yet feeling the idea meant something. All /Koré could do was trust, a now rare state of being. The Plan came! He decided to sleep high up in the trees at night, and play music in villages during the day for alms, and thrived as he went along creating joyful music. Other musicians connected and accompanied him. They were an eclectic lot, all of a similar heart and mind. They wanted to bring a bit of joy to the people, or maybe they were touched by the ingenuity of Nwatas, all led there with the same idea.

“ They were an eclectic lot, all of a similar heart and mind. They wanted to bring a bit of joy to the people, or maybe they were touched by the ingenuity of Nwatas, all led there with the same urge. ” All at once, they realised that this is it. This is how they will satisfy the urge they were all feeling! This is how they can bring joy to the people and appease the Gods! They ended up growing from village to village, so much so that by the time they reached the biggest,

//KABBO HUE QUA

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// KORE AND

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bustling, most splendid marketplace, they were well known. Timbuktu was the last big thriving village and marketplace where people from all over the world met, traded and bartered their wares, all sharing similar bad luck and angry God stories. Word of the musicians’ arrival spread and a joyous spirit enveloped the land. People started ushering the musicians to the marketplace in great anticipation. /Koré struck up a rhythmic drum call to attention, instead of Ngoma Gom with the talking drum answering the call. However, the first to join in was a surprise, an enchanting flute player. It was Iris the Celt who answered. Ngoma realised that /Koré’s hypnotic drumming enchanted her. Like it did all of them. Iris, in fact, had just got off a ship from the Isle of Avalon, heard the utterings about musicians, curiously walked straight into the heart of the commotion, got enchanted and unwittingly started playing. Then Ngoma Talking Drum Wiseman joined in, followed by Rich the Arawakan percussionist, Sarangi Raj the Enchanter and finally Khal Gnawan on Guembri guitar, creating a harmonious cacophony of sound. Feelings of happiness, excitement, belonging and healing absorbed the now celebrating people. Playing for hours on end, till and beyond the point of exhaustion, until everybody collapsed into a splendid, joyful, contented bliss... Emotion got the better of them and they went on longer than usual. It was the final time for a while that they will play together. The market season was now over, with everybody saying their goodbyes, the musicians receiving gifts for their musically-healing offering, merchants packing away and handing out what they no longer needed or would perish on their journeys back to whoever was lucky enough to be close by. A sense of hope and change was in the air. For the musicians it was bittersweet, as they knew it was the last time they’d be playing together for a while. It felt like a great ending that was just beginning had come to pass. They said their last goodbyes and each went their own way until /Koré noticed as he was about to leave that Iris the Celt was hurrying across the square, looking for her travel companions. She realised that they left a long time ago and that she’d have to find her own way to the next village while not knowing where or how to get there. On realising the situation, all the emotions became just too much to hold. As she tripped while toppling over in despair, /Koré reached out and grabbed the falling flutes and just held her firmly, telling her: “It’s ok! I’ll take you. It is a bit late to travel there. Gather yourself and your belongings. If we hurry, say a few prayers, and with a bit of luck, we’ll get there, hopefully intact.”

“ A sense of hope and change was in the air. For the musicians it was bittersweet, as they knew it was the last time they’d be playing together for a while. It felt like a great ending that was just beginning had come to pass. ” She just smiled, questioningly and said, “Thank you! Intact, Yes! Hopefully!” She released herself from his arms, straightened herself out, gathered what she had, and off they went into the setting sun’s light. HeheheheheheheheeHHHHHEEEEEhhhheeee!!! The two travellers were making good progress, until out of nowhere and at the same time everywhere, they heard this eerily sounding hissing giggle. Startled by the realisation that they were surrounded by a pack of hungry hyenas, they both just burst out wailing tears of utter despair, dropped their stuff, hugged, screamed, cried, knowing that it will be their last moments on Earth and that they both will be sharing it with a virtual stranger that connected through music. And as if in a strange trance, they both calmed as the hissing, coughing, eerily-laughing hyenas started closing in, closer and closer. The pair in sync sat down, took out their instruments and /Koré instinctively started playing the heartbeat on the drum as an attempt to calm his own heart down, it was beating so hard. Iris followed solemnly to the rhythm as it evolved. While they were playing, they noticed something strange happening to the hyenas as they started slowing down, one by one as they were now within reach of taking a meaty bite from the two musicians. As each one came close enough and open their jaws, they would just freeze mid-bite, become dizzy and fall over one after the other until every one of the sixty hyenas were all sound asleep snoring away, snsnsnnnkkk! Snsnsnnnkkk! Snsnsnnnkkk! The two musicians kept playing, weaving in between the hyenas to make sure they took all their belongings and gingerly sneaking off to the nearest town. All the while Nwatas could be heard giggling off into the night as he now was quite fond of his tricks, for he knew as soon as the people are in a happier state, he will have so much more fun and opportunity to play his tricksiest tricks on his favourite peoples.

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LAKOTA 1 plans? No weekend Join us at Lakota or Lakota Gardens!

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LAKOTA 2

Take a look at our exciting programme of events by heading to lakota.co.uk

International Decade of PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT

The United Nations declared 2015-2024 the decade of people of African descent. In doing so, the international community was recognising that people of African descent represent a distinct group whose human rights must be promoted and protected. Around 200 million people of African descent live in the Americas. Many millions more live in other parts of the world, outside of the African continent. African Voices Forum (AVF) is an organisation set up in 2008 to support and empower people of African heritage across Bristol and the South West. Some of its activities have been focused on the local, national and international stage, responding to the IDPAD declaration which is one of its priorities. The three key themes of Justice, Development and Recognition have echoed in Bristol during these unprecedented times, where global citizens have had to react to the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Brexit. Following the toppling of the Edward Colston Statue, AVF hosted a conversation with Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees and Tim Cole, who is now leading the Bristol History Commission conversations, with the aim of exploring history by asking questions such as: What was Bristol’s role in the transatlantic slave trade? Who was Colston? And why was he here? Have other people tried to trade? Have other people tried to topple him in the past? The resonance with trying to understand how history has defined the lives of people of African heritage, and what that means for us in this era, ties in with the theme of Recognition and Justice. Mayor Marvin Rees in Conversation with Peninah made references to Bristol being a City of Hope because hard work goes unrewarded and underpaid, and systemic issues affect our communities because of injustice. “We Don’t Despise Our Sufferings, Because Sufferings Produces Perseverance, Perseverance Character And Character Hope”. Within this context, the History Commission is asking about our dreams. What does it mean to be a city that understands its history in a deeper way, and the connections we make in terms of Development? This will be tested in the coming years, following the historic moment that Bristol set in March 2021 by passing the Atonement & Reparations for Bristol’s role in the Transatlantic Traffic in Enslaved Afrikans Motion. This cross-party motion, tabled by The Green Party Representative Cleo Lake and Deputy Mayor Asher Craig, had the sole aim of galvanising support for a reparations and atonement plan led by

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African Voices Forum reflects on the relevance and progress of Bristol in responding to the International Decade of People of African Descent (IDPAD). grassroots organisations, to address the city’s role in the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and its enduring impact. In what was hailed as a moment of international significance, Bristol’s call for reparatory justice is also the first milestone in an ongoing journey. AVF has continued to facilitate discussions with its membership to unravel the concept of Reparations as part of the IDPAD agenda, and widely linking this to how we can empower and enable environments for Development for people of African heritage. Some of the key challenges for our communities include organising effectively and taking practical steps to drive initiatives that result in significant impact. The reliance on the oppressive systems is deeply ingrained in working practices, which continue to hinder the affected communities in recognising their “Greatness” in response to the cries of our “Ancestors”.

“ We must push a common agenda. My Truth & Your Truth needs to sit comfortably together ” Our third Forum newsletter issue this year featured a conversation with Deputy Mayor Asher Craig. It focused on the importance of Unity in bringing the diverse African heritage communities together in this journey of unravelling Reparations. Asked how we could foster a culture that tackles the rivalries and tensions that have plagued African Heritage Communities, she responded: “ACC / AVF need to do a series of articles or blogs and make them available across the city. Don’t make it complex. There are many people who don’t understand the whole reparation agenda, it needs deciphering even for someone like me. So many people are lost in the acronyms and the complexities of the debate on reparations. We must push a common agenda. My Truth & Your Truth needs to sit comfortably together”. And so, the conversations on Reparations, Justice, Development and Recognition continue during Black History Month, under the theme of Reviving Community Spirit and Culture. We want to take this opportunity to reach out to the citizens of Bristol and to engage in constructive dialogue to build our “City of Hope”. 29

PENINAH ACHIENGKINDBERG

JOIN US AT AFRIFEST 2021 BOTH ONLINE AND IN PERSON! OPEN OC TOBER 25th - 30 th

Our programme of activities this year will be dubbed “Afrifest Week” which will run from the 25th-30th October in a blended format and will include: - Media discussions on culture, spoken word and ancestry. - Creative and interactive sessions led by our AVF Young People’s Forum. - Cultural Renaissance, a static and moving exhibition of Afrikan artefacts, attire and Creative Art and workshops.

To find out more go to: https://africanvoicesforum.org.uk/

FREESTYLE BRISTOL’S

FOOTBALL SESSIONS AGES 16 - 19 7:00 - 9:00pm Every Friday

£3

FAIRFIELD SCHOOL ALLFOXTON RD BS7 9NL

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INTRODUCING Playing Games, Chanting Rhymes Weaving Threads To The Rhythm Of Our Lives

A short extract of a work in progress exploring colonisation and its legacies by Ros Martin

‘We live our lives like chips in a kaleidoscope, always part of patterns that are larger than ourselves and somehow more than the sum of their parts’.(1)

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The tightrope….

What is it we remember? There’s rhythm and rhyme to be had in the games we play as children processing us into an adult game of life... (sung) In and out those dusty bluebells, In and out those dusty bluebells, In and out those dusty bluebells, You shall be my ……...master? (chant) On the River, on the Bank on the bank, on the river on the bank, on the river River. Bank. Bank. River Jump. Jump, Jump. My mother taught me the River /Bank game as a child. It was a game she played when she was a little girl, along with her younger siblings, growing up in the Castries pastures, 1920’s St Lucia. We play it with cousins in St Lucia when we visit my grandmother in my mother’s homeland. I am seven years old. I remember playing this jumping game with my four siblings in the Kentish Town streets where we first lived, watching out for cars; the road, being the river, the pavements either side, the bank. I introduce it to and play it with my children when they were young. Essentially as in all games there are rules to follow. Does it get you what you want? In this game of life? To win? Once the territory has been marked out: the river and banks on either side of river. You have to be primed and ready, be so attentive and quick off the mark, anticipate being in the right place at the right time…..for to be caught out, is to be too slow through inattentive listening, is to lose. There is another game. Asking politely with sufficient deference. ‘Please Mr crocodile, may I cross your golden river on the way to school today?’ ‘Only if you have the colour…..’ Did you ever suspect you weren’t liked, because... how come you’re never wearing that colour, the one that’s being called out, every time? Remember that feeling? You are deliberately made to not move, whilst everyone else in front of you, is. To be prevented from moving once, is to be unlucky or even twice, but to stay at the back and not move at all. Oh Oh! Oh! What have you have done wrong? You ask yourself. Listen, you’ve done nothing wrong at all

(1) Salvador Minuchin

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MAROON FIST 19

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WELCOME TO CREATE Your Well LATISHA CESARSIMMONS

A Personal Invitation to the Revolution I turn the big 4-0 this month and that is huge! What that means is that I am also old enough to remember when a woman mentioning her age beyond 29 was not the done thing. Where the natural process of aging (something that none of us have a choice in) was considered taboo. A lot of my life has been like that though; I was born, raised and made to be taboo. Being born in the 80’s meant I belonged to identities that were frowned upon and stigmatized before I was old enough to tie my shoe. For example, my family is from the island of Ayiti. A country where no natural disasters ever occur because politicians, pundits, and preachers from around the world believe and are allowed to say that all bad things that happen in Ayiti are the result of a curse. It is an odd and difficult thing to be ostracised because 230 years ago my ancestors gathered and agreed to fight for each other - against their enslavement. I have failed to reconcile the fact that the customs that build community and make me feel connected and cared for, have been viewed as, and described as Satanic. In 2021! It is a very traumatic thing to have your blood considered taboo, your genetic memory deemed a source of evil. To have the social norms describe your suffering as something you and your people deserve. It was a hard lesson learned early. This was a start that could have crushed me until I was reminded that Aytians don’t do hurt…they start revolutions instead.

Ayitians have instigated, participated in, and supported several famous revolutions in the Americas and around the world. If you look at the fine print however, you will also find Ayitians behind the scenes of many small revolutionary acts with big consequences. Dr Alphonse Arcelin and Jean-Baptiste Point du Sable come to mind. There is something incredibly democratic about the Ayitian idea that everyone can be a revolutionary in their own small

way. Adrienne Maree Brown describes it best in her book Emergent Strategy with the principle “small is good, small is all”. My art, my spiritual practice, and thereby my career, have placed me on the small revolutionary track of ‘wellness’. I spend a great deal of time questioning who it belongs to and what it is for. Often pedicures and massages are discussed when referring to self-care. Wellbeing is distilled in terms of going to your favorite dance class or regular Sunday brunch or after work drinks with friends. All these things are important. It is also important to see wellness beyond the industry. I try to examine wellbeing beyond the distraction from my pain. I work to be active and intentional in my practice of self-love and self-preservation. Through Brown’s work, I have come to understand that the wellness of the individual, the community, and the planet are all interdependent. Caring for ourselves is a personal mandate with global consequence. It must be approached responsibly and must never come at the expense of others or the planet.

“ To have the social norms describe your suffering as something you and your people deserve. It was a hard lesson learned early. ” This philosophy of care is not new in our communities. Many of our folkloric traditions and cultural customs are rooted in individual and community wellness - giving honor and respect to the land, the animals, those who came before, and those who will come after. Unfortunately, it has also been

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“ Through Brown’s work, I have come to understand that the wellness of the individual, the community, and the planet are all interdependent. Caring for ourselves is a personal mandate with global consequence. It must be approached responsibly and must never come at the expense of others or the planet. ” standard practice for centuries to deride, devalue, diminish, and in Ayiti’s case also demonize, the traditions that bring us joy, that edify us, and protect us. What this has meant for me and others like me is that my wellness, my very identity, is taboo. There are false choices which give the illusion of being inside but if we are honest, we are always on the outside. My people are from Ayiti, a name given to honor the indigenous Arawak of the land. A land where the Neg Mawon is a well-known symbol and to be a maroon is an honor. Mawonage is freedom. Now before you sell all your things and go live off the grid, I think it’s important to look at the values of this maroon warrior. To be a maroon is to be apart - not alone, but apart. A maroon community was often made up of self-liberated Africans and Indigenous people. They were able to make a life for themselves on the “outside”. Their survival was dependent upon their ability to challenge and resist the social norms of the time. This came at a cost. There was sacrifice but there were also benefits. One of the privileges of a maroon is the ability to test, stretch, and push boundaries; to examine the moral compass and weigh the values of mainstream society. A maroon can ask where they come from and who they serve. They shine a light in the dark and give the dark a break from the light. A maroon can hold what is good and release all that is harmful. A maroon can shape the world from the outside in and the inside out.

This is the work. This is my tiny investment in big change. I hope to guide you toward the small work of examining the taboos within yourself. Start the small revolution in you, by making choices not out of fear but out of care. Move from a coercive space to a cooperative space, a space to collaborate with others, with nature, and with self. This is a choice that you and we can and must make, over and over again. From out here, I cannot tell you what should and should not be taboo, but I can encourage you to take another look. Ask yourself what you hide and why? Spend some time with your inner maroon. What I can tell you is that there is a peace that comes when you are allowed to choose your blood. When the rhythm of your heart is no longer a threat. When the war outside is no longer fought within. When you are a safe place, inside becomes a place of rest and replenishment. A place where light and dark are honored in their own time, in their own way. This is the seed revolution. Seeds teach us that no work is too small, the dark should be a place of growth and not punishment, and great change happens from the inside out and the outside in. Wellness is your birthright. Wellness is your responsibility. I invite you to Create Your Well (CYW). The aim of Create Your Well is to create a space, a community, a personal well full of joy and love to draw from in times of uncertainty and distress. CYW will be hosting a lecture on the leader of the Ayitian Revolution -Jean Jacques Dessalines and Ayitian dance class taught by Peniel Guerrier on Saturday October 16 6-8:30pm. Head to www.latishacesardance.com for details.

“ This philosophy of care is not new in our communities. Many of our folkloric traditions and cultural customs are rooted in individual and community wellness - giving honor and respect to the land, the animals, those who came before, and those who will come after. ”

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Make Yourself A Priority Head to my online Wellness Shopping Sanctuary to create your own unique meditation space and start a practice that will enhance your daily life forever. Free downloadable meditation with every purchase.

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www.ayshabell.com Aysha Bell Wellness

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THE STREET LENS Hazard One, Bristol, England

Big Issue vendor Jeff Knight, a local legend in St Paul’s Bristol, has been immortalised with a mural with an incredible tribute. Painted by Harriet Wood, known as Hazard0ne, for a competition, the piece means a lot to Jeff to see that the people of Bristol value him so greatly. ”It means everything to me,” added Jeff. “I work seven days a week selling the magazine and I love it. It’s what I get up for in the morning, to greet the people of my city on their way to work!” www.bigissue.com/news/the-legend-of-bristol-vendor-jeff-is-nowimmortalised-in-a-mural/

Xena Goldman, Cadex Herrera, reta McLain, Niko Alexander, Pablo Hernandez, Minneapolis, USA

This is the mural at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis. It is painted on the side of the Cup Foods Store with the permission of the owner, the person who called the police about George Floyd in May 2020. The work on this mural began three days after George Floyd was murdered and has been seen by thousands of people all around the world. 42

4 Incredible Murals celebrating Black Lives from Around The World: America, Brazil and the UK

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BRAD MORRISON Gent48, Birmingham, England

Celebrating ‘Future Black Icons’ from the city. This large mural covers the entirety of venue SUKI10C, and was commissioned as a part of BASS Festival by Punch Records in 2019. According to Aliyah Hasinah, “The giant mural turns a spotlight on the talented young people creating music, art and fashion across the city. We wanted to look forward and maintain a sharp focus on the creative, but not just famous artists - people who we feel are really pushing the boundaries. We have some obvious choices in there, but also some new faces and shortlisting the list was hugely complex.” www.aliyahhasinah.com/blackiconsmural

Fábio uses natural elements such as trees to base his murals of Black women and girls on. “I am really happy and surprised about the positive reactions to my artwork. This inspires me to keep doing what I love to do and making a living off it,” Gomes said in his recent article with Travel Noire. In fact, viral street art has helped put the tiny city of Trindade, located in Brazil’s Midwest state of Goiás, on the map. www.travelnoire.com/viral-street-art-black-woman-with-pink-afro

Fábio Gomez, Trinidade, Brazil

KNOWLEDGE

Bristol Black History Month aims to understand and celebrate Black voices, culture and lived experience. Using contemporary ideologies, opinions and philosophies, we can better understand and connect with present-day communities. By focusing specifically on film-makers and authors from the Black diaspora, we aim to amplify the voices of those who have been historically marginalised, and whose crucial work has been erased. The stories told are part of our history and should form a part of our understanding of the world. From diverse knowledge and unity comes systemic change.

KNOWLEDGE

Not everyone gets three strikes It was my first semester at my top choice University in the City of Music when my two long time friends and I decided to see what the town was all about. It had only been a few weeks since we moved several states away and we were still buzzing from it. Great music, as long as you don’t mind Sweet Home Alabama, played by crowd-pleasing bands. The energy of the night matched the freedom of the music and being driven by the excitement of freshman year, the three of us bar-hopped the two miles to the centre where shadows suddenly grew long and dark alleys glowed cherry red from the bowl end of a glass pipe accompanied by husky, weathered voices. It didn’t matter as we three were untouchable, and why shouldn’t we be? The funny thing about cloud nine is that you’re riding high until you’re not - when that very same glowing cloud turns all stormy. While it wasn’t lightning I saw that night, it sure was bright and blinding with blue and red lights. The officer and I locked eyes moments before the interruption of flashing lights and I thought the time of reckoning had come as I was with two people breaking the law. One friend decided to ignore my warning and pee on the wall around a corner, still visible from the road. Strike one. Another friend ignored further warnings to not drink in public and yet he gripped a warm, stale can of beer. Strike two. During that one frozen look shared with the officer, more was said through eyes than words could ever come close to. Anticipation and lament in my eyes paid regard to my friends getting in trouble, paired with a glimmer of compassion to communicate to the officer that we are harmless. It was all drowned out by the surprise that soon followed. Why were the officer’s eyes filled with hate and detest, his

quivering snarl aimed right at me? It wasn’t until this event that I understood what it meant to be Black. Skip strike one and two, and go straight to strike three. Being Black is always strike three. A billion synapses a second fired in my head as I tried to make sense of everything. It doesn’t matter how innocent you are, seeing a pink face carrying that much hate, backed up by a holstered gun coming right for you, will spark anyone’s fight or flight response although reason told me to do neither.

“ It wasn’t until this event that I understood what it meant to be black. Skip strike one and two, and go straight to strike three. Being black is always strike three. ” Screeching cop car tires fire up another billion mental synapses as the car v-lines right towards me. Right past the friend who is drinking in public, stops short of the other friend peeing on the wall, and ends with high beams directly on me. It’s official; these two cops aren’t after my friends, they are after me. They came on the scene waving their badges around like insecure school boys waving their retracted penises around the locker room, yelling the usual at the top of their lungs like ‘hands in the air’ and ‘turn around’, and of course the full pat down follows. I referred to one cop as ‘Officer’ and asked what I did wrong. He answered with more belittling yelling, explaining that he is a Lieutenant, and how I better refer to him as

GYASI TAYLOR

KNOWLEDGE

STRIKE THREE

KNOWLEDGE

“ All I knew is that my two friends began walking away. Why take the risk, I suppose? This is before I understood white privilege. Either way, their desertion hurt. ” one. It was as if my well-spoken delivery made him even angrier, and being twelve inches his superior didn’t send him smiling either. That’s one way to avoid a question, I thought to myself. Hands explored my entire body with incriminating pats, and I still didn’t know why. All I knew is that my two friends began walking away. Why take the risk, I suppose? This is before I understood white privilege. Either way, their desertion hurt. The two cops even opened my pack of cigarettes, looking for any paraphernalia - sorry momma, I only smoked occasionally when I went drinking and haven’t done so in years. They finally told me that I fit the description of a criminal with a pistol. I only managed to laugh and defiantly call him ‘Officer’ one last time, and asked how someone like me fits the description so easily. I’m 6’7”, the type of skinny who loses weight even while on a fast food diet, a neglected fro that takes me to 7’, maroon jeans and aviator eyeglasses that take up two thirds of my face. Not to mention chuck taylors, dark cocoa skin and two white wingmen. I’ve never felt safe around police since. The gatekeeper I talked to at the police department the following day treated me with the same disgust as the cops the night of the crime. I became another voiceless Black man with another police-related complaint. Straight to strike three. Prior to that incident, I came across other racists while growing up Black. Being called ‘n****r’ by bikers at as bar as I looked in on a karate class at the local strip mall. Casual racists shouting the same word on Halloween. A sincere elderly woman who asked me at age seven where I’m from because the “blood runs thick in me.” All those moments changed me beneath the surface; made me talk a little softer, dress a little differently. But this time was different. This was the first time that such obvious racism came from a figure of authority. An authority that you bend down to in futility, as it’s there to protect us. It’s no surprise to say that it wasn’t my last incident either. Before my MBA, I spent hours studying for my GMAT exam for business school. I have a strong fibre when

it comes to something I’m hungry for and that same drive kept me at Denny’s, a 24/7 diner where I liked to study until 2am. I was tailed by that familiar disco of red and blue on my drive home, and decided to drive until I reached a well-lit area, as I’m too old to be shot while studying. After demanding I turn off my camera and refusing to tell me a name, I realised that I’m in another strike three situation in this man’s eyes. A flurry of harassment followed: he wanted to search my car, call in drug dogs and fine me for the supposed Stop Sign I rolled through, all while ignoring the GMAT study books scattered on the back seat. What do you say when your manager always greets you with ‘yo’ or gives an extra dramatic flinch of fear when you open the door at the same time? How do you feel when you realise that BLM is just marketing in the right corporation’s hands? What do you do when one and two are skipped and you’re straight to strike three?

“ I was tailed by that familiar disco of red and blue on my drive home, and decided to drive until I reached a well-lit area, as I’m too old to be shot while studying. After demanding I turn off my camera and refusing to tell me a name, I realised that I’m in another strike three situation in this man’s eyes. A flurry of harassment followed: he wanted to search my car, call in drug dogs and fine me for the supposed Stop Sign I rolled through, all while ignoring the GMAT study books scattered on the back seat. ”

KNOWLEDGE 49

“ I became another voiceless black man with another police-related complaint. Straight to strike three. ”

Meet the Hall of Magnificence by checking out Black Bristol! Project Zazi are a part of OTR Bristol working with young people of colour aged 11-25 through a variety of different therapeutic and community based interventions. Our work is centred around helping young people contact, explore and express their magnificence to the world.

Zazi are launching the “Hall of Magnificence” this October, spotlighting 25 young people of colour who are doing magnificent work within the city of Bristol. These young people were nominated by members of our community through our website “Black Bristol”.

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Encouraging Nurses to stand up against Racism Our aim is to bring about positive change by lobbying employers and government to reduce and eradicate racial discrimination in the healthcare sector. Our nurse-led organisation Equality 4 Black Nurses has been developed in light of the George Floyd incident, the Black Lives Matter movement, Covid-19 and the way it disproportionately and adversely affects Black health care staff in the UK due to racism and discrimination in the workplace. If you would like support or to become a volunteer, please get in touch.

We are here for you! 51

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WINDRUSH: A HISTORY OF ‘UNBELONGING’

In his 1956 classic “The London Londoners”, Samuel Selvon faultlessly encapsulates the sentiment of the suffering endured by the Windrush Generation: “is we who bleed to make this country prosperous”. There exists an ‘umbilical cord’ between the enduring nature of Britain’s punitive and exploitative history and the disenfranchisement of the Windrush Generation at the hands of the British Government. Kapoor describes this as “imperialism continuing to pervade everyday life” whilst Webster situates the Windrush Generation in a ‘history of unbelonging’, both writers implicating a nexus between colonial attitudes and modern immigration logic. I think it is important to racialise the Windrush Generation as the formerly-colonised, Black British citizens of Caribbean descent that they are. This allows for an authentic discussion of a modern phenomenon situated in a colonial context, with Britain at the heart of an empire that is so often excused through justifications of administrative errors. Colonial Britain Akala describes Britain itself as “the most enlightened slave master”. As the ‘imperial metropole’, Britain’s economic success was contingent upon the exploitation of its subjects and a constant reserve of Black labour. This legacy seems to have survived the empire, surpassed colonialism and bled into modernity. Just as the spread of sugar ‘plantations’ in the Caribbean yielded a great need for labourers (read: slaves), so did the desperation of post-WW2 labour shortages in Britain. The same virtuous attitude that led Black West Indian men to volunteer to fight and die in the Great War less than a century after ‘emancipation’ came to the fore just 70 years ago when West Indians again heeded the call from the “mother country”. Adopting Darian-Smith’s assertion that modernity is infused by empire, I contend that the very premise upon which hundreds of Caribbean Commonwealth citizens were invited to Britain in 1948 is doused in ‘imperial nostalgia.’ Indeed, a former colonial power relying on the labour of its former colonised subjects to economically restore a post-war Britain is uncomfortably reminiscent of the racialised power imbalances that defined colonial relationships between the Afro-Caribbean enslaved and European slave-masters. The Windrush Generation

The arrival of the Empire Windrush – back in Britain. PA Wire

The ‘Windrush Generation’ is a moniker used to describe those who were born in the Caribbean and settled in Britain between 1948 and 1971, honouring the initial 492 British-Caribbeans who emigrated to Britain from Kingston, Jamaica aboard the HMT

KNOWLEDGE

Situating the Disenfranchisement of the Windrush Generation in Britain’s Colonial Legacy Empire Windrush in 1948. These passengers were making a return to ‘the Motherland’, greeted with headlines like ‘Welcome Home’ from British newspapers. As Webster notes, upon arrival, the myth of the ‘mother country’ established in the Caribbean was “frequently dispelled.” Despite migration as British subjects, the Windrush generation arrived to find that they were ‘immigrants’ – regarded as dark strangers who did not belong in Britain. Dispelling Illegality Despite consistent claims to the contrary, it is vital to dispel the idea that the Windrush Generation were ever ‘illegal’. As they disembarked from HMT Empire Windrush in 1948, the Windrush Generation did so not as migrants but as freely landed legal citizens. Most of them were employing their birthright to Commonwealth free movement, as per their ‘Citizen of the UK and Colonies’ citizenship enshrined within the British Nationality Act 1948. Passengers arrived and settled in the UK on theirs or their parents’ Citizen of the UK and Colonies passports, with the same rights to come and go as Britain’s resident population. According to the globally expansive definition of British Citizenship in the British Nationality Act 1948, colonial-born and British-born people were legally equal. Theoretically, at least. The Windrush Generation were never afforded documentary evidence of their legal right to be in Britain. To the contrary, they were made ‘illegal’ by the law, owing solely to a lack of documentation to evidence their status. The Windrush Generation are therefore a juridical group rather than a social one. In line with these observations, I posit that the maltreatment, disenfranchisement, and subjugation of the Windrush Generation by the British Administration is rooted in the State’s colonial legacies. Imperial logic continues to pervade immigration policy, curating a neo-colonial polity. Kapoor affirms that in this sense, “the denial, refusal and withdrawal of citizenship” as imposed upon the Windrush Generation “reflects the materialisation of a reconfigured politics around citizenship spearheaded by contemporary imperialist politics”. Imperial parallels can be drawn here pertaining to the notion of ‘settler colonialism and the elimination of the native’; a process upon which Britain as the epicentre of empire depended upon. By ‘furiously determining’ the Windrush Generation as illegal, Britain seems to have reasserted its coloniser complex, yielding power rooted in its imperial archive to subjugate Black citizens. Indeed, as demonstrated by the concept of ‘terra nullius’ – “a foundational

LOTTIE BOATENGKENNETT

KNOWLEDGE

tenet of British colonial land policy” – it is a colonial trait for the coloniser to ‘legally’ impose an illegitimate label upon that seen as foreign.

the Windrush Scheme, the ‘solution’ paradoxically sustains the power imbalances and connotations of disposability Britain has attributed to Black people since and pre-empire.

The Hostile Environment It is virtually unquestionable that the Hostile Environment is the sole cause for the disenfranchisement of the Windrush Generation. This amalgamation of administrative and legislative measures embodied in the amendments to the Immigration Acts of 2014 and 2016 suddenly rendered access to essential services as contingent upon documentary proof of status upon the Windrush Generation, decades after their arrival.

“ Despite migration as British subjects, the Windrush generation arrived to find that they were “immigrants” regarded as dark strangers who did not belong in Britain. ” Guerrero observes that the domination by former colonial powers, who built their wealth through oppressive and exploitative relations with their former colonies, has merely changed in form and in degree. Whilst the means and extent of oppression has modified to meet a 21st century context, it seems that the impetus remains the same: the Hostile Environment functioned, and continues to do so, as a tool of control to maintain Britain ‘as a racially and colonially configured space’, excluding anyone who fails to fit the schema of ‘Britishness’ through the revocation of citizenship. Reconciliation?

The British liner ‘Empire Windrush’ at port. (Photo by Douglas Miller/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

In an attempt to offer some tangible reconciliation to what was branded the ‘Windrush Scandal’ but is perhaps more appropriately labelled the ‘Windrush Betrayal’, the British Government introduced the Windrush Scheme.. This is a supposedly “easy” route for the Windrush Generation to acquire the citizenship they already possess. Nevertheless, the Windrush Scheme remains centred upon evidence of commonwealth citizenship and ordinary residence. As a former colonial power, Britain imposing a virtually unattainable burden of proof as a prerequisite to accessing essential services and right to remain upon an entire generation of former subjects declares the Hostile Environment an insidious mechanism for ensuring that “colonial wealth remains out of the hands of those from which it is stolen”. By maintaining the same evidentiary requirements in

Conceptually, emancipation is closely linked to citizenship. Once proof of citizenship was acquired, the Windrush Generation people would be (theoretically and metaphorically) free from the shackles of the consequences of the Hostile Environment. Their livelihoods and ability to stay in the country where they built their homes would remain intact. This is an ostensible proposition; one that mirrors Britain’s promise of emancipation from slavery in 1833. The same promise that propelled existing enslaved peoples into subsequent years of slavery – ‘apprenticeship’ – demonstrating that emancipation had not been achieved at all. The Windrush Scandal is widely recognised as a chronic administrative failure, warped by institutional thoughtlessness, and misplaced migrant prejudice. However, it seems that the Windrush Generation continues to be failed by the British Government as imperialist logic persists in the legal ‘solution’ presented to them. Given the indication of a bondage with colonial logic on behalf of the British Government, it is sensical to assume that the racial hierarchies that the Hostile Environment has been widely criticised to have reproduced, or rather sustained, have not simply dissipated. Concluding thoughts Britain seems yet to engage with, not least confront, the imperialist ideological factors influencing its immigration policy. The inescapable role of racism that has evolved through centuries of colonialism is, as Wearing asserts, “bound to develop a particular character”. It is therefore not surprising that Britain’s colonial legacy continues to saturate its legal approach to the Windrush Generation; a demographic with a decidedly dark colonial relationship with Britain. It is, however, disappointing that the Windrush Generation continue to be implicitly framed and normalised as illegitimate and inferior, despite all proof to the contrary. For a system suffering from institutional bias, change lies deeper than legal reform. The true impact of colonialism is still widely misunderstood within the British psyche. As Fanon puts it, in order for the “germs of rot” left behind by imperialism to be clinically detected and removed, there must first exist a force of pursuit for doing so. Until the British government confronts its taboo and decides to break out of its colonial fixity, there seems to exist little scope for tangible, institutional reform.

KNOWLEDGE

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FREEDOM IN THE CITY

For more information on the festival and to watch some of the recorded talks and events see links below: www.crowdcast.io/fitcadmin www.freedominthecity.org www.facebook.com/Freedominthecity

Telling our own stories, and how the Festival of Learning in Bath includes a variety of different narratives related to historical links between Ethiopia and Bath. There has been much discussion about the exclusion of Black History from our institutions. The stories of the well-documented, historically powerful people in society make up the dominant cultural and historical narrative in the UK. We are still fighting to have Black History, and the stories of those who made it, sensitively told and fully celebrated within our museums, schools and galleries. As Chinua Achebe, the famous Nigerian author once said, “If you don’t like someone’s story, write your own”. Telling our own stories becomes paramount in directing and shaping the narrative. Rather than taking the reactionary approach, let us be the directors, moulding the way that our history is told, and highlighting the diversity within it. This fight for visibility and the jostle to find a space within the cultural landscape can, at times, contribute to those less well-known histories getting lost or pushed to the periphery. We can end up recounting the same histories, the most accomplished black figures, the most famous, the first. It is up to us to recount and tell our own stories and histories. It is our duty to find out about stories that are little known and pass them on. Did you know for instance that Emperor Haile Selassie I lived in exile in Bath from 1936 to 1941? Did you know that he left the house that he lived in, named Fairfield House, to the elders of Bath and that the house is a vibrant hub for different communities still today? Freedom in the City – Festival of Learning focuses on the links between Bath and Ethiopia. Funded by AHRC and UWE, the festival is the visionary conception of Director Dr Shawn Sobers who is also the Director of Fairfield House CIC.

KNOWLEDGE

JENNIFER SHARRATT

It also reflects on the influence of this history in present times through a programme including a lecture on contemporary Rastafari art, a discussion on Black women in leadership, a modern opera about King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba by Juwon Ogungbe, and a talk from Rediat Abayneh, who discusses how her Ethiopian heritage influences her work as an animator.

“It is really important that we ourselves tell our stories, document our narratives and do any bits of research we can” In telling our own stories we can all be the recorders of history for future generations, connecting us to traditions of oral storytelling and recording already found in our cultural heritage. As Dr Sobers puts it, “It is really important that we ourselves tell our stories, document our narratives and do any bits of research we can….. interview your parents, interview your grandparents. They have the bodies of knowledge that we just take for granted”. (Talking at FITC event 2021) The festival which began in April 2021 has already reached an audience of over 1572, which demonstrates the appetite and interest for wider histories. It closes in mid-October, followed by an education programme for schools. Look out for our billboard campaign in and around Bristol and Bath. For more information on the festival and to watch some of the recorded talks and events (see our website).

Billboard campaigh Derek Edwards (Patwa) https://www.patwa.co.uk and Theo Edkins

The festival runs over a 7-month period with a combination of online and live events which include a variety of different narratives related to this history.

Although Haile Selassie was an emperor, and for the Rastafari a deity, it is also the stories of the less influential people influenced by this legacy that are told as part of the festival. Among the many different narratives and voices connected to this history are those of the Ethiopian diaspora, the Bath Ethnic Minority Senior Citizens Association, the Rastafari community, Women of African descent, the residents of Bath, as well as those with a wider interest in Black History.

KNOWLEDGE

The Queen’s PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE MRS PEACHES GOLDING OBE CSTJ RNR

The work of the Monarchy reaches deep into British society, far deeper than most people realise. Meet the first Black female Lord Lieutenant, Peaches Golding. The work of the Monarchy reaches deep into British society, far deeper than most people realise. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and other working Members of the Royal Family are Patrons or Presidents of thousands of organisations in the four nations and in the Commonwealth and Territories. In addition, Members of the Royal Family are involved in a host of initiatives, campaigns and activities around the globe. These works are for the common good and provide confidence, encouragement and recognition to countless millions of people. They cover areas as far ranging as heritage, conservation, social inclusion, excellence in business, education, the environment, health and well-being, volunteering, religion and the military as well as National Honours and the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise and for Voluntary Service.

By definition neither The Queen nor the working Members of the Royal Family can be everywhere in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth at the same time. Hence, in the United Kingdom, The Queen appoints a personal representative named Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for each of the 97 ceremonial counties. I am proud to say, that The Queen was pleased with me and I was appointed to hold this ancient and historic role until my 75th birthday. My duty to The Queen is to uphold the dignity of the Crown. It means that I liaise with the five Palaces and Households of the working Members of the Royal Family, serving as a conduit between them and the county. In the absence of the Royal

Family, I am the senior most person in the county, although I may choose to defer to the Lord Mayor on Council business. However, the role of Lord-Lieutenant is non-political. I carry out functions and activities in support of The Queen in the county, amounting to between 15 and 20 engagements per week, every week. These could be day or evening events, on any day of the week, including weekends. The role is completely voluntary, so that we LordLieutenants are not a drain on the tax-payer. However, it is hugely responsible, requires continuous service to the range of communities in the county, is highly visible and helps to set the tone of discussions. My remit is far broader than most people

“ My remit is far broader than most people realise and it is steeped in history. The role of Lord-Lieutenant was created by King Henry VIII in the 1540s, and I am the first Black woman to hold this post. ”

KNOWLEDGE

The first role of the Sovereign is to protect the people and The Queen is the Head of the Armed Forces. If you attend a military parade or a ceremony such as Remembrance Sunday, you may have seen me take the salute from the Forces and Cadets as they parade by me at the Cenotaph. I will also inspect the troops, sometimes accompanied by the High Sheriff, another appointment of The Queen, and the Lord Mayor. I carry out Investitures for all British Empire medallists in the Order of the British Empire and have the power to present medals up to the level of Knighthood. Involving one of my Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadets adds a bit more pomp to the ceremony. I also present The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise and The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Very occasionally, I ask a Member of the Royal Family to be present at such services. For example, when Babassa was presented their Queen’s Award, The Countess of Wessex was present, albeit by Zoom as Covid restrictions were just being put in place. While it is important to carry out these visible aspects of the role of Lord-Lieutenant, I find that the most

rewarding activities are those where I am able to meet people, hear their stories and bring to life the link between The Queen and themselves. I am the Patron, President or Ambassador for a number of organisations, ranging from Quartet Community Foundation or the Bristol Commonwealth Society to Young Bristol. My agenda involves me with issues of Health & Well-being, Education, Employment and Opportunity , Equality & Inclusion, Peace and security, Environment and farming, Charity, and many more. National and local media come to me on various occasions for insight and information. On the sad death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, both the BBC’s flagship news programme Today and Sky News sought my insight into the role he played in transforming 54 former colonies to free and equal members of the Commonwealth.

KNOWLEDGE

realise and it is steeped in history. The role of LordLieutenant was created by King Henry VIII in the 1540s and I am the first Black woman to hold this post. The Queen is Defender of the Faith and, on an on-going basis, I represent Her in Bristol Cathedral, where I have a designated seat and have a role in any Service I attend. I also read The Queen’s Letters Patent for Canons, Deans and Bishops, as they, too, are appointments of the Crown. Just recently, I read Letters Patent for the new Canon Missioner of Bristol Cathedral, Canon Rev’d Jonnie Parkin

Such quiet leadership is a hallmark of the way he encouraged and empowered people and nations towards inclusion, equality and to accept diversity. The Commonwealth, itself, is an international force for good in areas such as democracy, rule of law, human rights, governance, trade and social and economic development. The mere presence of a Black, female Lord-Lieutenant changes the conversation in many rooms and places that I enter. Hopefully, it makes it easier for those that walk alongside or follow me that much easier. It certainly enables me to influence policies, practices, customs and behaviours and to prompt searching conversations in the City, the country and internationally. If my visibility inspires just one person to raise their horizons and expand their dreams, then it will be worth it. Please let me know what you think.

“ The mere presence of a Black, female Lord-Lieutenant changes the conversation in many rooms and places that I enter. Hopefully, it makes it easier for those that walk alongside or follow me that much easier. It certainly enables me to influence policies, practices, customs and behaviours and to prompt searching conversations in the City, the country and internationally. If my visibility inspires just one person to raise their horizons and expand their dreams, then it will be worth it. ”

KNOWLEDGE

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KNOWLEDGE

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“ We have despondent Black men when it comes to applications for funding or grants because even with guidance, they often lack success. If rejected without feedback, applicants may well default back to a faithless disposition, an experience to be shared and explored on a Black Male platform for our joint learning. ”

Rising or Falling? What happened to 100 Black Men and their Together as One? How important are they, and will they resume? “The first project coming from the 100 Black Men in the Room Bristol: Together as One initiative is a survey about Black men and the data collected will be used to design projects and services to improve the lives of Black men within Bristol” is the description found on the 100 Black Men Facebook page. Their last post is from August 2020. I have attempted to contact this initiative, and directly enquired for a statement for this article, with no response after weeks of trying. Perhaps it’s being run by volunteers who happen to be too busy. Yet arguably, such initiative should be more accessible. Back in 2017, I attended a packed meeting in Bristol in response to an invitation to engage and with the prospect of joining this potential force. But where was the follow up? The invite stated: ‘100 Black Men: Together as One – Official Launch A space for Black* men in Bristol to come together using their voices to affect change!’ The conference featured founding members and an ex-police officer, who spoke with conviction about the ambitious nature of the group, concerned with the future of Black male role models. They aimed to become proactive in challenging negative views and consequential barriers to asserting a realistic perception of Black men, and what they could, should and do bring to the table in light of powering up their communities. After this inspiring gathering, I was expecting updates regarding further opportunities to develop. These never came, which sadly seems typical. Having attended the Launch, I myself missed a follow up post, as I was not informed via a mailing list. We have despondent Black men when it comes to applications for funding or grants because even

with guidance, they often lack success. If rejected without feedback, applicants may well default back to a faithless disposition, an experience to be shared and explored on a Black Male platform for our joint learning. Have they simply faded away, eclipsed by Covid and other issues of the day? And as Black males, are we over-dependent on other demographics, such as women or liberals, to shape and highlight our issues, because we are much more than capable of achieving this ourselves? ID is relevant and pressing too, as many have been discussing what label/s we should consider adopting post George Floyd. Black British, Afrikan, BME, BAME? As a community, our identity is fragmented and therefore too weak to affect change for ourselves or others. In my view, this is the reason why the principle of a Black Male United front is important, which includes management and delivery from Black Men, and somehow, the political idea that is 100 Black Men, and its objectives must remain a priority. Until we hear any legitimate updates, when and if the original members pick it up again, remains an outstanding question. We need to find answers to such questions, if we’re to resume and build upwards.

SHAUN CLARKE

KNOWLEDGE

100 BLACK MEN

TALENT

Bristol Black History Month aims to exemplify and illustrate the importance of self-expression and holding high aspirations for ourselves and those around us. The achievements and contributions of Black communities have been the driving force behind significant change and developments in Bristol. Now, more than ever, people are collectively using their skills to tackle issues such as mental health, societal change and personal development in a way that adds meaning and depth to our understanding of communities and ourselves.

TALENT

Discover Noelia’s journey of her Dominican identity and heritage through ‘I am’, a fashion collection paying homage to our ancestors and traditions. The concept of my collection for both modules was a journey of identity and heritage of Dominican people. It was very personal to me, as being Dominican born and raised in a predominantly white small town in Somerset, it raised many personal issues and experiences of my journey of identity and also my own heritage. After the events of last year and being in a pandemic, it really made the world pay attention to the issues of Black people and the struggles we face on a day-to-day basis not just in the UK or the USA but all over the world. For my collection, I wanted to highlight the cultural background and history of the Dominican Republic and the controversies of being Black and what that meant as a Dominican woman. The journey of my project starts with the influences and inspiration of taino culture (indigenous people of Dominican republic), and the cultural influences of the Spanish after Christopher Columbus invaded the island in 1492. The project highlights important individuals of our indigenous history such as Enriquillo and his rebellion against the Spanish, Anacaona who was a female chief of the Taino people, and also Lemba, an African slave that rebelled against the Spanish. I wanted to highlight the African influences in Dominican culture, as they are often neglected and seen as a negative thing to be a part of, and how colourism plays a significant role in Dominican culture against its own people. I wanted to focus on the journey of our ancestors and the countries they originated from in West Africa before being taken to the Caribbean in bondage. My collection is influenced by the Kuba tribe, Kongo tribe, Mangbetu tribe, and Mongo tribes of Congo. The Yoruba tribe, Igbo tribe, and Hausa tribe of Nigeria. The Bamileke tribe of Cameroon.

The Mandinka, Wolof, and Fula tribe of Gambia. From fabrics to colour, to textiles and silhouette, I created paintings of geometrical shapes inspired by the Congo tribe. The repeat print designs and silhouettes shapes reflect traditional masks, tribal wear and paint to create an innovative collection with purpose, paying homage to our ancestors and traditions for both Women’s and Childrens’ wear.

“ My collection is highly influenced by the Kuba tribe, Kongo tribe, Mangbetu tribe, and mongo tribes of Congo. The Yoruba tribe, Igbo tribe, and hausa tribe of Nigeria. The Bamileke tribe of Cameroon. The Mandinka, Wolof, and Fula tribe of Gambia. From fabrics to colour, to textiles and silhouette, I created paintings of geometrical shapes inspired by the Congo tribe. ”

NOELIA CEPEDA

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I AM

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Artist Spotlight ASHER SIMMONS

“An image that always sticks out in my mind is seeing shirtless Black gardeners attending to massive plantation-style properties in the beating hot sun. I remember wondering if this picture was taken in black and white today, would there be a way to distinguish this from the 18th century?”

An independent hip hop artist known to voice his poignant views within his music, Asher Simmons was born in Bermuda in 1993, and moved to his mother’s home of The Bahamas when he was nine years old. He is the product of two nations of British Colonialism. While the Bahamas seceded from the crown in 1973, Bermuda is still a British Colony today, making it the oldest within the Monarchy. The Bahamas has chosen to champion tourism as it’s number one source of income. This is understandable, considering it has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, crystal white sands and turquoise-blue water so amazing Astronauts can tell where The Bahamas is when looking back at the Earth through space. However, due to the government’s over-reliance on tourism, it has become the new plantation. Asher’s first-hand experience gives him a unique perspective in understanding the concepts and implications of Neocolonialism - the extreme poverty, the hopelessness. In a place that was supposed to be a paradise, he was confronted with the bleak reality and suffering of the Bahamian people. Despite not having a degree, he would come to realise it wouldn’t matter as he found himself working alongside people who did. The minimum wage was £3.61 an hour, however working within hospitality gives you a wage closer to the one we have in Great Britain. It was like a funnel where all roads lead to hospitality. This reliance on Tourism has proven to be neoslavery, a mechanism with corrupt politicians, and an insanely wealthy oligarchy dangling wealth like snakes and vultures. Asher found himself working at one of the most prestigious development properties in the world, its shores attracting billionaires, star athletes and A-list celebrities. Perhaps it was the plantation style in which the houses were built that made him feel like a slave. “An image that always sticks out in my mind is seeing shirtless black gardeners attending to massive plantation-style properties in the beating hot sun. Shirtless with large straw hats, I remember wondering if this picture was taken in Black and White today, would there be a way to distinguish this from the 18th century?” The Jobs that are available are cooking, cleaning, entertaining and serving guests that were overwhelmingly white. Asher recalls catching a bus

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Bristol-based artist Asher Simmons shares the story of his move to the UK as he continues to live out his dreams and inspire people. home after a brutal 14-hour shift, only seeing Black people on the bus with him. He realized that in the eyes of the government, Bahamian people aren’t citizens with limitless potential that can transform the country, but a workforce of servants destined to never enjoy their beautiful home. This was a reality and perception of himself that Asher could not accept. He decided that he was going to leave. He dreamed of a reality where he could empower himself to make a difference, and decided that he was going to take a risk and move 4000 miles to England, to pursue his passion of making music. Just three months after leaving The Bahamas, a category 5 hurricane ransacked his home island of Abaco, destroying everything. Many people lost their lives. Out of the rubble, his community rebuilds. Strong, resilient, survivors. The storm has brought people closer together, more than ever before.

While his intentions are pure, only time will tell what the future holds for Asher. However, one thing is for certain, he makes beautiful music. Today he takes it day by day, and recognizes how extraordinarily blessed he is to be where he is, unscathed. He is grateful and has learned not to take blessings like shelter for granted. He has performed concerts, signed a management deal, been interviewed by the BBC and has had his songs played on stations like Ujima Radio since moving to the UK. He is currently working on an album called Dare To Fly, a body of work daring the listener to go after their dreams as Asher continues to go after his. Sincerity gives the listener a peek into his unique journey. His songs come from a real place, have meaningful lyrics and you can feel the emotion and energy within them. His goal is to make it on a global stage and be able to transform the lives of his community, tell their stories and to inspire hope. While his intentions are pure, only time will tell what the future holds for Asher. However, one thing is for certain, he makes beautiful music. 75

HIGHER HEIGHTS

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Houria is an anti-slavery and anti-racism organisation making Afrikan food by Afrikan women in Bristol.

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ABOUT BRISTOL STEPPING SISTAS SOPHIE BROWN & RUTH PITTER

Walking and enjoying nature together as Women of Colour - Don’t stay in your lane! We are a walking group established in Bristol in April 2021 to enable us to reach out to local Black women/Women of Colour in the Bristol area to encourage an interest in walking and thriving in open spaces. We are a grassroots group of Women of Colour who are passionate about walking, and enthusing those who identify with our lived experience to do so. We regularly organise walks, for those who wish to take short walks and/or longer treks. The aim is to help motivate Women of Colour to visit places they would not have ventured to otherwise, including rural areas around Bristol and further afield in the South West, routes that can get women around the city and beyond, and routes that stoke interest and wonder. Why we do it: There has been a reluctance for Women of Colour to venture in unfamiliar spaces where they feel exposed, judged, and remarked on. This has led to our staying in our lanes. “I don’t see many Black women or Women of Colour walking in nature, and I believe it’s due to day-to-day distractions, mental health concerns/ social anxiety and the uncertainty of walking into the unknown because it can be overwhelming to take that first step into something new, especially when you are not comfortable in that space.” - Sophie, founder of Steppin Sistas

We want to encourage women to step across hese boundaries and push their limits, and to do so in the safety and company of others who share similar experiences of discrimination and disadvantage. We aim to enable the activity of walking to be uplifting and enriching to the lives of Women of Colour of all abilities, to present walking as an opportunity to engage in conversation, creative reflection,

enjoyment of nature, appreciation of new environments, and fundamentally to help address issues of mental health which have been prevalently on the increase. “I love that walking in nature acts as a natural healing aid, or medicine, when I feel stressed or heavy headed. I find that walking keeps me grounded through stressful times and really helps me connect with the natural world,” says Sophie. During our events, we welcome all people regardless of their characteristics, culture or race, as we will open up as a more diverse group, and we hope you are able to join us. We look forward to meeting you!

“ I don’t see many Black women or Women of Colour walking in nature, and I believe it’s due to day-to-day distractions, mental health concerns or social anxiety and the uncertainty of walking into the unknown because it can be overwhelming to take that first step into something new ”

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JOJO 21

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Book a 1 to 1 or group dance therapy session in October for 20% off! *Booking must be made in October and session taken by March 1st 2022.*

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LIBATION @60 (2021) REBECCA NK GIBBS

Into the world of The West African Art of Adinkra Libation@60 (2021) is a piece of work conceived in 2017 and inspired by Ghana Independence. The first instance and presentation of Libation@60 (paper and mixed print media) took place as part of a 2019 Exhibition entitled Articulating Actualisation, a healing transformation to Trust from Trauma which took up residence at The Island Gallery space, Bristol, UK. Articulating Actualisation pulls together the symbolism and syntax of West African Adinkra. The exhibition explored Ancient understanding and modern evidence-based knowledge to assist individuals and groups to evolve into their potential, workshops and inter-activities for personal, professional and community development. Libation@60 (2021) as presented for BHM2021 is an exercise in translation from one instance in paper and print media into the digital form. Transformation in this way allows the content and its significance to be disseminated and engaged with more efficiently and effectively. This enables people of African heritage to access cultural references that transcend the traditional to the contemporary.

Libation@60 extends the oral tradition and its import for people of Africa and the African diaspora. It reassures us in our role as custodians to champion and value our heritage and birthright. “Let us value it, let it endure”. Rebecca NK Gibbs is an award-winning Creative Producer and Community Development Practitioner with 40 years experience in multi-disciplinary arts practice and events production. “As a multimedia arts practitioner and producer, I lead an ongoing exploration and articulation of my personal heritage and experience. My practice communicates my research findings; realisations, connections and contemplations.” Rebecca is of dual heritage, Malawian born and Bristol raised. She finds inspiration and strength in the abundance of her diverse cultural heritage. She specialises in Success and Happiness Creative research practice, and works with individuals and groups exploring ethical and sustainable, person-centred practical actions.

“ Libation@60 extends the oral tradition and its import for people of Africa and the African diaspora. It reassures us in our role as custodians to champion and value our heritage and birthright. “Let us value it, let it endure”. ” 82

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STRAIGHT OUT OF BRIZZLE CARMEN CARROL

Carmen Carrol and her husband discover the power of music as a tool that can touch the deepest parts of the human soul. Carmen has always been a creative person, who loved to sketch, draw, and write poetry as a form of selfexpression. Little did she know that her creative path would unfold over the years into several businesses. She enjoyed several roles as an Events Programmer with Kuumba Arts Project; an Afrikan Caribbean Arts centre, as well as becoming a volunteer and the Carnival Officer & Schools Co-ordinator with St Paul’s Carnival which draws 100,000 people to its annual event. Over time, she realised she was a pioneer and that materialised through the several brands she and her husband now manage. Their Soul2Sole sound system is where they organised Gospel club nights, creating a social space for young Christians, with liveDJs & MCs. It was at that point they realised the power of music as a tool that can touch the deepest parts of the human soul. Their other venture, Urban Central Sounds, is a dynamic DJ sound system dedicated to making your special occasion a night to remember, specialising in Urban Sounds such as R&B, Soul, Motown, House music and other genres. This husband and wife team merged their passion and skills to reach the masses.

They have been influential in changing preconceived ideas about Gospel music through their many projects. For 9 years, the Soul2Sole sound system showcased it’s live stage at the St Paul’s Carnival with amazing Gospel Artists, DJs & MCs. During this time, they co-presented their radio show, on Ujima Radio 98FM, playing Urban Gospel and Uplifting Soulful House. Carmen manages her Events Promotions and Marketing business Patricia Rhema, promoting Gospel artists and events. Since then, Carmen has stepped back and moved into new ventures; becoming an author, with her first book due to be released, titled Pathways to Healing, where she shares her own story of experiencing and overcoming childhood emotional abuse and sibling rejection. “Pathways to Healing is my journey of recovery from years of experiencing childhood trauma and adult pain from emotional and verbal abuse from the age of 6 years old. As a result, my life was full of rejection, low self-esteem, and feelings of condemnation and periods of depression.” Find our more about Carmen’s journey and how to buy her book on her website: www.carmencarrol.com

“ Pathways to Healing is my journey of recovery from years of experiencing childhood trauma and adult pain from emotional and verbal abuse from the age of 6 years old. ” 84

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INSIDE-2-OUT PETER MILES

Mentoring, Counselling and Restorative Justice: helping local communities understand that there is another way besides crime. InSide-2-Out is a CIC that works with men and women, young and old, inside and out of prison. We work with disadvantaged groups, to help them see that there is another way besides crime. We also work with their families and friends to give them support when they have someone within the prison system, gangs and/or heading down the wrong path in life. We do this through mentoring, counselling and Restorative Justice. By using these methods, we help them to take a look at their own lives and thinking process. Then we work with them to change whatever areas they need to change to not return back into the Criminal Justice System. Peter Miles, founder of InSide-2-Out has been in and out of prison most of his life in America and here in the UK. He has been addicted to many substances and has lied, cheated and stole from his family and

close friends. His experience has been the inspiration to start InSide-2-Out to support others on a similar path he once changed for himself: “When I was in prison from 2009-2012 in the UK, I decided that I could not do this anymore, not just to me, but to the people that loved me, the people that cared for me, the people that believed in me. So I came out and started this Community Interests Company. I knew that it was not going to be easy, and that I would probably slip up, but I also knew that I was not going to give up trying this time, NO MATTER WHAT. Today it has been almost 10 years since I’ve been out and I have NEVER returned to prison.” 85% of our staff have lived experience and understand what you go through once arrested, in prison, and getting released from Prison. All we want to do is KEEP HOPE ALIVE. As long as you have hope, you have a chance.

“ When I was in prison from 2009-2012 in the UK, I decided that I could not do this anymore, not just to me, but to the people that loved me, the people that cared for me, the people that believed in me. So I came out and started this Community Interests Company. ” 86

To get involved contact: getinvolved.InSide2Out@gmail.com FB Group: inside-2-out

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MISFITS WALK AND TALK SWING CIRCUS

Swing era history is closely linked to Black history specifically in America. Circus history is that of travellers and misfits. A tour guide leads a group on a walk around sites in Bristol. Along the way are stops where suddenly: musicians play, someone walks out of a window and dances on the walls, a flash mob group comes alive and dances a choreography, a circus performer tumbles on silks out of a tree, a couple dance on the ground, then up a pole! Stories are told weaving together the history of these buildings and these people, and culminate in a finale piece where the elements of swing dance and circus combine. Our aim is to celebrate the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance; educate and inform about British colonial history and our part in the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans (TTEA); explore the concept of white privilege; and celebrate minorities and misfits. Our work: Using our artforms of swing dance and circus to explore and express ourselves; an artistic expression of things that are important to us regarding identity, race, history and education. Our goals: Wanting to use our art to spark intrigue,

education and conversation around promoting social equality. Explore the nature of swing dance and circus and how they combine together - to create our own unique physical language and performance style. Experience in producing projects under the banner of Swing Circus since 2013; Compered Cabarets of short acts and collaborations for various events including the Bristol Swing Festival, the Bristol Jazz and Blues Festival. 30 minute show with some integrated moments for a 35-show run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015, won Pick of the Week Award and grew attendance to sell-out shows. We developed our first draft of a 45-minute show, “In Colour” in 2018-19, able to tackle narrative and starting to get more and more moments of the integration we are searching for between swing and circus. Premiered at Circomedia, Bristol 2018. From this performance we were invited to showcase at the Salisbury Arts Festival, May 2019, which we did along with a Q&A session and audience workshop.

“ Stories are told weaving together the history of these buildings and these people. And culminate in a finale piece where the elements of swing dance and circus combine. ”

www.swingcircus.co.uk FB Group: Swing Circus IG: @Theswingcircus Twitter: @Theswingcircus

EDUCATION

Bristol Black History Month is a crucial time for schools to better engage with those local communities their pupils belong to. With better education comes greater ability to understand and celebrate different cultures, their legacies and contributions. Better representation will lead to longer term changes both within schools and our society. It’s imperative that young people of all backgrounds see themselves represented in a more inclusive curriculum in order to achieve social cohesion, greater solidarity, and understanding of historical legacies.

EDUCATION

EMPOWERMENT THROUGH EDUCATION

World Mental Health Day is marked each year on the 10th of October and this year’s theme is Mental Health in an Unequal World. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have helped highlight the growing health inequities experienced by Black and Brown people as well as other vulnerable groups. It is no longer surprising how systemic racism is woven into our institutions and practices. There have been some eye-opening reviews into various institutions over recent years. A great example is the 2017 Lammy Review, an independent review which looked into the treatment of, and outcomes for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals within the criminal justice system. Unfortunately, there is yet to be a deep dive into the inequities within the health or mental health sector. In 2019, the mental health organisation Mind reported that the recent, independent ‘Final Report’ showcased huge disparities for Black and Brown people. “Black people are 40% more likely to access treatment through a police or criminal justice route, less likely to receive psychological therapies, more likely to be compulsorily admitted for treatment, more likely to be on a medium or high secure ward and be more likely to be subject to seclusion or restraint (56.2 per 100,000 population for Black Caribbean as against 16.2 per 100,000 population for white). 40% of entry points into Mental Health hospitals in 2020 was from the criminal justice system rather than a medical professional”(Discrimination in mental health services, 2019). Further staggering statistics reveal that: • Black men are disproportionately diagnosed with schizophrenia & around 4x more likely to develop the condition than white British counterparts. • Black men experience psychosis 10x more frequently than white men. • Black women experience substantially higher rates of common mental health problems than white women, such as anxiety or depression. • A high proportion of Black women will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Many times Black people in particular seem to get the raw end of the deal when accessing mental health services, in the course of treatment and in after-care. This can often be linked to antiBlackness, a type of racial discrimination aimed solely at Black people.

Naomi Gennery www.naomigennery.co.uk Insta @nn.aa.ii

Research shows that Black people are reluctant to access the support and help they need early on due to lack of trust in the system and lack of knowledge of where to get help. Further barriers to consider are cultural taboos and stigma. Black and Brown people are more likely to be met at a crisis point because of the reasons mentioned,

where often the condition has become more severe and is more likely in need of intervention. There is also the added layer of stereotyping Black men and Black women as being “strong” which can make people less likely to seek help, particularly if there is family responsibilities and expectations on them culturally. For some, the shame and stigma or potential community backlash is too great and they often don’t seek help, instead they try to cope alone. In some cultures, seeking help could cause them to be excommunicated or have them lose standing in their community. For others, religion can play a part in preventing them from seeking the support they need from a medical professional. Instead they may make a visit to their religious leader such as a pastor. And in some cultures, mental illness is still not recognised or classed as an illness.

EDUCATION

Empowerment through education is the only way forward.

“ Representation matters, as this can often cause people to be reluctant to open up through fear of being judged, lack of understanding what is important to them or their cultural norms.” If early access to support and services does occur, there is often a lack of medical professionals that look like them or represent them. Black doctors make up only 5% of doctors compared to the 30% of Asian doctors. 10% of therapists are of Black African/Caribbean descent. Representation matters, as this can often cause people to be reluctant to open up through fear of being judged, lack of understanding what is important to them or their cultural norms. This can also lead to experiencing prejudice and unconscious bias which can further compound the issues for the individual, causing their mental health to deteriorate as opposed to improve. Racism amongst medical professionals can be automatic and subconscious, it can lead to a cultural diagnosis rather than an individual diagnosis. This may help us understand why it’s more likely that Black people are offered medication over therapy, and are the lowest group to take up holistic therapies like CBT or counselling due to lack of awareness. These treatments are not being offered due to financial constraints and due to wider systemic racism issues in the economy.

BIANCA JONES

EDUCATION

Stress Although stress is not a mental illness, it can often lead to the development or aggravation of mental health illnesses. Learning about stress, managing stress and increasing self-awareness is key. We all have stress or stressors in modern life and some we will all have in common - money, work and emotional stress - but for Black & Brown people there are added layers to consider, such as having to deal with prejudice, discrimination, oppression and systemic racism. For some these can manifest in the form of daily microaggressions or barriers when trying to gain better life outcomes. These further stressors can often lead to frustration, anger, rage and can cause mental fitness to decline. This is why we need education to be accessible and available for everybody. We need people on the ground being advocates and championing change for better mental health outcomes for Black & Brown people. Systemic racism will take time to dismantle and eradicate, so it’s vital we have the correct people in place. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Skills are a great place to start, where you can: • Learn some of the common signs and symptoms of poor mental health developing • Increase knowledge around the most common mental health illnesses • Increase confidence in having conversation & reducing the stigma • Gain a better understanding of professional help • Empower people with self-help strategies & signposting The great thing about MHFA training is that although it’s popular in the workplace, it has a ripple effect into your family, friends and community. There is also some responsibility and self-awareness that we need to do to empower ourselves. Self-care is a great tool to positively impact our own wellbeing. Wellbeing is made up of our social health, mental health and physical health and they all interlink. There is more to selfcare than having a bubble bath! It’s about taking time out to recharge your battery and put yourself first. You may be a partner, daughter, sister, parent for example but you are also an individual that needs to thrive, as the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

Self-care can look like: • Saying no • Setting boundaries • Turning your phone off • Reducing news & social media intake • Clearing out a drawer or kitchen cupboard • Reading or an audiobook • Lighting a candle • Doing a hobby • Speaking to a friend • Writing a worry list before bed

Self-care isn’t selfish, it’s vital. If this is something you struggle with, there can be various reasons for this - having low self-worth, low selfesteem, self-hatred or internalised racism. If you struggle with self-care, me-time or self-love then consider looking into what may be the underlying issue. Daily experiences can take their toll and erode our psychological wellbeing over time, which helps us understand why Black people are more susceptible to develop serious psychological disorders like psychosis, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders. We can no longer ignore this epidemic and we can no longer hide the facts. Everybody deserves access to support and experience fair and positive outcomes from mental health services. Through empowerment and education in mental health we can help create the change we hope to see. Bianca is MD for EDP Training, a Bristol based business which delivers mental health and antiracism training courses for workplaces as well as individuals across the UK. Bianca knows first headedly how it feels to struggle with ill mental health. She developed EDP as a means to help her through her recovery journey from the poor mental state she was in. As an associate member for MHFA England, she is quality-assured to their standard and is 1 in 10 associates that deliver racism and mental health awareness training. As well as 1 in 20 which deliver race equity and wellbeing courses. She is also a CIPD associate specialising in adult learning and development. EDP has recently designed and launched their first digital anti-racism training, Race Ahead in June 2021 and has had an excellent take up from organisations across England. Helpful mental health support resources: Stonewall, Black Minds Matter, Nilaari, Sari Changes Bristol, Suicide Prevention, Bristol, BDP.

“ We need education to be accessible and available for everybody. We need people on the ground being advocates and championing change for better mental health outcomes for Black & Brown people.”

EDUCATION

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An exciting project coming to Bristol. Find out more www.theworldreimagined.org

ARE YOU SURE IT’S Black History?

How Black will your BHM be this year? We believe in placing culture firmly within its context. The truth is, much Black History taught within schools just isn’t Black. Slavery, apartheid, the civil rights movement – none of these could have existed if it was only black people in this narrative. Framing this as Black History takes out one of history’s most important elements. It’s not about blame or shame. Simply the truth. White people were there too. If we do talk about slavery in schools, our focus is likely to be on the corporations and institutions that were forged in its fire, borne to success on Black bodies. We might talk to you about streets and buildings in your town named after slave traders. We might talk about who these slave traders were. But the truth is we often start elsewhere in some of the more hidden stories of our History. We like to share our precolonial history, the history of Blackness in Britain and the history of our rebellion, we feel these areas of our rich and diverse history are far closer to ‘Black History’ than anything else. Africa is often seen as a continent without writing; and indeed oral histories are important. But equally African hieroglyphs and symbols predate modern written texts, writing began with a hashtag in a South African cave 73,000 years ago. The oldest university in the world is Africa’s University of al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 and located in Fez, Morocco. It is also home to the world’s oldest library. Why not explore some of these themes with an Adinkra printing workshop? As well as running these for you, we have free resources online to help get you started without us. What of the Black history of the UK? For example, do you know of Septimius Severus, the Roman Emperor who traveled the length of the UK? He was a Black man, leading battalions from across Europe and North Africa. Maybe he travelled or stayed near your school? Have you heard of the Cheddar man, Britain’s oldest complete skeleton? What colour do you think he was? Why not see what Black stories there are in your local history? The Mary Rose, for example, had crew members from England, across the Mediterranean and North Africa. The only Black passenger to die on the Titanic was a middle class passenger and a professional engineer. Nwanyereuwa was behind the Aba Women Riot. | Image: Pinterest

We are there, as we have always been, and as always the truth might surprise you. If it does, the greatest

EDUCATION

Is it truly Black History we teach? African Activities CIC visits 300 schools a year, and has over 5000 teachers accessing our free resources online. lesson might be found in asking Why is this surprising, Why did I not know this? Colonialism and slavery were met with fierce resistance all over the world. Have you heard of Nigeria’s Woman’s War? In 1861 Britain annexed Lagos and slowly began to implement and brutally enforce a wave of new legislation. Upon arrival in Nigeria, governors, traders and staff assumed they would be working with the men. They set up governance accordingly. By 1929, the women of Nigeria had truly had enough. Women from six different ethnic groups joined together that November and began the ‘Woman’s War’. It was a strategically executed revolt organised by women to redress social, political and economic grievances. Within just three months, the entire system of governance was rewritten to ensure it gave women some of the power back. Is it surprising to discover that women had more political power in precolonial Nigeria than women in the UK? We are always grateful to see the efforts schools go to in order to explore and reflect during Black History Month, and indeed throughout the year. We know how hard it can be to explore some of these topics and often little time is given to do it well. But please, if we are going to focus on the history of the relationship between races, let’s call it that. Let us remember that white people were also there. There is healing only in the truth. If you truly want to focus on Black History there is much to explore. Why not give us a call? We would be delighted.

“ The truth is, much Black History taught within schools simply isn’t Black. Slavery, apartheid, the civil rights movement – none of these could have existed if the narrative was only focused on Black people. White people were there too. ”

KWAME BAKOJIHUME

EDUCATION

DIVERSITY IN THE Curriculum

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It is in the classroom that many students are first exposed to ideas and stories that express their experience or some they have no knowledge of. It is in the classroom that many students first see the ideas they grew up repeating being questioned. It is in the classroom some students first begin to formulate an idea of what it means to have a history, to be one tiny part of a narrative that spans decades, centuries, millennia. In British classrooms today, however, the ideas, stories and histories presented to students rarely appear to go much further than those expressed by white, wealthy, Europeans. Whilst the historic exclusion of Black and Minoritised history within British education is not new, recent years have seen the few advances made pushed back. Amongst other controversial alterations to the curriculum, former education secretary Michael Gove made the teaching of slavery and empire optional. This left a curriculum that almost entirely erases the history of Black and Minoritised people, with only 11% of GCSE history students studying a unit that made even a passing mention of Black British history. Whilst the current curriculum includes one unit focussing on slavery in KS3 and another focussing on migration at GCSE, both these units are entirely optional with only 4% of GCSE history students studying the migration module.

‘We stand by the perspective that if you don’t know your roots, how are you going to navigate your identity today?’ The stark absence of Black and Minoritised voices in schools leaves Black and Minoritised students with little in the way of positive role models, whilst robbing students of the opportunity to study their own cultural history. Further, when Black history is taught, the focus is primarily on slavery and oppresion which, whilst clearly important topics, do little to provide empowerment to Black and Minoritised students, and should not be the sole focus of Black history in schools. This lack of diversity becomes even starker when we move to other core subjects with less than 1% of pupils studying a book by a Black and/or Minotised Author.

EDUCATION

A rising number of voices is calling for a more diverse curriculum across the country. How can we address the stark absence of Black and Minoritised voices in schools, and learn about our roots to navigate our identity? This erasure of Black and Minoritised people from the curriculum both fails Black and Minoritised students by robbing them of cultural connection within the classroom, and lends credence to a false image of British history in which Black and Minoritised people are entirely absent. This harms Black and Minoritised students’ sense of belonging, deprives them of aspirational role models from their own culture, and allows racist sentiments to fester in white students. In the wake of the global BLM protests that swept the world last year, a series of petitions arguing for a more diverse curriculum circulated on social media, garnering hundreds of thousands of signatures. Whilst it gained renewed interest during the BLM protests, the fight for a diverse curriculum is not new. Lvinya Stennett, the founder of Black Curriculum which was founded a few years before the murder George Floyd kick-started protests against anti-Black racism, explained in one interview the importance of the movement: “We stand by the perspective that if you don’t know your roots, how are you going to navigate your identity today?” Whilst changing the curriculum is clearly only a part of confronting systemic racism, it is hard to see how we will truly confront the structural racism baked into all arenas of British society without changing an education system that upholds a Eurocentric image of British history. By diversifying the classroom, we encourage a new generation to grow up with the voices, stories, and histories of Black and Minoritised communities, highlighting both the contributions made to British history by Black and Minoritised people, as well as the presence and legacy of structural racism which reaches back centuries, encouraging a view of Britain and British history that embraces diversity and acknowledges injustice. But how exactly should schools implement a diverse curriculum? One way might be to take a similar approach to One Bristol Curriculum (OBC), an organisation that works to create diverse lesson plans in Bristol, including the Somalian poetic tradition, Christian Cole Britain’s first Black Barrister, and Landays. If schools were across the country were to take similar actions to OBC’s, working with teachers and communities to produce lessons that center diverse voices, perhaps we could finally see classrooms that celebrate Black and Minoritised students culture and history rather than erase it.

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DAISY CHARLES

EDUCATION

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EDUCATION

ELLAELLABULEY 26 BULLEY STUDIO

Ye O Niyenii www.ellabulley.com

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[eat your food]

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ONE BRISTOL CURRICULUM Launch SHERRIE EUGENEHART

Saturday 13th November 2021 City Hall Bristol 10.00am - 1.00pm An exciting new approach to Education has been developed in Bristol. MP David Lammy has agreed to deliver his keynote speech and launch the initiative. The One Bristol Curriculum is a comprehensive international resource of teaching content which can be integrated into the present curriculum and has been designed to be representative of Bristol’s community and history. The free online resources aim to support teachers of all key stages. The material reflects the presence of Black, African, Caribbean and Asian heritage narratives recognising that Black and Asian history is everyone’s history. A host of Bristol schools have already expressed an interest in coming on board and we hope that all schools will demonstrate their commitment to Equity Diversity and Inclusion following the launch. Director of OBC and educator Esther Deans feels this is a unique time to engage schools, parents and young people themselves. “We are creating global citizens of the future.” She said. “Many young people have already woken up to the fact that equity is fair and are questioning why certain perspectives are not taught and are demanding answers. It’s refreshing”. One of the driving forces behind the One Bristol Curriculum, Sibusiso Tshabalala added “This is what Bristol has been waiting for. It’s a way of redressing

the balance in Education. It shouldn’t be a lottery. Good Education for all is a human right”. Statistically and historically, Minority Ethnic children have under achieved in comparison with their white counterparts over all. There are many reasons for this, including a curriculum that does not reflect positively on the achievements of Black and Asian people. While Africa and Asia are the world’s largest continents, much of the richness and value has been denied to students in the present curriculum. The One Bristol Curriculum approach will diversify the existing curriculum and facilitate pride, dignity and truth in every subject. It will offer additional lesson plans in all subjects where teachers can access and enrich the learning for all students. All Bristol schools will have the opportunity to sign up to the OBC, giving access to a plethora of services including Diversity training, CPD signposting and a self audit tool for Good Practice Guidelines. Editor’s Notes: A study conducted by the Runnymede ‘Trust A City Divided’ in 2018 found that in Bristol white British people make up 92.7% of head teachers, 89.7% are Deputy Heads and 84.9% are classroom teachers. 0.1% of classroom teachers were mixed white and Black African - the lowest percentage of all ethnic groups. (www.runnymedetrust.org)

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For interviews please contact the OBC change@onebristolcurriculum.org.uk Register with Eventbrite!

EDUCATION

One Bristol Curriculum

Want to become part of a network of teachers passionate about diversifying school curricula? Want to make a positive impact on the learning experience of all students? The One Bristol Curriculum is an exciting new online resource offering free teaching content for all key stages, designed to be representative of Bristol’s community and history. The material reflects the whole curriculum and the presence of Black, African, Caribbean and Asian heritage narrative. The subjects that are covered by The One Bristol Curriculum are English, Maths, Science, History and Drama, with some elements of cross-curricular material for KS3/4 Citizenship, PSHE and SMSC. These materials are designed for all key stages including nursery.

Ways to get involved: >

Schools can sign up to OBC to gain access to our consultants and CPD providers.

Teachers can sign up to create resources or submit their own.

CPD providers can join to run training days for schools, focusing on anti-racism, equity and diversity and curriculum development.

www.onebristolcurriculum.org.uk change@onebristolcurriculum.org.uk 105

For more information or to get in touch:

SCHOOL DAY MEMORIES

I was born in Bristol and came from a strong family with both mum and dad holding the power in equal measure. The youngest of 6 sisters, it was rare that I would have my own thoughts, choices and style because as the youngest, I inherited everything from them, including hand-me-down clothes. This is important to know because my parents and my sisters were my first role models. The first people I looked up to and wanted to be like. When I started school, I discovered a new paradigm. A new set of values and rules that replaced my home comforts, and I was heavily influenced by them. This new discovery revealed some conditioning that still makes me cringe today. The shameful, sad and shocking truth was that whilst I was happy with my complexion, I would have been happier to be just one shade lighter. And while I was happy with my hair, I would have wished for it to be looser and straighter. And while I was happy with my community, I wished they didn’t call me names like Darkie and Coloured. And whilst I was happy with my school, I wished they didn’t have a book on the shelf called ‘Little Black Sambo’. As I got older, I realised that I just wanted to belong, be part of, be accepted and liked. It was my family who enabled this for me at home, but I wanted society to accept me too. In time, I grew to love myself again, but this love should never have subsided. I feel education could have done a lot to readdress that imbalance by injecting a more reflective curriculum, and having teachers who looked like me. Cultural Diversity could have been dispersed in every subject and not reduced to cultural or religious celebrations alone. Furthermore, nobody spoke to me about University aspirations. I knew the place existed, but not for me or people like me. I was in my twenties when I got my place. I had a slow start in a fast world, so I cherished the learnings and values embedded into me by my parents, and I made the most of that gift. I value and cherish my understanding of my heritage and what Black people and the African civilisations have brought to the world. I think of the rarely spoken about Olmec Civilisation (1200 BCE - 400 BCE), skilled architects and engineers who created pyramids and agricultural systems. They established themselves around the Southern Gulf Coast of Mexico. But it’s only when you keep reading, you learn that the Olmec people were originally from Africa. When you check out their sculptures and features, there’s no mistake. Someone who is more widely known is St Nicholas

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Introduction to School Day Memories, a poem reflecting on belonging and acceptance, and the need for diversifying our lesson plans. or Santa Clause. He was born in Asia Minor, in what is now known as Turkey, but how many of us know that he was not white? It’s this kind of learning and discovery that excites me and makes me want to find out more. I would have loved to have realised that Egypt was in Africa when I was at primary school, and that humanity and civilisation began there too. Take Cleopatra. When we think of her, is she Black or White? You may wonder, what difference does it make? What does it matter? It matters when our children have been denied representation and the full truth of many historical aspects in our educational curriculum, and indeed our mainstream media. As a child, I wish I had access to all this stuff and that it was the norm. I don’t blame my teachers, more the system.

“ It matters when our children have been denied representation and the full truth of many historical aspects in our educational curriculum and indeed our mainstream media. We now have an opportunity to put this right, where every teacher has access to culturally-specific lesson plans in every subject, and every school is open to really learning about Cultural Diversity and exploring new and exciting approaches. I feel optimistic for the future. I know where I came from and what I went through. The journey is not over yet because the next and future generations have to benefit, and I am enthused for the future outcomes. I feel encouraged that through the One Bristol Curriculum, every school that enrols will be one step closer to educating and developing proud global citizens of the future. My Poem School Day Memories encapsulates all these ideas and most of all reminds us that we’ve come from greatness, so achieving greatness is well within our grasp.

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SHERRIE EUGENEHART

EDUCATION

SCHOOL DAY MEMORIES

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“My Poem School Day Memories encapsulates all these ideas and most of all reminds us that we’ve come from greatness, so achieving greatness is well within our grasp.” - Sherrie Eugene-Hart

EDUCATION

It was 1964 when I appeared in the world. Southmead hospital all wrinkled and curled. Mum and Dad had already had 6, between Dominica and me in St Werbix.

They brought us up strict with lots of love. The moment we spoke, a book they would shove In front of our faces, knowing the need to recognise letters in order to read. Early school, fascinating, fun games and play. Lunch was the best. Shepherd’s Pie, carrots and Egg curry. Soon realised lunch was the least of my worry. “Go to school to learn” mum and dad said, but I was made to feel different It stuck in my head. My hair wasn’t like theirs; it didn’t flow in the wind. My skin was black, and like porcelain. My nose was flat, hide it with a tissue, My clothes home made like money was an issue. Church once weekly made all things well. Sunday dinner tummy swell. Highly seasoned chicken wings, curry smells and all dem tings. Family laughter, baptisms and weddings…... All these memories make me smile, but ridicule from the ignorant wipes it all away. Vile. Back to school on Monday and I wanted to be there. But how could I learn when I felt you didn’t really care. You thought that I was clueless, that my parents were not bright. You felt that I was stupid taking education light. But I was hungry, eager to take it all in. Wanted to learn about Algebra and Chopin. Literature excited me, science made me enthuse. Do the best that I could do What did I have to lose? I actually lost my self respect when you taught us about slavery. When all the others in the class turned round and laid their eyes on me. What I learned in class That day you see, was that subdigation was all about me. You forgot about the Kings and Queens of Kemet, the ones who shared my hue. The ones who ruled over Africa and didn’t look like you.

Why didn’t I know that mathematics was conjured from my forbearers, that the Kingdom of Aksum or Ancient Ethiopia, was founded by the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Doesn’t matter if you come from St Pauls, St Werbs or Easton, Clifton Kingswood or Bishopston. Matters not if you wear a Salwar Kameez. In some schools that’s a NO NO! My ‘A’ Star friend wears a Kimono. With pride. No time to hide. Wear your Sari, Wrap, Turbin Or Topee and hold your head high for you and for me. It doesn’t matter if Yam and Dashin is your meal or Bammy or Madras. Feel good about your Irish stew and love your peas and mash. What matters is your attitude, your willingness to learn, Your helpfulness and consciousness a valuable concern. What matters are your parents and their quest to get things right. Their passion and selflessness, The things they would do, work all hours, curse you off and give their food to you. What matters is their interest to ask you about school, What your homework is and whether history was cool? What matters is the Curriculum, that it values us it’s clear, And that after year 6, our Black boys aren’t seen as ones to fear. If you’re going to achieve, you have to work hard. Forget your mates and stay in your own yard. If they want to galavant, that’s up to them. Stay at home and pray on your knees that you’ll pass all 10 GCSE’S. No time to play, no time to make hay, No time for sport tv or radio, just time for books, wash hair and go!........ OH hair? Remember when we’d press our fringe and feel good to compare it with Jane or Suzie? The comb would slide straight through it but it wouldn’t last a minute. The rain would come like a shower of hate to shrivel up the straight.

Mindyou, some barriers were there to throw me, to put me off To show me that I was not good enough, not clever enough and got enough of what it takes to Achieve. But the One Bristol Curriculum could help me to believe.

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In truth, I was lucky, I had it all actually. Good family, nice friends and school and spiritulaity.

BHM 2021

EVENTS

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Events: Actually, edutainment. Actually, it’s more education through entertainment. So welcome to our educatainment section and we hope you can embrace the different styles of knowledge sharing, social participation and get togethers. For more events check out our Facebook page: @BristolBlackHM

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BHM 2021

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Story Of the Three Day Pass

Code of the Streets 16th Anniversary

1st Oct / 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm / Watershed

02nd Oct / 10: 00 pm - 4:00 am / Basement 45

Restoration of influential African-American film-maker Melvin Van Peebles’ 1967 directorial debut film The Story of The Three Day Pass. Excluded from Hollywood, Van Peebles made his first feature by going to France and being absorbed into the creative scene in 1960s Paris.

One of Bristol’s longest running nites celebrate its 16th Anniversary! Code of the Streets brand has been at the forefront of radio shows & club nights & supporting local talent.

No Place Like Home

Directing William Wells Brown

05th Oct / 8:00 - 10:00 pm / Watershed

12th Oct / 2:00 - 3:00 pm / Online

A memorable last testament of an undeniably great filmmaker which introduced Grace Jones to the world, and with a handpicked soundtrack including Bob Marley, Etta James and Toots & The Maytals

Considered the first published play by an African American, ‘The Escape’ is a five-act comic melodrama centres on two Missouri enslaved people who secretly marry before making a desperate bid for freedom.

Gold Dust In Black

Benjamin Benson Online Talk

19th Oct / 7:00 - 09:30 pm / Online - M Shed

14th Oct / 7:00 - 8:00 pm / Online

History is Now! Global entertainment featuring Tan Teddy, Guy-Marc Vadeleux on piano from Martinique, Lawrence Chikwa live from Zambia, The Face with Mauritian mime and Jessica Ncube, illustrating how Angela Davis’ voice never really faded away....

Professor Christine Kinealy, Director of Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute and Professor of History at Quinnipiac University, will speak about Benjamin Benson who lectured in Norfolk in the early 19th century.

16th Oct / 6:00 - 7:30 pm / Online

16th Oct / 7:00 - 10:30 pm / The Fleece

Join us for a lecture/discussion on the Haitian Revolutionary Jean Jacques Dessalines, followed by a Haitian Dance with Artist and Educator Peniel Guerrier. All levels Welcome

Dreadzone are playing at The Fleece! Dreadzone have steadily been releasing albums and progressively bettering, refining and perfecting their own unique and inimitable take on dub since 1993.

Care Qu Junktions

MUTINY: Black British Caribbean and WW1

17th Oct / 7:30 - 10:00 pm / Cube Cinema

21th Oct / 6:00 - 7:00 pm / Online

We are screening the debut film ‘Care’ from the artist Klein. It is an autobiography, musical, animation and diary entry that explores the social care system, friendship and angst.

A presentation on Black British Caribbean experiences of WW1, based on my interviews with surviving veterans of the British West Indies Regiment

Online Book LaunchPathways to Healing

‘Decolonising Memory Digital Bodies in Movement

29th Oct / 7:00 - 8:00 pm / Online

06 Oct / 1:00 - 5;oo pm / Malcom X Community Centre

Carmen Carrol shares her experience of emotional abuse at a very young and the drastic mental effects it had. You can navigate through the maze of hurt towards forgiveness and healing.

An ongoing course for citizens of Afrikan descent, to help investigate sites around Bristol connected to our world history, and to create a new dance that will feature in an app.

BHM 2021

Dreadzone The Fleece

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Jean Jacques Dessalines Dance of the Revolution

Play Wooden CIC At Play Wooden, we create environmentally friendly wooden games that nurture curiosity while inspiring effective learning, fun and togetherness.

To find out more, visit us at: www.playwooden.co.uk

HERITAGE

IRE BOX 28 CREATIVE AWAKENINGS A YOUNG PEOPLE’S SUPPLEMENTARY SCHOOL PROJECT Aimed at youth of African Caribbean descent aged 11+ Online, in person Thursdays 5-8pm & one Saturday a month

To enrol & for further information:

People Organised Working for Equitable Reconstruction

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reparationsbristol@gmail.com www.reparationsbristol.org @BristolReparations

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Credits

Join us to celebrate Black culture for an evening of music, art and delicious food!

WEDNESDAY 20th OF OCTOBER 7PM - 12PM Our magazine provides a platform celebrating the achievements & stories of Black communities in Bristol www.bristolblackhistorymonth.co.uk

@Bristol.blackHM

@BristolBlackHistory

@Bristol Black History Media

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@BristolBlackHM

HERITAGE

WHAT’S YOUR STORY? Woodbox Productions presents their live music video competition, open to any genre, for people of colour in Bristol and the South West

o celebrate Bristol Black History Month 2021, BBHM Magazine and Woodbox Productions have partnered-up for your chance to win 1 of 3 incredible live video sessions in the Woodbox Productions studio.

How it’s judged A panel made up from the BBHM team and the Woodbox Production team will listen to your material. They will be looking out for personal narratives and creativity that celebrates the story of you.

How to enter For your chance to win, simply submit the 2 tracks you’re most proud of, or that represent you and your story best, along with the completed competition application form, found in the link below.

Important dates - Winners will be notified on November 19th 2021 via email - The application deadline date is 31st October 2021 - Filming will take place between 24th - 30th January 2022

For more information and to submit your application, scan the QR code below or visit the Woodbox Productions Instagram page

*18+ and material should contain limited expletives.

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@woodbox_productions @bristolblackhm

HERITAGE

Say it LOUD ! I’m BLACK & I’m PROUD

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