BHM 2011

BlackHistoryMonthUK.co.uk

THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BLACK 2011 HISTORY MONTH TM

Kelly’s Heroes

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The X-Factor judge on the people who inspired her

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PM David Cameron Idris Elba Felix Dexter Arts, Culture, Music

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Some scientists now believe that we’re all descended from one woman in Africa.

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Bring it on Comedian Felix Dexter says: Yes! Bring on Black History Month (just as long as we steer clear of political correctness, patronising attitudes and limbo dancers)

“S

o do you reckon it’s a good idea then, Black History Month?” That’s something I’m often asked at this time of year. For more than thirty years in Britain, October has been Black History Month and the question never goes away.

The loudest argument against BHM is that it is patronising. Black history isn’t for one month the detractors say, it’s for the whole year. Moreover, the focus on one month stops the education system embracing black history fully as part of the curriculum, and allows it to treat black history as a temporary novelty diversion.

I’m a supporter of the “seize the initiative” argument. This viewpoint says that having issues of African Caribbean culture and history actively presented for one month of the year doesn’t undermine the goal of more African-centric history in education and culture. In fact it promotes it.

Our diet of news and world affairs is very much prepared in a Euro-centric kitchen. The perspective is, how is what “they” are doing going to affect our superior culture and values, rather

than attempting to understand events from outside Europe and North America.

The education system is part of the genesis of this habit. The role played by African and West Indian soldiers in the Second World War is something we barely hear about or are aware of. Similarly, pre-colonial Africa, Nubia, the kingdoms of Kush, Nok and Benin, are all of great historical interest.

The inspirational story of Toussaint L’Ouverture, the indebtedness owed by the giant of European art Picasso to African influences – these are a small and personal selection of issues which a fair and catholic curriculum would include, but the absence of which makes Black History Month necessary.

There are potential problems with Black History Month, of course that should be guarded against. Chief among them is steel band proliferation and the resurgence of limbo dancers hired by well meaning Arts Centres in a fever of political correctness during October. Such tendencies should be gently discouraged.

Black History Month, rather than being looked on as a patronising novelty, should be viewed for the positive gesture

of cultural celebration that it is.

It says “take your blinkers off”, and provides an opportunity for people of all origins to gain an insight into facts, stories and a heritage that has for too long been criminally ignored. BHM Felix Dexter is one of Britain’s best loved and well respected comedians (of any colour).

He graduated in Law from University College London and after qualifying as a Barrister decided to give up his day job in favour of stand-up. A comedian and a serious actor, he spent several seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

No stranger to industry accolades, Felix featured in the award-winning Radio 4 show Down The Line, alongside Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson. He recently starred in BBC 2’s sketch triumph Bellamy’s People. Felix Dexter will be appearing at the Hackney Empire in the Dons of Comedy on 29 October 2011.

Don’t miss.

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INTRODUCTION

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It’s not about where you come from.

Just where you take us in the future.

In the drive to a sustainable energy future, we celebrate cultural diversity. Because people from different backgrounds bring different ideas.

And as a business, that’s what we’re all about.

We still have a little way to go until we truly reflect the community we serve. But that’s just one more reason to be excited about tomorrow.

Find out more at www.edfenergy.com/careers

contents

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HM (The Official Guide to Black History Month) is a taster of some of the arts and culture-based events which will be taking place around the country throughout October.

Each year BHM is a great reason to give extra special attention to the related arts, culture and history which may not usually find space on the public stage. (a cultural and historical leg-up, so to speak.) BHM just keeps on getting bigger every year; hundreds of events and performances are staged in venues ranging from major museums, corporate foyers, to fringe theatres and community halls. Each year new talent and hidden histories are uncovered.

Here we have selected just some of the highlights.

To see the full picture, get googling, check out your local authority website or see www.blackhistorymonthuk. co.uk for the full and latest listings.

Above: Pg 26 - Idris Elba

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Bring It On – but drop the political correctness. Actor and comedian Felix Dexter makes the opening address

04 Prime Minister David Cameron Building a Better Future

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X-Tra Special Something – R&B star and X-Factor judge Kelly Rowland on leaving a legacy

12-18 What’s On: Grace Jones at the V&A; the National Portrait Gallery archives; movies at the museum; maritime mavericks

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Island To Island: photographic portraits of the Caribbean then and now. A father and son’s unique view of life in Barbados and Dominica

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The Revolution Will Be Televised: Birmingham’s Drum Theatre remembers the legendary Gil Scott-Heron

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From Hackney To Hollywood: actor Idris ‘Hot’ Elba speaks from LA about The Wire, Luther and those James Bond rumours

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An Actor’s Life For Me: homegrown talent Jimmy Akingbola on learning how to operate (in the medical theatre) and surviving soaps

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All Action Hero: Ade Adepitan, extreme sportsman, Paralympics champion, motivational speaker, Olympic Ambassador – and he still has time to swim with sharks

38 Going For Gold: the young hopefuls of London 2012, training hard for next year’s Olympics

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

2007 THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH

BHM - THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2007

EXCLUSIVE

Lewis Hamilton interview and the story so far

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BHM the official guide to Black History Month © is published by Talent Media Ltd. No material in this publication may be used without the permission from the publisher. Disclaimer: The views and articles expressed and included in BHM magazine are not necessarily the views of the publisher.

Published by Talent Media Ltd, Studio 37, The Riverside Building 64 Orchard Place London E14 0JW

E: info@talentmedia.org T: 020 7001 0754 W: www.talentmedia.org

Cover picture of Kelly Rowland courtesy of ITV.

contents 40 Finding A Family: the challenges and rewards of fostering and adoption. Single? Married?

Divorced? Could you foster or adopt?

48 Go Getty: uncovering Getty’s historical archives. With over 80 million images, the carefully guarded Getty collection is brimming with history

50 BHM Teachers’ Pack: curriculum-ready resources for Key Stages 2 & 3

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Generating Genius: hothousing our young scientists. A no-nonsense programme for streamlining young talent into the UK’s top universities continues to merit an A+

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Wish Me Luck: Jide Salami’s journey from corporate life to drag queen

60 Campaigns On Campus: a student’s view from Kanja Sesay at the NUS

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Arise: fashion from Africa’s finest style bible

66 Mission Entirely Possible: it’s a first! Bulgaria launches Black Beauty Week. London talent travels to Sophia to train Eastern Europe in the art of the Afro and much more

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BHM Listings: highlights of all the happenings in your local area

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Below: Pg 12 - Grace Jones Bottom: Pg 70 - International Black Hairitage Month

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UNITE the Union Celebrating Black History Month UNITE the Union extends Black History Month Greetings to everyone and pays tribute to the contribution that black people have made in all areas of our society, including at work and in trade unions.

RACE FORWARD Tackling race discrimination in the workplace

The Membership of UNITE is made up of workers from across all industries, in the Public, Private and voluntary Sectors throughout Britain and Ireland.

Unite the Union is committed to:-

www.unitetheunion.org

• Challenging Racial Bullying & Harassment in the Workplace

• Confronting Racism and Fascism which divides communities

• Dealing with Lack of Promotion of Black Workers

• Working with Employers to develop effective workplace policies on Race Equality and making sure they are acted on

• Proper Implementation of Legislation for Black Workers • Justice and Fair Treatment for Migrant Workers

• Combating Race Discrimination in Getting a Job

General Secretary: Len McCluskey National Officer for Equalities: Collette Cork-Hurst

TO JOIN UNITE THE UNION

visit www.unitetheunion.org

Tel: 0207 611 2643 (ref. BHM 2011)

“I want someone to say, ‘I am inspired by Kelly Rowland.’

I would be so honoured for someone to say because Kelly did that, I am able to do this.”

X-tra Special Something Kelly Rowland arrived on the X-Factor panel with an undisputed musical pedigree.

Founder member and one-third of Destiny’s Child, one of the best-selling groups of all time, Rowland has also developed a scorching solo career. She took time out from sifting the wheat from the chaff on the X-Factor roadshow to tell BHM about some of the things that matter to her most 10

INTERVIEW

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he may have been born in Atlanta and raised in Houston, but Miamibased Kelly Rowland attributes her recent showbiz successes to her love of Europe. It was in Ibiza that she first teamed up with French dance producer David Guetta (he produced her current album Here I Am) and, of course, it is here in the UK, as an X-Factor judge, that she has won a “big, massive yes” from the Brits.

For Kelly, winning Grammys, scoring hits and looking great is all in a day’s work. Here I Am, Rowland’s third album since going it alone in 2002, is a mix of solo work and collaborations.

R&B, Dance and Urban are her natural territory, and for her solo debut with Universal Motown Records she has called on some of the hottest producers and songwriters around, including Dr. Luke, Stargate, Salaam Remi, Ne-Yo, Rico Love, Jim Jonsin, RedOne, Tricky Stewart, Esther Dean, and Rodney Jerkins.

Here I Am looks destined to be another successful move for Kelly Rowland.

BHM: Who inspired you when you were growing up?

Kelly Rowland: Musically, I was a huge fan of Whitney Houston.

I remember being in front of my television watching her and listening to her and thinking to myself, “she is so beautiful and her voice is amazing. I want to

be like her.” Personally, I had two wonderful mother figures in my life. My biological mother, who was one of the strongest women I knew. She worked so hard as a single mother and did her very best to make sure I had everything I needed. Then there was Ms Tina, who was the most supportive mother and wife I have ever seen.

She used to work over 12 hours a day, and then come home and cook dinner.

BHM: Is there a particular historical figure you admire?

KR: Oh my, there are so many.

Josephine Baker was able to cross racial and cultural barriers in entertainment – and that has allowed me to do what I do.

Rosa Parks stayed in her seat so that I can have the right to sit where I want to. What remarkable courage that must have taken.

Madame C.J. Walker started what we now know as black haircare.

Dr Maya Angelou has a way with words that is simply jawdropping; I still get lost in some of her poetry. Nelson Mandela, who has an unwavering belief in freedom for his people, was willing to give of himself for the betterment of a whole nation; I am still in awe of that man.

BHM: How important is it for you to know about your cultural history?

KR: I heard someone say, “If you don’t learn your history, you

are doomed to repeat it.” There are certain things in AfricanAmerican history I can’t imagine experiencing. I would never want to live through segregation or to be told that I can’t go to a certain place or use a certain facility. I can’t even wrap my mind around not being able to vote or read further. It’s important for us to know where we have come from so that we can appreciate where we are. My ancestors planted the shade trees I sit under and I will always be grateful for that.

BHM: Do you have any ambitions left?

KR: I want to live my life in such a way that in 20, 30 or 40 years time someone will use my name to answer questions like the ones you are asking me. I want someone to say, ‘I am inspired

by Kelly Rowland.’ I would be so honoured for someone to say, ‘because Kelly did that, I am able to do this.’ I want to continue to make music and movies that people love. I want to get married and have a family and be the kind of mother my mother and Ms Tina were. I want to leave a legacy, so that my children will smile when someone says my name. BHM Kelly Rowland releases her third solo studio album, ‘Here I Am’ on 6th November and new single ‘Down For Whatever’ on October 31st.

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WHAT’S ON

“The exhibition revisits a time when style was not just a ‘look’ but became an attitude - with a capital A”

Saving Grace Eighties icon Grace Jones is reappraised in the retro Style and Subversion exhibition at the V&A

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must-see for all Postmodernism fans, this exhibition examines one of the most contentious phenomena in 1970s and 80s design history.

The deliciously mad, bad world of Grace Jones is featured heavily throughout this Postmodern extravaganza because she embodied perfectly “po-mo” parody and wit, and above all, a newfound freedom in design. While many modernists

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considered style to be a mere sideshow to their utopian visions, for the postmodernists, style was everything.

The exhibition marks the time when style was not just a ‘look’ but became an attitude – with a capital A. The culture of hip-hop is also documented as quintessentially postmodern; defined by pastiche, sampling and fragmentation. And so the gallery features videos, album covers, turntables and

other vital hip-hop accessories from performers such as Neneh Cherry, Salt-N-Pepa, Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC and Afrika Bambaataa. BHM Postmodernism: Style and Subversion 1970 – 1990 is on at the V&A until 15 January 2012.

V&A South Kensington, London, SW7 2RL. Tel: 020 7942 2508. www.vam.ac.uk.

Healthy living, healthy heart Information for African Caribbean communities to help look after their heart and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease.

Includes facts, figures and useful tips.

To order your FREE copy • Call the BHF Orderline on 0870 600 6566 • Email orderline@bhf.org.uk • Visit bhf.org.uk /publications and quote the code G532

Resources to order or download

WHAT’S ON Left: Ayuba Suleiman Diallo (also known as Job ben Solomon) (1701-73), by William Hoare (c.170772), 1733. Copyright National Portrait Gallery

Picture

this

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s part of Black History Month the National Portrait Gallery is displaying the portrait of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo called Job ben Solomon (1701-73), 1733 by William Hoare of Bath (c.170772). This is the earliest known British oil portrait of a freed slave and the first portrait that honours a named African subject and Muslim.

The display is a collaboration between Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) and the National Portrait Gallery and has been judged by the Reviewing

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Committee on the Export of Works of Art to be of outstanding importance to the history and culture of Britain.

Ayuba Suleiman Diallo is an important figure in the history of Britain and its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. Highly educated and from a family of Muslim imams in Senegal, Diallo was taken into slavery and sent to work on a plantation in America.

By his own intelligence and ability, Diallo travelled to London in 1733 where he mixed with academic society, was introduced at Court and was bought out of slavery by

public subscription. Through the publication by Thomas Bluett of his Memoirs in 1734, Diallo had an important and lasting impact on an understanding of West African culture, black identity and the Islamic faith. This portrait depicts Diallo as a man of intelligence, character and compassion – providing rare insight into the emergence of understanding of different cultures in Britain during the Enlightenment. BHM National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, WC2H 0HE. Tel: 020 7306 0055. www.npg.org.uk

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WHAT’S ON

MOVIES AT THE MUSEUM

L

iverpool’s International Slavery Museum has launched a film club that will screen films and documentaries themed around the African Diaspora, Black Britain and human rights issues.

The museum will also hold a programme of free lectures debating a series of themes, including the importance of emerging cinema from new territories other than Hollywood.

The film club has examined a range of topics such as indie films from Ethiopia, Russia, Poland,

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Nigeria and Brazil. Forthcoming lectures will look at how the burgeoning creativity of such countries is so often overlooked by the mass market. This will be followed by the 2007 film Welcome to Nollywood about the explosion of movies made in Nigeria.

Dr Richard Benjamin, Head of the International Slavery Museum, says: “Film is a powerful medium and we are able to use this as a platform for debate, focusing on issues highlighted within the museum.”

Below: Different perspectives, US filmmaker Chaste Johnston-Lynch

Chase Johnston-Lynch, an American filmmaker who will host the lectures, says: “We will watch films made from around the world at different periods of history. We want people to enjoy the films but also take the opportunity to view things from different perspectives.”

BHM Find more details about the International Slavery Museum Film Club and programme of talks at: www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ events/film_club_events.aspx

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WHAT’S ON

Sea Stories

Below: Drunken Sailors, by John Locker, 1829 Bottom: Billy Waters, by Sir David Wilkie, circa 1815

The National Maritime Museum brings to life the tale of Billy Waters

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former Royal Navy Sailor, Billy Waters lost his leg falling from a topsail yardarm.

Following his accident he supplemented his naval pension by playing a violin outside the Adelphi theatre, London.

Like many former slaves he had fought for the British in the American Revolutionary War and in London worked hard all his life to support his wife and two children.

Although in public he was an entertainer, he was known to have a serious and powerful side to him.

His striking image was established by his African ancestry, a naval uniform, his violin and the addition of a feathered hat.

Waters was one of the estimated 10,000 people of African heritage who were making a living at this time in England and was depicted in William Thomas Moncrieff’s play Tom and Jerry, or Life in London (1821).

At the end of his life, Waters was held in high regard in his parish of St Giles because of his fame and resilience. He died in 1823 and was buried in St Pancras Cemetery, north London. BHM Until 31st October National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF. Tel: 020 8312 6608. www.nmm.ac.uk

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ISLAND to ISLAND

A stunning collection of photographs by Derek Smith and his son Tim document life across two generations in the Caribbean from 1950s to modern day

T

he Island to Island exhibition uses photographs and personal oral histories to explore the relationship between Britain, Dominica and Barbados.

The compelling images explore these two communities and show the unique identity that sets each island apart from its neighbours.

During the 1950s and 60s Derek Smith photographed life in the Caribbean while he worked for the British government’s Overseas Development Administration (ODA). Ever since the British first arrived in 1627, they used Barbados as their naval, military and administrative headquarters for the region. Disturbances across the British-governed West Indies during the 1930s forced the British government to set up a Royal

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Commission to investigate social conditions locally. Its findings, finally published after the Second World War, laid bare the shocking social and economic inequities at the time, and called for financial support from Britain.

British aid was used to improve health, education, transport and economic opportunities in the region. However, finding paid employment still proved difficult for many people. Most work was still in agriculture or fishing and this was a period when many West Indians left to seek better opportunities in Britain and elsewhere.

Having grown up in the Caribbean, Yorkshire-based photographer Tim Smith centres much of his work on exploring the links between Britain and

people in other parts of the world.

His prolific, yet sensitive work across the Caribbean encapsulates the heart of the region and has earned him widespread popularity and respect.

Tim’s passion as a photographer and writer has been showcased in eleven books which explore these stories including Coal, Frankincense and Myrrh: Yemen and British Yemenis, and The Grand Trunk Road: From Delhi to the Khyber Pass. BHM Island to Island – An exhibition of photographs - Dominica, Barbados & Britain – Tim Smith is on until 31 December 2011.

Redbridge Museum, Ilford Central Library, Ilford, IG1 1EA. Tel- 0208 708 2317 www.redbridge.gov.uk/ museum

WHAT’S ON

Top left: Fishing boats and traps pulled up on the beach at Soufriere in southern Dominica.

The Roman Catholic church of St Mark can be seen in the background Main left: View of Bathsheba, a village on the Atlantic coast of Barbados, taken during the 1960s.

The chattel houses seen here could be dismantled and taken from job to job by itinerant workers Top: Roadside scene in Dominica. Above: Hawkers selling their wares in Bridgetown, Barbados Right: View from Trafalgar Square down Broad Street, the main thoroughfare in the Barbadian capital

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Everyday People

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WHAT’S ON

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hotographer Tim Smith spent much of his childhood living abroad in the Caribbean and East Africa. His recent work explores British communities with origins in different parts of the world, and their stories of migration, settlement and identity. www.timsmithphotos.com

Clockwise from top left.

1. Barbadian Brownies watch a passing troupe of cheerleaders at the Holetown Festival, an annual celebration to mark the arrival of the British on the island in 1627.

2. Girl skipping outside Roseau’s former post office on the shore front. The building now houses the tourist information office and the Dominica Museum 3. Carol Buntin (left), a social worker for Southwark Council in London, chats with friends outside their ‘snackette’ in Grand Bay where she returns every year on holiday 4. Leslie Dorival, a former resident of West Bolling in Bradford, who has now retired to Soufriere 5. Aaron Francis, who used to live in Preston with his family, outside the church of St Gerard in his new home of St Joseph near Salisbury

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While performing jazz poetry in the 70s in New York coffee houses and jazz clubs, he was signed up by jazz producer Bob Thiele, head of the Impulse record label. Thiele had also recorded jazz greats such as John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Dizzy Gillespie.

Perhaps his biggest social anthem of all, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, written when he was just 18, cried out against our collective passivity. The lyrics remain as significant today as they were then: “You will not be able to stay home, brother/You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out/You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip/Skip out for beer during commercials/ Because the revolution will not be televised.”

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erformers in Birmingham will commemorate the life of musician, poet and political activist Gil ScottHeron, who died in May this year.

Gil Scott-Heron, selfproclaimed ‘Bluesologist’, always rejected the moniker “the Godfather of rap” which was bestowed on him by the R&B industry. He considered his style to have more complexity, more “musicality” and a more compelling message than many young rappers of his day.

Gil Scott-Heron was born in Chicago on 1 April 1949. He was named after his father, Gilbert Heron, a Jamaican who had settled in America, had spent his earlier life in the UK and in the 1950s had become the first black footballer to play for Scotland’s Glasgow Celtic.

The young Scott-Heron was greatly influenced by his maternal

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grandmother, who bought him a second-hand piano from a local funeral parlour and introduced him to the writings of the Harlem Renaissance novelist and poet Langston Hughes.

Message to the Messengers: Mi Revalueshanary Frenz A tribute to Gil Scott-Heron, Thu 27 Oct, 7.30pm, £5.

The Drum, 144 Potters Lane, Aston, Birmingham, B6 4UU. Tel: 0121 333 2444 Email: info@the-drum.org.uk

The Revolution Will Be Televised Remembering Gil Scott-Heron

A diverse workforce The role of the National Audit Office (NAO) is to audit the financial statements of all government departments and agencies, and many other public bodies. We also report to Parliament on the value for money with which these bodies have spent public money. As well as providing accountability to Parliament, we aim to bring about real improvements in the delivery of public services. The NAO is an organisation that sees difference and diversity as a positive strength and is committed to realising the business benefits of a diverse workforce.

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14/9/09 12:19:51

H

e’s HBO’s golden boy and, with a second series of Luther well underway, fans on both sides of the Atlantic can’t get enough of his acting skill.

Yet somehow it still seems like he’s only just begun. Sarah Mitchell tracked the busy man down to his LA home…

Idris Elba can look back and laugh at his first big break – a backstage hand in a local East End production of Jack and the Beanstalk, starring Danny Baker.

LA is his home now and his acting ability has earned him Emmy nominations, roles in hit HBO series, and household recognition in the UK. By his early twenties, Elba had appeared in a variety of lightweight television and theatre productions, including Absolutely Fabulous and Family Affairs. But the pickings for young, black actors in the UK were slim and by his mid-20s, thoroughly frustrated, he had uprooted and moved to New York in search of more challenging roles.

In 2002, having perfected an

Hollywood via Hackney You know you’ve really made it when you’re being touted as the next James Bond. Idris Elba, East London born and raised, remains hot, hot property in the land of the casting agents

26

INTERVIEW

“I live in LA but I would consider moving my business to East London, my whole production side the music, the movies set up.

It’s a great place for inspiration as an artist.”

American accent, he landed the role of a lifetime in hit US series The Wire. His portrayal of Stringer Bell, the drug dealer with a big vision and an even bigger plan – to wield real political power – won him instant international respect and praise.

An equally passsionate musician, producer and singer, Elba (DJ Big Driis) has yet to gain high-level recognition for his musical talent but has shared studio space with the best of them, including Sean Combs, Ludacris and Jay-Z. No stranger to compliments, Essence magazine recently voted him one of the “Top 10 hottest Men on the Planet” and the African-American glitterati have rapidly embraced him as one of their own.

Born of a Ghanaian mother and Sierra Leonean father, Elba was married and divorced by his mid-twenties, and according to the gossip columns is now ‘dating’.

(We leave it there. The guy likes his privacy.) Suffice it to say, he has a young daughter in the States by his ex-wife, Liberian actress Dormowa Sherman.

Idris Elba spoke to BHM from LA… Significant career breaks?

I was asked to be a backstage hand when I was 16 years old; Danny Baker was starring in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Barking Theatre. My next break was a performing arts course at the National Youth Music Theatre. And the third was, I guess, The Wire – much later – which gave me my biggest career break.

Hackney or LA? I live in LA but I would consider moving my business to East London, my whole production side, the music, the movies set up.

It’s a great place for inspiration as an artist.

Most admired figure?

I went to the World Cup and I got a chance to revisit Nelson Mandela’s history and what he stood up for and achieved as an activist. It is amazing. I take my hat off to him this Black History Month.

Voted: “One of the Top 10 Hottest Men on the Planet”. Any Comment?

No comment. There are millions of human beings on this plant so it is impossible to judge!

Playing Luther?

I’m really excited about it and I love playing him. I don’t write the script but I have some input into how Luther would react to certain situations and which direction he would go in.

Favourite motto?

Born alone, die alone. BHM

27

An Actor’s Life for

ME

28

INTERVIEW

Holby City fan or not - you should soon be hearing more about Jimmy Akingbola. Since his early school days he knew acting was all he wanted to do. A downright hardworker, the inevitable lean, mean times of an actor’s lot have not deterred him and he remains committed to his childhood calling.

Lawrence McDonald posed the questions…..

Earliest route into acting?

Whenever I’m asked this question I remember three things which make me grin. First is watching Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin films with my brothers. Second is going to see The Posse at Theatre Royal, Stratford East. This was an all male company full of fantastic actors like Robbie Gee, Roger Griffiths, Gary Macdonald, Victor Romeo Evans, Michael Buffong, Eddie Nestor. As a teenager I admired them all and have had the honour of working with them over the past ten years. The other is as a shy school kid I found myself enjoying drama, because I could make people laugh. My drama teacher would take me out of lessons to help with other groups in the school. It was then I knew I wanted to be an actor for the rest of my life.

How hard has it been?

Acting is difficult to succeed in and yes, I have found it very hard at times. After I did my first film Anansi (2001) with Naomi Harris, I didn’t work again for almost a year.

I assumed things would go from strength to strength, however work just stopped coming in.

When you’re an actor all you want to do is act. You need a lot of luck plus the work ethic, talent and mindset to take advantage of the luck. I’m still riding my luck train and getting away with it!

Do you yearn to go to USA? If you’re an actor or a doctor or a footballer.....you want to be the best that you can be and work at the highest level. Going to America is important to me. Also, whilst things have moved forward in the UK for black actors, there’s still is an obvious difference when you look at the parts available for black actors in America.

Most challenging role to date?

I think Holby City’s Malick is one of the most challenging roles I’ve played. Malick for me is mixture of Omar from The Wire and Dr Pratt from E.R. He is a fantastic character to play; he has lots of layers. Learning how to be a doctor, how to say all the medical jargon and knowing how to stitch up organs is very testing indeed!

One of the reasons I wanted to play Malick was to challenge attitudes towards homosexuality, especially in the black community.

And then there’s making it all look authentic and playing a convincing gay guy on prime time TV, yep I’d say that’s challenging!

Any advice your parents gave you which you never listened to but wished you had?

I was always told to “Think before you do anything “and “Don’t have regrets, do the things you want to do”. BHM

“I think Holby City’s Malick is one of the most challenging roles I’ve played to date. Malick for me is mixture of Omar from The Wire and Dr Pratt from E.R. He is a fantastic character to play, he has lots of layers.”

What is the first thing you would do if you were made Prime Minister?

I would stop reality TV programs and request more quality dramas and comedies. Also, I’d reinvest money back into the arts and slash student fees to a resonable rate.

29

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Reggae poet Linton Kwesi Johnson is one of the 37,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK every year. Linton’s early diagnosis in April last year was made possible because he was aware of the disease and spoke to his GP, which gave him the best chance of being successfully treated. Now, he is urging other African Caribbean men to start thinking about their health too.

Linton, 59, first heard about prostate cancer ten years ago when his friend was diagnosed. He didn’t know that in the UK, African Caribbean men are three times more likely to develop prostate cancer than white men of the same age. It wasn’t until he had to attend regular appointments for his own treatment that he really understood the impact the disease has on this community.

“I was sitting in the hospital one day and I saw this guy walk in that I knew from my school days and I said, “What are you doing here?” He said, “Well, my doctor told me to come and have some tests for prostate cancer.” Another time I was visiting the clinic, I saw a guy who lives around the corner, again I said, “What are you doing here?” He said, “Oh, I had the prostate.” He didn’t even use the word ‘cancer’.

“I was hearing stories all over the place about people having prostate cancer, so clearly it is something very common amongst black men of my age, and so it makes sense for anyone who falls into this group to take action and have a chat with their doctor if they are concerned about prostate cancer.”

30

26/09/2011 13:49:02

For

King &Country

The Imperial War Museum delves into its archives to reveal the African and Caribbean contribution to Britain’s armed forces

Left: Advert appealing to the West Indies to ‘Work for Victory’ Right: Flying Officer Gilbert Fairweather

32

WHAT’S ON

33

WHAT’Son...

ON What’s

Above: Commonwealth Service Women.

Right: A Caribbean soldier bids farewell to his wife and baby, in the town of Arima, Trinidad.

Opposite page: Advert to Jamaicans.

Opposite page bottom: Trinidad units of the South Caribbean Force undergoing bayonet practice at a training camp

34

WHAT’S ON For King and Country?

8 - 9 & 15 - 16 October 2011 11.00am – 12.30pm and 2.00pm – 4.00pm, free Objects from the First World War Collection relating to personal stories of black soldiers who fought for the British Empire on the Western Front and in Palestine. This session will allow visitors to explore familiar themes and less wellknown stories from this global conflict.

For King and Country?

Black troops in the British Imperial Armed Forces 8 October 2011 12.30pm – 2.00pm, free Many people are surprised that there were Jamaican Spitfire pilots in the Second World War. In fact, the African/ Caribbean presence in Britain’s Imperial forces goes back much further. This presentation will explore this often hidden history and includes filmed interviews with First World War Jamaican veterans, the role of the British West Indies Regiment in Palestine and that of African troops in Burma during the Second World War. In association with Tony Warner, Black History Walks. www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk.

Mother Country 15 October 2011 12.30pm – 2.00pm, free Stephen Bourne’s Mother Country: Britain’s Black Community on the Home Front 1939-45 unearths a ‘hidden history’ of Britain and the Second World War. Stephen’s illustrated talk will highlight some of the forgotten Britons he features in the book, such as evacuees, singer Adelaide Hall, bandleader Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson (who was killed in an air raid in London), BBC broadcaster Una Marson, and senior citizens remembering the home front in African and the Caribbean.

Imperial War Museum London, Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HZ. Tel: 020 7416 5320. www.iwm.org.uk

35

All Action Hero A

de Adeptian was never one to sit and watch the grass grow. Not only has he forged a successful career as a TV presenter, he is also a keen sportsman, competing at Olympic level, a try-anythingonce traveller and a soughtafter motivational speaker.

Having survived polio as a youngster, Ade excelled at sports, and represented Great Britain at the Olympics and at international level. Since retiring from the sporting arena, his new passions are golf, tennis and skiing.

Ade is a high-profile, enthusiastic Ambassador for the London 2012 Olympics and was an integral part of the delegation that went to Singapore securing the bid.

As part of his TV presenting work, he has travelled the world, exploring South American rainforests, scuba diving in Mexico, skiing in Canada and swimming with sharks in Australia.

BHM found out what drives the unstoppable Ade.

football was always my first love and I desperately wanted to play football for England. Then at 14 I started playing wheelchair basketball, and that’s when winning a paralympic medal became my focus.

Childhood ambition?

I wanted to do so many things when I was growing up but

Three words to describe yourself?

Focused, warm, adventurous.

36

Where now with your TV career?

I would like to present a travel show with a difference or a sports chat show. I’d love to travel and compete in unsual sports from other countries. I always loved sport, the competition and motivation. When I watched the LA Olympics I wanted to be the best that I could and to be one of the best athletes in the world. People like Daley Thompson, Sebastian Coe, Michael Jordan were definite role models and serious heroes for me.

I’ve always been an extreme sports fan and when I was a kid and had use of my legs, one of the best presents I got was a BMX bike, so I’d love to see the BMX events at the Olympics and also, of course, the basketball.

Image: Ellis Farrinder copyright of Invacare

INTERVIEW

Top hero and why?

Nelson Mandela. His strength of character is inspirational. To be able to forgive so much after enduring so much injustice is astonishing. If there were more people in positions of power that followed his example, the world would be a better place.

You are a motivational speaker – what motivates you?

Life motivates me every day. I see lots of things that excite me; it might be watching an amazing piece of sport or it could be seeing my mother working so hard.

Or even the people who have supported me throughout my career. All of these things motivate and inspire me to keep striving to be successful and to share my success.

Longterm plan?

I want to be hosting my own TV or radio show, and I want to be married with kids. BHM

“Life motivates me every day. I see lots of things that excite me, it might be watching an amazing piece of sport or it could be seeing my mother working so hard. Or even the people who have supported me throughout my career.“

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37

OLYMPIC PROMOTION

Going for Gold London 2012’s big ambition is to “create the most accessible and participative Games” yet. Here are two of Team GB’s young hopefuls who have earned their place on next year’s Olympic stage Anyika Onuora Athlete ANYIKA SPECIALISES IN THE 100M AND 200M SPRINTS AS WELL AS THE 4 X 100 METRE RELAY What is your sporting ambition?

To win Olympic gold in London 2012.

What was your inspiration to take up your sport?

I was a fan of athletics so I was encouraged to take up track and field through my P.E school teacher.

What are your interests outside of sport?

I like to spend a lot of time reading, especially when I am travelling, and I also do some coaching with children, teaching them about the sport and sprinting. I’m also a huge fan of Liverpool FC as well as the LA Lakers.

In your mind, what’s the most memorable moment of past Olympics/Paralympics?

Watching Christine Ohuruogu win 38

Olympic Gold in Beijing 2008.

What three words best describe you?

Competitive, powerful, crazy.

Who should light the flame for London 2012?

Christine Ohuruogu.

If you were a character from a film, who would you be and why?

Superwoman as I would be the most powerful woman on the earth and help save people along the way!

Leon Rattigan Freestyle Wrestling LEON WAS CROWNED 2008/2009 GB WRESTLER OF THE YEAR AND WON A BRONZE MEDAL AT THE 2010 COMMONWEALTH GAMES What is your sporting ambition?

I hope to keep improving and win a medal in the London 2012 Olympics.

What was your inspiration to take up your sport?

My coach saw my physique and knew I could be a good wrestler.

He told me to give it a go and I have been wrestling ever since.

What are your interests outside of sport?

I like to read, watch films at the cinema and spend time with friends and family.

In your mind, what’s the most memorable moment of past Olympics/Paralympics?

For me it was when I was in the stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympics and the USA 55kg wrestler won the gold medal. It told me it doesn’t matter where you are from in the world it’s how hard you work.

What three words best describe you?

Honest, hard-working, determined.

Who should light the flame for London 2012?

It should be Kelly Holmes, but if it was a non-British athlete I would have to go with Usain Bolt.

If you were a character from a film, who would you be and why?

The Hulk because I’m big and strong and enjoy throwing people around.

MEET HERTFORDSHIRE CONSTABULARY’S SPECIALS… Acting Special Inspector Toby Dutt has served in Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Special Constabulary for 11 years. He tells us why he’s made the commitment alongside his day job as a Clinical Injury and Rehabilitation Physiologist in the Force’s Occupational Health Unit.

“I initially joined to get a feel for a career in the police force after university. I wanted to be part of a team which helps provide a safe environment for members of the public.”

“We are very lucky in Hertfordshire as one of the country’s leading police forces and one of the country’s best Special Constabulary’s – and I feel very lucky to be part of this team of volunteers.”

“I assist our regular colleagues as an extra resource by using my experience and initiative. In return, I gain self development, confidence and learn to take on challenges using my initiative.”

“Juggling ‘work life balance’ can be difficult, but it is a very rewarding career. I manage to effectively balance my day job with a part time private practice and run a karate club as well as being an acting Special Inspector.”

“I would absolutely recommend joining the Special Constabulary. Each shift is so different, from dealing with public order incidents, assisting in drug raids, to seizing vehicles which may be uninsured and illegally driven. It is very rewarding to be part of such a high-achieving organisation.”

Meet one of Hertfordshire Constabulary’s youngest Special Constables Hussain Skoien. At 19 years old he has almost completed his first year with the force. He explains why he’s dedicated to a career with the police.

“I decided to join the Special Constabulary as I had been a victim of crime and was really inspired by the officer who supported me. My grandfather was also a police officer in Pakistan and I have always wanted to follow in his footsteps.”

“Becoming a Special has given me a real insight into working for the police. I work alongside regular officers and get to experience a broad range of their duties. This experience has helped me decide that I would eventually like to become a regular police officer. “ “I have been made to feel so welcome, specials are an invaluable resource and you are seen as a really important part of the team.”

Hussain speaks Punjabi, Urdu, Norwegian and Arabic as well as English. He said: “My language skills have really come into use and I’ve been able to help colleagues when the situation has demanded it.”

“I’ve gained such valuable life experience though dealing with incidents that ordinary members of the public wouldn’t encounter in their lifetime. It’s such a confidence boost.”

“For anyone who is thinking about becoming a Special, I can thoroughly recommend it, no matter what age you are. If you are thinking about it, just go for it.”

If you are interesting in joining you must be aged at least 18, in general good health and be able to spare a minimum of 16 hours a month.

For further details, please log on to www.herts.police.uk/specials or call our recruitment number 0800 358 3990.

39

FOSTERING & ADOPTION

Finding

Families

The British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) celebrates Black History Month by shining the spotlight on two people who, through adoption, have contributed to the lives of black children who are unable to live with their birth families.

H

udson is of AfricanCaribbean and AfricanAmerican heritage. He lives in the Midlands with his wife Sally and their three children, Rheis, Jasmine and Leo. “I always thought adoption was a superb idea. It was something that I’d always wanted to do.

Whenever I thought of families, I’d had this idea that some part of my family would be adopted. I think it has something to do with upbringing: my mother would always take on other people’s children, for weeks or months or whatever. They are grown adults now who still refer to her as ‘Mum’ or ‘Ma’ because of the impact she has had on them over the years.”

The couple gave a lot of thought to the child they felt they would be able to offer a home to.

“We have a mixed-race relationship and we had already had our first birth child, Rheis, so we definitely wanted to adopt a mixed-race child. We felt we could care for, give a home to and love a black, African-Caribbean child or an Asian child. For me the issue was the best use of my family as a resource.”

The search for black families to adopt and foster was first

40

recorded in Britain by a black social worker, E.R. Braithwaite in his book the Paid Servant (1962). It was followed by the first targeted campaign to recruit black adopters, the Soul Kids (1975), which demonstrated that such initiatives can be successful in recruiting adopters from black communities.

Single people have the right to adopt and the evidence is clear that this works out well. Linda, 35, was brought up in Barbados and now lives in Hertfordshire with her daughter Natalie. One day on a holiday flight, Linda made a list of the things she wanted to do before she died and the seventh thing she wrote down was ‘I want to be a mum’. I started thinking seriously about adoption when my marriage ended quite unexpectedly. Before we got married we had a two-minute conversation along the lines of ‘So, do you think we’ll have kids one day?’; ‘Yeah.’ So I thought we were going to have kids...

“I always had a very positive view of adoption. I grew up in Barbados with my grandmother who used to do respite foster care, so I got used to children

coming to stay. I decided I wanted to go ahead, was given lots of information and remember running around the living room feeling, ‘Wow, they think I’d be OK!’ ” Linda was finally matched with Natalie, who was living with her foster mum. She says, “Her foster mum is the most wonderful woman. She had fostered 40 children and it was obvious that my daughter was very much part of the family and really loved. My first impression of Natalie was this little ball of energy. I couldn’t believe it was actually happening, that she was going to come home and live with me. I would encourage anyone to adopt, but you need resilience and support to get through the assessment process.”

Research shows that for most adopted children the advantages that this brings them are lifelong, whatever early difficulties they may have encountered. Black History Month offers BAAF an opportunity to give voice to the motivation, strengths and benefits of a wide group of black adopters.

(Quoted from Massiah, H, (2005), Looking After Our Own, BAAF).

Can Isaac talk his way Isaac talk his way into your heart?

your heart?

Isaac is 5 and has blossomed living with his great grandmother who he calls “nanny” but due to her advancing age she is no longer able to look after him.

Nanny, who will remain in good contact with Isaac, describes him as a happy,

has blossomed living his great grandmother who callsand chatty, energetic and with affectionate child, who smiles everyday.

He ishe sociable ue to her advancing age shequiet is no longer able to look after contented but can be shy and too.

He enjoys outdoor activities like him. going to the park, climbing and riding his bike. He also likes to draw, play with his train

Produced by Hackney Design, Communications & Print • February 2011 • PJ43723

ll remain in good contact with Isaac, describes him as a happy, set and Nintendo DS game. tic andIsaac affectionate child, who smiles everyday.

He needs is sociable and is Black British of Caribbean, of Jamaican origin and a permanent to reflect his cultural background, either in aactivities one or two parent family can befamily shy and quiet too. He enjoys outdoor like going where he could be the youngest child. mbing and riding his bike. He also likes to draw, play with his train do DS Could game. YOU be his forever family?

British of Caribbean, of Jamaican origin and needs a permanent For further information please contact Ruth Montoute on 020 8356 6318 ct his cultural background, either in a one or two parent family or email ruth.valentine-montoute@hackney.gov.uk London Borough d be the youngest child.of Hackney, 1 Hillman Street, E8 1DY

U be his forever family?

41

FOSTERING & ADOPTION

Adoption and Fostering Journal, BAAF)

Foster Carers in the

‘Big Society’ Too little attention is given to foster care today, yet black foster carers have been providing children in the public care system with a second chance in life

Y

vonne is an AfricanCaribbean foster carer who looks after her two teenage foster daughters, Pauline and Carmen. Her interest in fostering was sparked by her birth daughter, who read an article about the need for black foster carers in a newspaper.

Yvonne says: “As a black parent I wanted to share my sense of confidence and pride in my heritage with my foster daughters, just as I had done with my birth daughter. I think what clinched it was a trip to see my family in Jamaica and the young people then saw me not in isolation but as part of a family unit.”

“As I began living with Pauline and Carmen, I realised that Carmen’s relationship with her father was poor and she desperately needed a mother figure. Pauline on the other hand was able to respond more easily to physical affection. Both the girls learned that it is possible to disagree and still remain friends.

Carmen once said, ‘argument is

42

good for the soul!’.”

“My birth daughter knows a lot about her background and we have ‘black’ books in the home and love all kinds of food, including rice and peas and roast dinners, too. So I was very surprised to hear Carmen use derogatory terms like ‘half-caste’. I made her look the word up in the dictionary and we discussed its meaning. Pauline too had negative views about her racial identity until she decided to trace her father and now she keeps in touch with her grandmother, too.

I also helped Carmen to make contact with her brothers and sisters and this is very important to her.”

Helping Carmen and Pauline to settle into her family means a lot to Yvonne. She knows that one day the girls might want to live independently and manage their own lives, but she hopes they will always remember they have a family for life.

(Adapted from Rashid (2000) The strengths of black families,

M

ariyam, a single woman who describes herself as being of Kenyan parentage, decided to foster in her mid forties. She initially found it challenging to help her mixed-heritage daughter, Rhianna develop a sense of her own identity.

Mariyam grew up in a large family and gave a lot of thought to fostering before making an application. “I grew up with a strong sense of who I am, and I have done quite a lot of thinking and reading about this. I used to say I am Kenyan but now I say I am British of Kenyan parentage.

I also identify myself as African.

Having my parents rooted in their own culture gave me something to build on, so I feel comfortable about who I am and where I fit in the world.”

The other thing Mariyam wanted to share with a child was the sense of “solidity and security” she’d experienced in her own family. She felt that unlike her parents who came to this country in the 60s and weren’t able to use their skills to the full in the jobs they took – she had opportunities to fulfil her potential in her career, with a sense of a supportive family behind her. She wanted to help a child have the same chance to reach their full potential – whatever that might be.

Yvonne and Mariyam’s stories are a good example of commitment, determination and skill. The contribution that foster carers make to the lives of children in the public care system and the ‘Big Society’ is immense.

(Adapted from the original feature in Be My Parent (March, 2006) BAAF)

Could you adopt a family of three children?

www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/adoption

tel: 01908 253654

Would you be able to give 3 children a safe and loving home?

Vincentia is 6 years old. She is a fun and happy child with a wonderful sense of fun and adventure. She enjoys school and is doing well in her lessons, especially reading. She likes singing and dancing and watching Hannah Montana.

The Foster Carer reports that Vincentia is a pleasure to care for. She is a sociable child who likes being creative and artistic. She can be very helpful with her younger siblings but does also, at times, have a typical sibling relationship with them!

Gilbert is 3 years old. He is an endearing happy child who seeks affection and reassurance from his carers. He has a good sense of humour and laughs out loud when watching Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder.

The carers report that Gilbert is responding well to stimulation. Gilbert attends nursery 3 days per week which he thoroughly enjoys. Gilbert has just learnt to draw faces and is keen to demonstrate his new creative skills.

Gilberta is 3 years old. She is a vibrant, rewarding child who enjoys her life. Gilberta enjoys watching Peppa Pig and Dora the Explorer. She enjoys helping around the home and playing board games with her foster carers.

Vincentia, Gilbert and Gilberta are Ghanian and full siblings who need to be placed together with a two parent adoptive family. Their early life experiences were often chaotic and neglectful so routine and predictability are key to their day-to-day lives.

During the time the children have lived in foster care, their personalities and skills have bloomed. The children thrive on the care, stimulation and fun that their foster carers offer them.

If you feel that you may be suitable to care for these three rewarding children, please contact Julia Carrigan on 01908 253505, email julia.carrigan@milton-keynes.gov.uk To contact the Adoption Duty desk, please call 01908 253654 or email: adoptionduty@milton-keynes.gov.uk

It’s ability, not disability that counts 43

FOSTERING & ADOPTION

Adoption Champions

& National Adoption Week

A

doptive parents often say that they had never considered adoption until a chance conversation on the subject with a colleague, distant relative or neighbour. The power of seeing and hearing what an amazing thing adoption can be, from someone who has been through it, can be life changing. This is where the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF)’s initiative ‘Adoption Champions’ comes in.

Adoption Champions is a national community involvement

Shegun and Seyi Olusanya: Adoption Champions

44

scheme that encourages adoptive parents and adopted people to go into their local communities and use their experience, passion and enthusiasm for adoption to persuade others to do the same. The initiative, which was launched in 2010, now has over 200 Adoption Champions who are spreading the word about adoption helping to find families for some of the 4,000 children who need adopting every year in the UK. An estimated one in four people has a connection to adoption, so whether someone

is 18 or 80, if they have had a positive experience of adoption they could have the power to make a difference.

Some of the children who wait longest for adoption are those from black and ethnic minority communities. So BAAF were thrilled when Shegun and his wife Seyi, who adopted a little boy in 2005, were among the first people to sign up as Adoption Champions.

“Adopting Joshua has brought so much joy to our lives and, as Adoption Champions, we hope we can encourage others to consider adoption by sharing our experiences.” explains Shegun.

“We believe that it is so important for people to hear, not only how rewarding it is to adopt a child, but also to have the opportunity to ask questions of someone who has first-hand experience”.

The couple have been busy throughout the year holding talks at their local churches, and

With your support he can achieve his goals Islington urgently needs foster carers to look after children of all ages.

You don’t need qualifications but you do need to be good with children and be able to keep them healthy and safe.

Islington foster carers:

• • • •

can live in a rented or owned home in or near Islington can be couples or single people receive training and 24-hour support receive generous allowances.

To find out more about fostering and our next information session, call free now and take the first step towards making a real difference to a child’s life.

0800 073 0428 or email us at fostering@islington.gov.uk

www.islington.gov.uk/fostering

FOSTERING & ADOPTION for this year’s National Adoption Week (31 Oct–6 Nov) the couple are planning an event at one of the largest churches in London.

Not everyone will have the time and resources to do as much as Shegun and Seyi, so BAAF has tried to make the Adoption Champions scheme as straightforward as possible by creating a range of tasks to help spread awareness. For those wanting to get more involved, a toolkit has been created to help the Champions to set up events.

This includes how-to guides, posters, balloons and leaflets.

There is also a special website for Adoption Champions where they can share tips and chat with other Champions across the UK. It’s free, it’s fun and most importantly, it all helps children waiting for adoption.

Anyone over 18 with experience of adoption can sign up to the scheme. If someone hasn’t got a personal connection,

but would like to get involved, they can still help to promote adoption by putting up a poster or mentioning National Adoption Week on their social media pages.

BAAF is encouraging people to carry out their actions during National Adoption Week so that everyone can all make a big noise together.

There are no blanket bans in adoption – you don’t have to be under 40, own your own home or be married. The people who are needed are those who can offer a child or sibling group a loving and supportive family for life – people who can help a child recover from the reasons why they came in to the care system and can help them go on to thrive in a new family. By sharing their experiences, the Adoption Champions can help spread this message to potential adopters, who might think they would automatically be ruled out.

David Holmes, Chief Executive

of BAAF, says “It is a sad fact that some children are simply unable to remain with their birth family, because of neglect, abuse or perhaps just because their parents are unable to cope. Adoption is one of the best ways we know of giving these children a new family for life. Children with lots of different types of early life experiences may need adopting.

Some of them have had traumatic experiences, others have learning difficulties or health problems and it’s crucial that loving and permanent families are found for them.”

To find out more about adoption, the Adoption Champions scheme, and how you can get involved, visit www.nationaladoptionweek. org.uk

(Adapted from the original feature in Be My Parent (March, 2006) BAAF) feature in Be My Parent (March, 2006) BAAF)

Permanent Rewarding, life changing and lots of fun!

We are looking for families who have lots of energy, time, commitment and fun to offer our children needing permanent foster and adoptive families. We are particularly interested in hearing from you for children who are: • over the age of five • from different racial and religious backgrounds, in particular black children and children from dual heritage backgrounds

46

• part of a sibling group and need to live together • disabled and children whose future development is unclear • from families where there had been abuse and neglect • needing to keep in contact with their families.

If you feel you would like to learn more about Adopting or Permanent Fostering with Hammersmith & Fulham Council then please call our free phone 0800 781 2332

Create a family,

Adopt

Sign up for an information session

www.haringey.gov.uk/adopt www.haringey.gov.uk

Since Getty Images was founded in 1995 it has amassed over 80 million images, including collections of rarely seen photographs which capture key moments in history.

Sarah McDonald, Curator of the Hulton Archives, explains the Getty ethos

Go Getty Top: Immigrants from Jamaica at Gatwick Airport, 1962 (Photo by KeystoneFrance/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images) Right: West Indians arriving at Plymouth Station, 21 June 1959. ‘Some of the 700 West Indian immigrants who arrived at Plymouth station today’. Photograph

by Eyees. (Photo by Daily Herald Archive/ SSPL/Getty Images) 48

When and why was Getty images founded?

Getty Images was founded in 1995, by Mark Getty and Jonathan Klein, with the aim of turning a disjointed and fragmented stock photography market into a thriving, modernised industry to meet the changing needs of the visual communications industry.

How far back does the earliest photo in the collection date?

Our earliest photo is a salt print from the 1840s and we hold a large number of rare photographs and series from the 1850s, including salt prints, daguerreotypes and albumen prints by some of the nineteenth century’s noted practitioners.

However, we also have original works on paper that date to the 16th and 17th centuries.

How many images does Getty hold in its entire collection?

The Hulton Archive has an estimated 80 million images –

with potential access to another 30 million via our image partner network.

In relation to black history, what do you consider to be some of the most treasured images/ collections Getty holds?

Where to start! We have a rare image by Camille Silvy from 1862 of Sarah Forbes Bonetta. Sarah, a West African princess, was bought

by Captain Frederick E. Forbes of the Royal Navy and presented to Queen Victoria as a child. We also have exclusive coverage of Tiger Bay in Cardiff by Bert Hardy for Picture Post magazine, as well as coverage of immigrants from the Windrush era. Another collection we have is of the Watts race riots in the US and Meredith Mississippi March and KKK all by Harry Benson CBE. Our content is so extensive we’ve produced two comprehensive photographic history books on Black Britain and Black America respectively. BHM

ARCHIVES

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FEATURE

Black History Month On The Africa Channel This October, The Africa Channel, on SKY 268, will be marking Black History Month with a selection of inspiring, enlightening and influential programming focussed around the people and events that have helped shape history.

The Africa Channel is the first global TV channel inspired by Africa. We carry a broad range of programming from drama to sport, music to news. We enjoy a diverse and multicultural audience both in the UK and the USA – a testament to how positively the world is changing.

We have focussed our Black History Month programming to reflect the diversity of contemporary Africa itself. From a wide selection, we have highlighted here some of the most impactful that mark out critical historic moments and inspiring human stories from the 17th Century through to the 21st.

Topics range from the 1885 Berlin Conference (BERLIN 1885: THE DIVISION OF AFRICA), which divided Africa and shaped its future, through to RFK IN THE LAND OF APARTHEID, which tells the little known story of Robert F Kennedy’s visit to Apartheid South Africa. POP ISLAM follows a young Egyptian entrepreneur’s journey to set up the first Islamic music channel in 1999.

With never-before-seen archive footage RFK IN THE LAND OF APARTHEID reports on JFK’s brother who left a legacy that can still be felt today amongst the legion of black South Africans who declare “My name is Kennedy”. RFK risked the complete destruction of his political career by meeting and

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Documentary SHARPEVILLE ECHOES looks at a much more recent chapter of Africa’s story. It features interviews with survivors of the massacre that changed the course of South Africa’s vicious Apartheid history in the then little-known town of Sharpeville. The thoughtprovoking documentary was made in 2010 – on the event’s 50th anniversary and in the shadow of the South African World Cup.

Top: Projek Mandela.

Above: RFK in the Land of Apartheid: A Ripple of Hope forging a friendship with Chief Luthuli, one of Africa’s great leaders forced into exile by the Suppression of Communism Act. His actions resulted in the mobilisation of American opinion about Apartheid in South Africa in the 60’s and was to become one of the most positive contributions made by the West to the troubled continent.

From pivotal moments in contemporary popular culture to historical turning points, we will be covering centuries of African history and events. Amongst the hard-hitting programmes to be screened by The Africa Channel is CONGO: WHITE KING, BLACK RUBBER, RED DEATH – a documentary denounced by the Belgian government for its portrayal of King Leopold II of Belgium as the “moral forbear of Adolf Hitler”, we chronicle one of the first Human Rights movement spurred by the Congo’s brutal gulags where 10 million Africans died as a result of one man’s rapacious exploits.

Stepping yet closer to present day and signalling a turn from political oppression to political discourse, KOFI ANNAN: THE SUSPENDED DREAM tells the story of the UN Secretary General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In the programme, Annan discusses the often contentious issues he was involved with in his two terms at the United Nations. We also reveal this very public figure’s dreams as he took office, as well as the key moments in his childhood, set against historical events, that shaped his life.

At The Africa Channel, we recognise the need to tell these stories time and again. Only by understanding history do we forge a better future.

www.theafricachannel.co.uk

Black History Month on The Africa Channel, during October, every Wed and Sun from 9pm on Sky 268

TEACH UK TEACHERS’ PACK

BHM Teacher’s Resource Order now! BHM (The Official Guide to Black History Month) 2011 Teachers’ Pack Talent Media produces BHM (The Official Guide to Black History Month) Teachers’ Pack.

We supply to: • Primary Schools • Secondary Schools • Local Authorities • Youth Groups • Saturday Schools Black History Month Teachers’ Packs Content The Teachers’ Packs are linked to the National Curriculum Key Stage 2 and 3 in consultation with the Historical Association.

Key Stage 2 Black Presence in the Tudor Times Britain since 1948 – The Windrush Generation Britain since 1948 – The Black British Experience Key Stage 3 Britain 1750-1900 European Study before 1914 Britain since 1948 – The Windrush Generation Britain since 1948 – The Black British Experience Each Teachers’ Pack includes: • Laminated, colour worksheets • 2 Full-colour posters • DVD

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THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Black History Month Teacher’s Pack

Linked to National Curricululm - Key Stage 2 Did you know that by the 1760’s there could have been between 10,000 -15,000 Black people in London alone. Although in Victorian Britain, most of the black population had arrived enslaved, many individuals gained success in areas such as arts, literature, commerce and contributed greatly to Britain’s wealth, culture and heritage and we’ll tell some of those stories.

WANT TO TEACH BLACK HISTORY BUT DON’T KNOW HOW TO OR WHERE TO GET RESOURCES? SUGAR MEDIA, publishers of THE OFFICIAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH MAGAZINE have produced a unique and high quality pack which enables teachers to; - Integrate and incorporate Black History across the year and curriculum - Teach multicultural inclusive history - Work within The National Curriculum Inclusion and Diversity Statement to: - Plan work that builds on the interests and cultural experiences of pupils - Use materials which reflect social and cultural diversity and provide positive images of race, gender and disability - Reveal hidden histories of Black people - Inform students why Black History Month (UK) has been celebrated every October for over 30 years - Share Britain’s joint history and heritage

CONTENT - High quality teacher’s pack that can be kept and used as a resource year after year and built on each year

KEY STAGE 2 Black Presence in Tudor Times Pic copyright College of Arms

- Detailed lesson plans for Key stage 2

Britain since 1948 - The Windrush Generation

- Teacher’s notes, structured discussions and activities - A4 laminated full colour worksheets, little need to photocopy - Full colour glossy poster

Britain since 1948 - The Black British Experience

- DVD with 3 films - Copy of BHM 2008 (Official Black History Month magazine)

Pic copyright Leanne Harris

ONLY £19.99 + P&P PER PACK

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8/9/08 12:40:53

THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Black History Month Teacher’s Pack

Linked to National Curricululm - Key Stage 3 Did you know that by the 1760’s there could have been between 10,000 -15,000 Black people in London alone. Although in Victorian Britain, most of the black population had arrived enslaved, many individuals gained success in areas such as arts, literature, commerce and contributed greatly to Britain’s wealth, culture and heritage and we’ll tell some of those stories.

WANT TO TEACH BLACK HISTORY BUT DON’T KNOW HOW TO OR WHERE TO GET RESOURCES? SUGAR MEDIA, publishers of THE OFFICIAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH MAGAZINE have produced a unique and high quality pack which enables teachers to; - Integrate and incorporate Black History across the year and curriculum - Teach multicultural inclusive history - Work within The National Curriculum Inclusion and Diversity Statement to: - Plan work that builds on the interests and cultural experiences of pupils - Use materials which reflect social and cultural diversity and provide positive images of race, gender and disability - Reveal hidden histories of Black people - Inform students why Black History Month (UK) has been celebrated every October for over 30 years - Share Britain’s joint history and heritage

CONTENT - High quality teacher’s pack that can be kept and used as a resource year after year and built on each year

KEY STAGE 3 The Life of Sarah Forbes Bonetta Davies Pic courtesy of National Portrait Gallery

- 4 detailed lesson plans for Key stage 3 on hidden historical figures including Jean Baptiste Belley and Sarah Bonetta Forbes Davies - Teacher’s notes, structured discussions and activities - A4 laminated full colour worksheets, little need to photocopy - Full colour glossy poster - DVD with 5 films Filmed interview with a curator from the National Portrait Gallery - Copy of BHM 2008 (Official Black History Month magazine)

From Slavery to Equality Jean Baptiste Belley Pic copyright PhotoRMNI © Gerard Blot

Britain since 1948 - The Windrush Generation

Britain since 1948 - The Black British Experience Pic copyright Leanne Harris

ONLY £19.99 + P&P PER PACK

Sugar Media Ltd isabel@sugarmedia.co.uk

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BHM (The Official Guide to Black History Month) www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk Now in its 12th year of publication, BHM (The Official Guide to Black History Month) is the definitive guide to this annual celebration of BME (Black Minority Ethnic) culture, arts and history. Black History Month has been celebrated across the UK every October for over 30 years, going from strength to strength each year. Once again, this year’s BHM publication will be the focus for the nationwide celebration of BME history, arts and culture throughout Britain.

To order your pack please email teacherspacks@talentmedia.org

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Making the world bigger for

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EDUCATION: TEACH UK

Left: Tony Sewell, Generating Genius: “We filled the male ego with intellectual pride.”

A no-nonsense educational science programme is challenging the postcode generation to think beyond the boundaries of their own minds – with impressive success. Tony Sewell explains

W

hat I have noticed talking to students from some of our top private schools is how optimistic they feel about themselves and their future. Yes, their world may well be cut off from ‘hardship’ and the life of the streets, but it is still bigger than the small world of our inner-city children, crawling around on a tiny marble. And it cannot just be about having more cash. The truth of the matter is that innercity youth have never had it so good, wonderful technological toys, state-of-the-art academies and the ability to connect with a global youth culture.

However, the postcode generation exists in what I call a self-imposed exile from

mainstream society. The postcode wars, where young people from Tulse Hill feel terrified to cross the state line of Peckham, is a reality.

For me, what is more disturbing is a wider restriction which is really a psychological one. Why is it that London is cast as the most cosmopolitan space on the planet but so many young people roam around a very limited comfort zone?

Sadly, too many of our young males are stuck in a world which does not get them past their postcode. What has happened is that the inner-city boy has become a stereotype of a stereotype. There are programmes trying to reach our so-called lost youth by using rap, football and anti-knife crime initiatives.

Most are a waste of time and patronising. The inference here is that classical music, Shakespeare, Latin, sciences and rugby are only for the toffs and that the inner-city youth can only relate to what they know.

In a recent essay for Prospect magazine, wonderfully entitled, ‘In praise of dead white men,’ Lindsey Johns points to the findings of the 2007 Home Affairs Select Committee report about young black boys in the criminal justice system, calling for the Department for Education and schools to consult with black community groups to make the curriculum more relevant—and to find “content which interests and empowers young black people.” Johns quips: “We can

young people “At present Oxbridge takes 47 per cent of its intake from private schools. This is a crisis given that only 7 per cent of students are from these privileged institutions.

Only 40 children from FSM (on free school meals) got into Britain’s top universities last year.”

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EDUCATION: TEACH UK

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To join, visit www.atl.org.uk/join or call 0845 057 7000* * Local rates apply.

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safely assume they were not talking about Ovid, Chaucer or Shakespeare.” He makes the point: “Efforts to make education more ‘relevant’ to black people can be both patronizing and harmful. The Western literary canon should be taught to everyone.”

I run a charity called Generating Genius, which specifically targets very talented black boys from the inner-city, not to play football but to become scientists and engineers. We pick them up aged 11 and work with them right to the point where they go to University.

Speaking at a recent conference at the London School of Economics our boys were asked if they were ever affected by the postcode wars. They said no. They explained that by aged 16 through the Generating Genius summer programmes they had studied science at most of the UK’s top universities. According to one of our boys from Lewisham, “My world had become bigger than gangs. I now have a route, which is all the way to Imperial College.”

Our boys wanted a way out of the strait-jacket of their postcode not because they were ashamed of their backgrounds but because they had genuinely become the masters of their universe.

At present Oxbridge takes 47 per cent of its intake from private schools. This is a crisis given that only 7 per cent of students are from these privileged institutions.

Only 40 children from FSM (on free school meals) got into Britain’s top Universities last year. And only one from an African-Caribbean background got a place at Oxford.

The current government is in a double bind. It wants to see more students from poor backgrounds in the top universities and it has

PASSION

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JOIN NOW Online: www.naht.org.uk/welcome/join-now Phone: 01444 472414 to speak to the Membership Recruitment Team Email: joinus@naht.org.uk

Benefits of membership Be NA NAHT is an independent trade union and professional association representing over pro 28,500 leaders in education in England, 28 Wales and Northern Ireland across all Wa phases in the 0-19 age range. ph We support our members through: Education management and •E employment advice; e Legal support; •L Negotiations on pay, conditions and •N pensions; p • Influencing educational policy making across all phases; • National and local conferences and local branch networks; • CPD training programmes and bespoke consultancy; • Publications, guidance documents and personalised website; • Access to wide range of value-added services for individual members and schools

EDUCATION: TEACH UK also increased tuition fees. My charity Generating Genius has shown the way by bucking this trend.

The majority of the boys on the programme attended regular comprehensive schools in innercity areas of London. 90 per cent of the boys are from single-parent backgrounds, 95 per cent of the boys will be the first in their family to go to university. The Generating Genius programme which mostly has students from poor backgrounds, has managed to get 90 per cent of its students achieving predicted A and A* in science A levels. All of its students now have firm offers to study science at Britain’s top universities.

Five have offers from Cambridge and Imperial College.

We are not a school. In fact we do little that connects with

the curriculum. Our philosophy comes from the academies run in cricket and football that have produced Freddie Flintoff and David Beckham. They nurture talent from a young age, giving them a framework and mindset to succeed. We did the same using science, the other stuff like GCSE grades and levels take care of themselves. We build character, motivation, resilience and charm.

The key factor around education failure in schools is really about what children do outside school.

The Generating Genius method can be summed up in a number of key headings: Community, Personal Best, World Best and Recognition. We see genius as having less to do with individual mental brilliance and more to do with parentage, patronage and the social ecology

St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College 10 Malwood Road | LONDON | SW12 8EN Tel 020 8772 6072 | Fax 020 8772 6099 enquiries@sfx.ac.uk | www.sfx.ac.uk A highly successful sixth form college, we welcome applications from students who wish to continue their education in a Christian environment. We offer prospective students:

• A wide range of AS/A Levels, BTEC Extended Diplomas and the International • • • •

Baccalaureate An outstanding record of student progression to top universities Consistently good examination results (99% pass rate at A Level in June 2011) Teaching by subject specialists at sixth form level Resources and support systems focused on the needs of students at sixth form level

Open Day Saturday 12th November 2011 10.00am—2.30pm

Buses: G1, 50, 155, 249, 355 Underground: Clapham South (Northern Line) National Rail: Balham Students must be accompanied by a parent.

No parking available on site.

Educating through a Christian community

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Generating Genius: (We)…nurture talent from a young age, giving them a framework and mindset to suceed.

of the person. What we had indirectly created was a rite of passage. Traditional societies would feel comfortable with a programme that took adolescent boys away from their mothers and put them in the woods to fend for themselves for a month.

We have a much softer and modern equivalent that simply sends a message to boys that becoming a man is another kind of birth. It takes some courage to succeed. BHM

ADVERTORIAL If you have ambitions to go to university and want the choice of the widest possible range of A levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC Diploma courses, you will probably want to go to a Sixth Form College. So St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College in Malwood Road, London, SW12, could be for you. Sixth Form Colleges are different from school sixth forms because of the specialist teaching you will receive and the advice you will be given on progression to university – all our teaching staff are specialist teachers and our careers staff focus on helping students through the minefield of information there is on choosing the right university. Every year over 350 SFX students gain entry to university, including Oxford, Cambridge and the top London Colleges. If you want a change from school life before going to university, and want a new challenge, but still want to work in a supportive environment with teachers who really want to help you develop your strengths, then visit the SFX website www.sfx.ac.uk to find out more. Or visit our Open Day on Saturday 12th November 2011 from 10am – 2.30pm.”

Probably The World’s Greatest City. . .

Why not be part of it?

Archivists…Ecologists…Planners…

Policewomen…Security…Tour Guides Just a few of the hundreds of roles at the City of London – a truly historic place that’s open to everyone.

Sounds like we might have a role for you?

Then check out our website: -

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Jobs_and_careers 100 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

BHM2010.indd 100

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

19/10/2010 12:15

LIFE STORY

Queen Yes Mama,I’m a DragWish me luck!

“I

Nigerian accountant Jide Salami finally ditched his corporate life, suit and tie for panstick, falsies and some fabulously glamorous gowns. Guess what? He survived to tell the tale…

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am a 43-year-old black gay man about to come out, for the second time in my life. The first time was bad enough, although that happened almost 15 years ago. I can still remember it as if it was yesterday: I was a young, newly qualified accountant, working in a big city firm. I had been travelling with some entertainer friends over the weekend and, on my return to mother’s flat, I was greeted by a number of telephone messages (mobile phones had not yet taken off back then) and a torrent of questions about why 99 per cent of the people who called me were men; also, when would she meet my girlfriend? The inquisition was relentless until finally, I gave in and confirmed her worst suspicion: “Yes, Mama, I am gay.”

The fabric of Nigerian and other ethnic minority cultures, is underpinned by strong religious and traditional values. The breakdown of “respectful society” in the West, as evidenced by the invidious gang culture, high rates of crime, binge drinking and other social problems, is a result of the lack of such values.

And in societies where these values abound is the other side: almost complete intolerance of anything different, including homosexuality, and the lack of a live-and-let-live attitude despite the core teachings of the Bible and other religious texts.

As a kid of about eight, I remember an aunt asking who my favourite entertainers were.

There was a look of terror on everyone’s faces when I answered enthusiastically: “Danny La Rue and Dick Emery.” Not long after that, my parents packed up and moved us to Nigeria where I would be safe, beyond the reach of such depraved

Western influences. I went to university, with only two things on my mind. 1: When would I be returning to London, and 2: I am Whitney Houston trapped inside a male body. As soon as I graduated with a BSc in Accounting, I borrowed some money for a ticket and was on the first plane out of Lagos.

My shining career took me to Wall Stret, New York. I was witness to the 9/11 attack which had a profound effect on me: Here I was, 33 years old living a seemingly dream life – six-figure salary with a six-figure bonus; prestigious apartment, chauffeur on demand and partying like there was no tomorrow.

My professional downward spiral truly began after that tragic event.

Eventually, lack of commitment and zero performance ended in redundancy.

I was ready to let out my innerWhitney. After years of hard slog I became the first black winner of the prestigious “Drag Idol competition” as “Son of a Tutu”.

I am still having the time of my life, entertaining people and making them ‘smile and think’. Who knows where this journey is going to lead, but first it’s time to come out for the second time: “Yes Mama, I’m a Drag Queen”. Wish me luck. BHM

Nigerian accountant Jide Salami

Family Mosaic is proud to support Black History Month 59

EDUCATION: UNIVERSITY

s n g i a p m a C s u p m a C on

T

he NUS Black Students’ Campaign is proud to join organisations across the country in celebrating Black History Month. Every year more and more student unions are organising events and workshops in preparation for this important time.

Celebrating our history is vital in ensuring that young Black people are empowered. A greater sense of our history allows us to realise our full potential, and challenge inequalities and stereotypes. We cannot allow a whole generation to overlook the struggles of our predecessors, great individuals and organisations that not only challenged the injustices that plagued our communities, but in some instances paid the ultimate price, with their lives, so that we could enjoy the freedoms we have today. For others, education about our history is vital in breaking down barriers and prejudice.

Abolishing the EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) and increased university fees, will disproportionately affect Black students. There is a great need for a collective Black voice to challenge the inequalities that blight our communities. As our history has shown us, we are never more powerful than when we work together.

In November, the NUS Black Students Campaign will also have our flagship event, the Winter Black Students Conference. This is a two-day training events for all African, Arab, Asian and Caribbean students in colleges and universities across Britain. It will include a number of workshops and a diverse range of speakers, from all sections of community as well as international speakers. The conference is a great opportunity to meet other Black students from across the country, collect resources produced by the Campaign for national initiatives, and build confidence in taking up leadership roles in your own union.

For more information on the campaign and how you can support or be involved in the largest ever NUS Black Students Conference please do not hesitate to contact me: kanja.sesay@nus.org.uk.

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from Kanja Sesay nion of the National U forward Students looks onference to a flagship c agenda with a packed

“As our history has shown us, we are never l more powerfu than when we work together.”

Kanja Sesay: Building confidence

Celebrating and supporting professional performance artists www.equity.org.uk 020 7379 6000

LIFESTYLE ARISE MAGAZINE

LIFESTYLE ARISE MAGAZINE

LIFESTYLE HAIR & BEAUTY

Eastern Promise

Right: Charlotte Mensah (left) brings UK expertise to Bulgaria Far right: Bulgaria’s first Black Beauty week launched Below: Overseas residents in Sophia welcome new salon opening

Black hair and beauty pioneer Charlotte Mensah embarked on a mission, taking her where few in the industry have gone before: Sophia, Bulgaria. There she found Eastern Europeans stylists keen to be trained in black haircare. Sandra Ethan explains

W

hen London business-woman and top stylist Charlotte Mensah was asked to head up the first, fullscale Black Beauty Week in Eastern Europe, it took little persuasion for her to down tools in her busy Portobello Road salon, pack her bag of tricks and head for Bulgaria.

Owners of Trinity Sport & Beauty Center, the leading health spa in Sophia, have been quick to recognise that demand for black beauty expertise extended beyond the steady stream of “women of colour” fed by diplomatic circles, NGOs and the local International Women’s club.

With the increasing presence of black people in Bulgaria, especially in the capital, offering world class stylists with beauty services to match made perfect business sense. As any self-respecting woman of AfricanCaribbean descent (diplomat or

66

no diplomat) knows: Regular hair maintenance comes down to finding a hairdresser who knows what they are doing, and paying whatever it costs.

Or as Charlotte puts it: “There was demand for a professional salon in the city. These women are high maintenance and they would have no choice but to keep their hairstyle in for more than six months.”

Having to wait until you can fly to London, Paris, Africa or the USA to get a hair appointment (trust me it’s true, I know those who do) is no longer necessary for those lucky enough to live in Sophia.

During her stay, Charlotte trained local Bulgarian stylists in techniques and products specific to black hair and in so doing dispelled some of the damaging myths around African hair – that it needs more heat, more tugging, harsher chemicals, less love more brute strength – that often circulate in European salons.

Charlotte also introduced her own range of nature-based hair and beauty products which she has developed from first-hand knowledge and from an awareness that there is still plenty of room for effective products in this buoyant market place. BHM Hair Lounge, 347 Portobello Road, Ladbroke Grove, London W10 5SA. Telephone: 020 8969 9444. www.hairlounge.co.uk

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HIGHLIGHTS OF BHM 2011 EVENTS NATIONWIDE The following are just a few selected highlights of the many events taking place in the UK for Black History Month.

For full listings of what is on in your area, please see www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk or contact your local council

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GREAT HAIR Nicky Oliver Avant Garde Collection

LA filmmaker Regina Kimbell’s is here to tell us why black hair is not just hair - it’s a cultural, groove, beauty, historical, political and increasingly economic thang! Sarah DeBarge puts down her GHDs and explains

N

ever has there been so many vlogs, blogs, debates, advice columns and yes – empowerment messages – generated from the topic of black hair. Alongside this is the increased desire to learn about the history and shared significance of African heritage.

Unmarked by the huge, global economic dip, black hair is still a booming business worldwide.

Indeed, as reported in The Guardian, ” Mintel believes a little investment could turn the ethnic hair and cosmetics market into one of the UK beauty industry’s most promising sectors. It forecasts that, with the right investment in new products and advertising, this market could grow by as much as 35% in the next five years, and could be worth £90m by 2012.”

Many who work in the industry see its potential to be even bigger than that.

In the USA, the AfricanAmerican hair industry is worth a cool USA$9 billion.

In 2005, LA filmmaker Regina Kimbell made the documentary My Nappy Roots: A Journey Through Black Hair-itage – touching on black hair themes and common stories which have been with us for decades.

Now she has created an online hub to engage and connect

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people from all over the globe – and launched the hair-centric International Black Hairitage Month (BHM).

Regina remains proud that people of African descent are like no other race when it comes to hair: adventurous, innovative, daring, sassy and smart. In proof

of its potential, the BHM site has already grabbed fans from all over the world; Chicago, LA, Portugal, Geneva, Germany, The Netherlands, Paris and London, all wanting to tell their ‘Good Hair’ story. www.internationalblackhairitagemonth. com

WHAT’S ON UK International Black Hairitage Month Sponsored by Tangle Teezer www.tangleteezer.com Sat 8 Oct, 12pm, Cape Bar, London International Black Hairitage Month kicks off in the UK with Naturally Fabulous an event hosted by The Natural Lounge. Organised by natural hair blogger Angel Smith www.thenaturallounge.com www.naturallyfab.eventbrite.com Tues 11 Oct, 7.30pm, Seven Arts Centre, Leeds Film screenings of My Nappy Roots. DJ Fluid founder of Leeds Black Film club will be showing MNR at the Seven Arts Centre, Harrogate Road, Leeds, 7:30 followed by Q & A. Contact: DJ Fluid m: 07939 011546 e: fluidirie@hotmail.com

Nicky Oliver Avant Garde Collection

Sun 16 Oct, 1-5pm, Nicky Oliver Salon, Manchester MNR Film Screening at award winning Nicky Oliver Salon based in the Northern Quarter. The film screening will be followed by Q&A with Nicky Oliver and hair and make-up demo plus entertainment. www.nickyoliver.com Sun 30 Oct, 2.30-7.45pm, Tricycle Theatre, London Film shorts on black hair and identity followed by Q&A with Margot RodwayBrown owner of Adornment365 Natural hair salon and Regina Kimbell filmmaker, plus further discussions, workshops and hair & make-up/craft stalls.

The event is sponsored - Images of Black Women: www.imagesofblackwomen.com plus MEE and The Village Production Int’l: www.meevillage.com Organised by Paulette Harris-German and Sylviane Rano co-founder of Images of Black Women film festival.

Contact: Sylviane images.blackwomen@btinternet.com

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A DISCOVERY & DIFFERENCE

night of diversity with many different people with many different voices. There will be live performances, poetry readings, public speakers an art exhibition and screenings of short films.

Come along to a night of discovery and difference.

EVENT Tues 18 Oct, 7pm-10:30pm, Abuja Connections Restaurant 112 – 114 Anerley Road, Crystal Palace, SE19 2AN. www.markanthonyabel.com

Mark-Anthony Abel: Making a difference. Photo: C J Marshall

FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS REPLAYED

H

aving witnessed racial conflict in football first hand, Colin Yates embarked on a multimedia exploration of British football’s multi-cultural history In 1996, while playing amateur football in Coventry, Colin Yates, a Coventry-basedg artist and football fan, was witness to a series of racist incidents involving Black and Asian team-mates. Responding to these verbal and physical assaults, he began the production of an

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anti-racist football exhibition with the intention of using the work for educational purposes in schools and the wider community.

His own knowledge of ethnic footballers in Britain trailed back to Clyde Best, Ricky Heppolate and Albert Johanneson. In 1997, Brendon Batson from the Professional Footballers Association suggested that he liaise with Phil Vasili, a writer and football consultant who had spent many years researching the ‘hidden history’ of ethnic footballers in Britain in his book Colouring Over The White Line.

Phil’s research transformed his venture into a major body of work.

Phil had rediscovered the black icons, Arthur Wharton and Walter

Tull, along with a catalogue of ethnic footballers who had played the game in Britain from the 1880s. The Black Looks exhibition includes work in Fine Art mediums such as painting, drawing, printmaking, mixedmedia, and electronic graphics.

EVENT Black Looks, A History of Black & Asian Professional Footballers in Britain 1863-2011.

The exhibition is at Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery from 10 September – 6 November 2011 Riversley Park, Coton Road, Nuneaton CV11 5TU. Tel: 024 7635 0720. E: museum@ nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk

2011 BHM LISTINGS

Below: Music at the Museum of London

LONDON TODAY

T

he Museum of London stages the sounds of Calypso and also tackles the issues around modern-day slavery in Britain today.

Over 15,000 domestic workers leave their families to come to Britain every year. Charities claim that many are not only badly treated but also are living as slaves.

Britain’s Secret Slaves documentary, originally screened on Dispatches, investigates the plight of overseas domestic workers brought to the UK, and enslaved behind closed doors by rich and powerful employers in the upper levels of British society.

Many workers make the sacrifice to leave their country for the UK in order to better provide for their families back home.

But lobby groups and charities communicate that a worrying proportion of domestic workers have their passports taken away

from them, are kept locked up and subjected to sexual, physical and psychological abuse. Many are paid less than £50 a week for 20-hour days and some wages are withheld completely.

Even children face similar horrendous conditions; the filmmakers meet young people who were trafficked over to the UK as children and endured years of violence and forced labour.

The programme also investigates claims that foreign diplomats are among the worst offenders in this flourishing form of modern slavery.

Museum of London, London Wall, EC2Y 5HN. Tel: 020 7001 9844 www.museumoflondon.org.uk Museum of London Docklands, West India Quay, E14 4AL. Tel: 020 7001 9844 www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ docklands

EVENTS Sounds of the calypso @ Museum of London Originally from Trinidad and Tobago and played on dustbin lids, oil drums and frying pans, calypso is now part of London’s vibrant music scene.

Minimum age: 5, free Dates and times Mon 24 Oct 12.30 - 14.00 Mon 24 Oct 14.30 - 16.00 Tues 25 Oct 12.30 - 14.00 Tues 25 Oct 14.30 - 16.00 Modern slavery in London @ Museum of London Docklands Tues 18 Oct 19.00 - 20.45 To mark Anti-Slavery Day, join experts Richard Martin, DCS of the Metropolitan Police and Aidan McQuade, Director of Anti-Slavery International, to discuss how modern slavery affects London and what initiatives can combat it. This discussion is followed by a screening of the documentary, Britain’s Secret Slaves.

Minimum age: 18, free, advanced booking required In partnership with Anti-slavery International.

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‘DANIEL DE-GALE BLOOD DONATION WEEK’ MONDAY 3rd OCTOBER – SATURDAY 8TH OCTOBER 2011 Please text ‘ACLT’ to 70300 to donate £3 and to show an interest in booking an appointment to ‘Donate 4 Daniel’ Thank You 74

2011 BHM LISTINGS

ROYAL REUNION Above: Picture by Ekua McMorris. Below: Event Flyer

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uliette Goddard’s artistic talent as a young student earned her a prized place at the Royal College of Art. Thirty years later she returned to meet up with other alumni who also had that royal seal of approval.

“I remember in the 1980s, as a student, the chances of getting a place at the Royal College of Art (RCA) were very, very, very slim.

I think it was five hundred applicants for eight places in the Printmaking Department, so competition was tough.

“Art reflects all cultural standpoints. The photography work of Ekua McMorris and textile designs of Emamoke Ukeleghe both used a combination of culture and politics, demonstrating the importance of using your heritage as inspiration; it’s not black art.

“Or white art, as Caroline Sardine showed – her work is even a little bit aboriginal, using found objects collaged together, giving the feel of the outsider’s art.

“So the recent gathering of alumni at The RCA Black Exhibition (put together with the African and

African Caribbean Design Diaspora) saw some of the finest graduates (disparate, yet with a strand of cultural commonality) over the past 60 years under the same roof.

“The exhibition featured 23 outstanding artists and designers including RA painter Frank Bowling, photographer Eileen Perrier, photograper Faisal Abdu Allah, printed images and fashion designer Charlie Allen and the textile designer Althea McNish.

“Other RCA top brass include David Hockney, Tracey Emin and James Dyson, which gives further muscle to the diversity drive that the college now seeks to embrace.

“There were no black tutors when I was at the RCA, but it was John Hoyland who always wanted to change that politic and witnessing how difficult it was to do, it was fantastic to listen to current RCA Rector, Dr Paul Thompson, re-iterate his wish to engage more talented students from ethnic minority groups, such as the African and Caribbean communities, as part of the ongoing bid to attract the best talent from across the nation.”

EVENTS The RCA Black exhibition will be followed up with exhibits at the Barge House Gallery, Oxo Tower Wharf, Barge House Street, London, SE1 9PH. Supported by the British European Design group and the African and African Caribbean Design Diaspora.

See www.aacdd.org for full details

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MIDLAND HISTORIES E thnic Community Histories in the Midlands is a collection of essays on the histories of people in the region, between the 17th century and the present.

Contributions focus on Black, Asian and Jewish experiences in Birmingham and surrounding locations. The journal is edited

by Dr Malcolm Dick (University of Birmingham) and Dr Rajinder Dudrah (University of Manchester) and published by Maney. Copies will be on sale at the launch. www.maney.co.uk/index.php/ journals/mdh/

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EVENT Wed 2 Nov The launch of the special edition of Ethnic Community Histories in the Midlands, The Rotunda, Aston Webb Building, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, 4.30-6.00pm Contact: Malcolm Dick on m.m.dick@bham.ac.uk.

Top: Copyright Nick Hedges.

Right: Black Soldiers during World War One, taken at the YMCA’s Maitland Hall in Cleveland Square. (YMCA WWI Green Book Number 12, finding number YMCA/K/1/13)

2011 BHM LISTINGS

Above: Mobile phone - Peckham Space. Network.

SOUTHWARK SPEAKS (by text)

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etwork is a specially commissioned film by artist Sonia Boyce which explores how forms of social communication, such as mobile phones and social networking sites, have become the most popular ways for young people to maintain their relationships with friends and family.

There will also be a set of cinematic dialogues featuring the young people in front of as well as behind the camera.

Boyce worked with the VAPA young women’s group to chart the nature of these relationships and the languages that have formed around these technologies.

EVENT Network by Sonia Boyce Until Sat 19 Nov Tues to Fri, 11am-5pm.

Sat, 11am-4pm, free.

Contact: Peckham Space Tel: 020 7358 9645. info@peckhamspace.com www.peckhamspace.com For full listings of BHM events in Southwark see www.southwark.gov.uk/ blackhistorymonth.

Tel: 020 7525 2000 or email blackhistorymonth@southwark. gov.uk.

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PHOTO FINISH Y

oung London 2012 hopefuls may look back in awe at the record of James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) the American track and field athlete who specialised in sprint and the long jump. In the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics, dominated

by Hitler and his Aryan Dream, Jesse cruised to victory with four gold medals: one each in the 100 metres, the 200 metres, the long jump, and as part of the 4 x 100 metre relay team. Owen’s performance still claims headline news, not just in sporting but political and social history.

Here are some of Jesse Owen’s classic soundbites…

“A lifetime of training for just ten seconds.”

“Although I wasn’t invited to shake hands with Hitler, I wasn’t invited to the White House to shake hands with the President either.”

“Find the good. It’s all around you.

Find it, showcase it and you’ll start believing in it.”

“For a time, at least, I was the most famous person in the entire world.”

“Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.”

“If you don’t try to win you might as well hold the Olympics in somebody’s back yard.”

“One chance is all you need.”

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“The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself – the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us – that’s where it’s at.”

“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, selfdiscipline, and effort.”

2011 BHM LISTINGS Far left: Jesse Owens starting the 200m sprint at the 1936 Berlin Olympics in which he won the gold medal, from ‘Olympia 1936, Die Olypischen Spiele 1936 Band 2’, published by CigarettenBilderdienstal Altona-Bahrenfeld, ref.

Cadbury Research Library rqGV722 Left: Jesse Owens crossing the line in the 100m sprint at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, winning the gold medal, from ‘Olympia 1936, Die Olypischen Spiele 1936 Band 2’, published by CigarettenBilderdienstal Altona-Bahrenfeld, ref.

Cadbury Research Library rqGV722

EVENT Wed 12 Oct The images of athlete Jesse Owens, who won 4 gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, are all original photographs – stuck in a commemorative album (held at Cadbury Research Library, entitled ‘Olympia 1936 - Die Olypischen

Spiele 1936 Band 2’, published by Cigaretten-Bilderdienstal AltonaBahrenfeld’ [a German cigarette card company] reference Cadbury Research Library rqGV722.)

Images from the Cadbury Research Library will be used in a talk entitled Journey Through Time:

Black History Through the Ages from the Cadbury Research Library, 1.15pm.

See the full programme of events around Black History from Birmingham University’s Collections at www.birmingham. ac.uk/collections/blackhistory

Make a difference by contributing to our work The Citizens Advice service provides free, confidential and impartial advice to everyone for the problems they face, and campaigns to improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives. In all aspects of our work, we recognise the positive value of diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination. Over 28,000 people work and volunteer for the Citizens Advice service across England and Wales.

We value how our differences enrich our communities and improve our effectiveness at work. The diversity of our staff, volunteers and clients helps us to properly understand the effects of discrimination, marginalisation and exclusion – and challenge them. The better we understand, the stronger we become as a powerful advocate on equality for society.

That’s why we welcome applications from everyone. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, who are underrepresented throughout Citizens Advice, and from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, who are underrepresented in management positions.

At Citizens Advice we are proud of our Black Workers Group, a national network which has helped us to shape who we are, and how we work, for the better, over the last twenty two years. The group provides support and networking for BAME volunteers and paid staff in bureaux and Citizens Advice, and advises on issues of race equality within and outside of the Citizens Advice service.

There are a number of worthwhile opportunities, whether you are looking to develop your professional career, or just starting out. For job opportunities and volunteering information visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk CAB.indd 3

03/10/2011 10:56

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2011 BHM LISTINGS

SCHOLARLY LINKS

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he ASAUK (Association of African Studies UK) is a scholarly organisation with a membership that includes academics, journalists and broadcasters, civil servants and many others with an interest in Africa.

A major aim of the ASAUK is to facilitate connections between UK and African institutions, and between scholars in Africa and the UK. ASAUK supports African scholars publishing in Africanist journals published in the UK, academic journal publishing in Africa, scholarly book publishing in Africa, and the exchange of ideas in and about Africa.

Two major programmes are the ASAUK teaching fellowships and the ASAUK writing workshops, which are designed to support and strengthen the connections between academics in the UK and their colleagues in Africa.

ASAUK also encourages early career scholars with an interest in African Studies to undertake the highest quality research and to remain involved in the field. Postgraduate research students registered in the UK are encouraged to join the ASAUK. The ASAUK Council, in association with the British Academy, is offering a teaching fellowship of up to £9,000 to a UK-based academic for work in an African University during 2011-12. Ideally applicants should be early career academics that have recently finished doctoral degrees on African topics in British Universities. But we will also consider doctoral students, especially those with some

teaching experience, and other applicants based in British universities. To find out more visit www.asauk.net

THE NEW BRIXTON EMPIRE

adults in the area who have been adversely affected by unemployment. The venue will be launched with a powerful production about Malcolm X, When The Chickens Came Home to Roost written by Laurence Holder. The performance explores the often controversial relationship between Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X.

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he Brixton Empire is a new theatre venue in south London, which aims are to produce distinctive, powerful theatre productions in the spirit of Brixton reflecting its diverse personality. As well as staging varied theatre productions, the venue aims to create positive opportunities for young

EVENT Council meeting of the Association of African Studies UK Fri 7 Oct Centre for West African Studies, Danford Room, Arts Building, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT 1-3.30pm, free, but please contact David Kerr d.kerr@asauk.net. www.birmingham.ac.uk/ collections/blackhistory. www.asauk.net

EVENT Until 4 Nov 2011, Brixton Empire, St Matthews, Brixton Hill, London SW2 1JF. www.Brixtonempire.com.

Tel: 0203 189 2730, Tickets from £6-£15

St Mary’s University College Twickenham London

Your Route to Success – St Mary's University College

Study on a beautiful campus in an ideal SouthWest London location www.smuc.ac.uk for more information phone 020 8240 2314 or email recruit@smuc.ac.uk St Mary’s University College Waldegrave Road, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham TW1 4SX Tel 020 8240 4000 Fax 020 8240 4255 www.smuc.ac.uk

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2011 BHM LISTINGS

SCOTLAND: PAST, PRESENT AND THE FUTURE

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he theme for this year’s BHM celebrations is ‘Past, Present and the Future’, linking in with other BHM events across the country. The events will highlight the contribution of Black and Minority Ethnic communities to Scottish society and to the world as a whole.

EVENTS Black History Month 10-Minute Talks: A series of 10-minute lunchtime talks which feature original artefacts from the Museum’s acclaimed collections.

4 Oct Tantalum mining in Africa: mobile phones, conflict and a better future by Dr John Faithful.

11 Oct Alexander the Great: the coinage of an empire by Scott Ross.

25 Oct Teaching Africa: an insight through artefacts by Rachael Egan and Dave Jones. By Any Means Necessary: The life and legacy of Malcolm X. 15 Oct Department of Adult and Continuing Education. Glasgow and the Abolition of Slavery 22 Oct Department of Adult and Continuing Education. A free, one-day event led by Bernard Aspinwall.

Contact: DACE Information Centre.

Tel: 330 1860. Email: dacequery@educ.gla.ac.uk Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow, Gilbert Scott Building, Glasgow G12 www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk

SCOTTISH LINKS By any means necessary: the life and legacy of Malcolm X (Day event) Malcolm X remains a charismatic and enigmatic figure. From his early days as a Harlem hero to his rise as white America’s worst nightmare, from his reinvention as a pan-Africanist to his violent death, his legacy remains a source of contention. This one-day event sets out to examine his life and his message, also the significance of his role in American history.

Glasgow and the abolition of slavery (Day event) To illustrate the growth of anti-slavery sentiment in the transatlantic world through remarkable individuals in Scotland and US, and the techniques deployed to persuade the people in the West of Scotland to join the campaign 1790-1870.

Students must register in advance by calling.

Bernard Aspinwall MA BA FRHistS Y163 Saturday, 22 October 2011 10.00-12.00 (1 meeting) Free.

Saturday, 15 October 10.00-16.30 Mon-Fri), free.

Contact: Simon Cuthbert-Kerr MA PhD. Tel: +44 (0)141 330 1860.

Students must register in advance by calling +44 (0)141 330 1860 (10.00-16.30 Monday-Friday).

Race and racism in American history From dispossessed Native Americans to oppressed AfricanAmerican slaves; from Klansmen to Black Panthers. Join us as we explore the role of race in American society, culture, and politics.

Did the election of Barack Obama in 2008 herald a new era in which the US is now ‘post-racial’? Or does racial tension still haunt this land of immigrants?

Lydia Plath BA MA PhD GC067 Mondays from 3 October 2011 19.00-21.00 (8 meetings) 8 ACE credits £80.50.

(ILA funding can be used for this course)

Email dace-query@educ.gla.ac.uk. www.glasgow.ac.uk/ace 82

Island to Island Dominica, Barbados & Britain

an exhibition of photographs Redbridge Museum 1st Floor Exhibition Area Ilford Central Library Clements Road, Ilford, IG1 1EA 020 8708 2317 redbridge.gov.uk/museum

4 Oct - 31 Dec 2011 Tue-Fri 10am-5pm Sat 10am-4pm Free Admission

MUSEUM

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MIXING IT UP

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ast London’s heady performance venue Rich Mix throws in a bit of everything this October.

This year the mission continues to make Rich Mix the London home of the spoken word as in early October the venue plays host to the second South Asian Literature Festival. As well as these one-off specials, there will be regular nights Tongue Fu, Jawdance and Maintenant Magazine.

Watch out for London Liming who joins that illustrious roster. Expect a carnival night in which people can mix, drink, dance, and be introduced to the best literature and spoken word around.

The theatre programme also marries the global with the local. Teatro da Curva bring their Brazilian take on Voltaire’s Candide. Dance continues with Akademi and Pagrav Dance serving up South Asian flavours and associate company Tempered Body Dance show their latest work.

Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, City of London E1 6LA. Tel: 020 7613 7498 www.richmix.org.uk

SCHOOL SCIENCE The Real McCoy storytelling A storytelling adventure for KS1 about the life of Elijah McCoy, an African-American who changed the way trains work for ever. This fun, interactive session involves plenty of pupil participation.

Taking place on 3, 4, 10, 11*, 17 and 18* October 2011 at 11.00, 12.00 and 13.00. Lasts 30 minutes. *These will be deaf-lead performances accompanied by a BSL interpeter.

Revolting Remedies An entertaining show for KS2 about disgusting diseases, messy medicines and four of the black achievers who helped to solve medical problems – Ancient Egyptian doctor Lady Pesechet, African-American slave Onesimus, British doctor John

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Alcindor and African-American doctor Charles Drew.

Taking place on 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21 October 2011 at 11.00 and 13.00. Lasts 30 minutes.

Science Secrets An interactive gallery tour for KS2 uncovering the hidden contributions of Benjamin Banneker, Lewis Latimer, Garrett Morgan and Mae Jemison – African-American inventors, scientists and doctors whose bright ideas and burning ambitions helped to shape our lives today.

Taking place on term-time weekdays throughout October 2011 at 11.00 and 13.00. Lasts 35 minutes.

Cost: The Real McCoy – £3 per student; Revolting Remedies – £4 per

student; Science Secrets – £1.50 per student; accompanying adults free.

Science Museum. Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London, SW7 2DD www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

ADVERTORIAL UK Arts International and Quaternaire in association with the Barbican, Warwick Arts Centre and Puppet Centre Trust present

Woyzeck on the Highveld When the National Theatre’s War Horse opened in 2007 to critical acclaim, South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company shot into the spotlight as being the creative force behind the life-sized puppets, which brought Michael Morpurgo’s enchanting novel to life.

This autumn, Handspring Puppet Company tours theatres in the UK with one of the most provocative plays from their repertoire: Woyzeck on the Highveld. Beautifully adapted from Georg Büchner’s famous text, the company use rod-manipulated puppets to tell the story of one man’s struggle against a callous, uncaring society. Set in 1950’s Johannesburg during Aparthied, Woyzeck’s troubled mind is vividly portrayed through a backdrop of stunning animated drawings designed by world-renowned artist

William Kentridge. The company looks forward to bringing the show to the UK as an example of their work that is ‘more intense, more intimate, more South African and more typically ‘Handspring’ than War Horse.’

EVENTS Warwick Arts Centre Tuesday 11 – Saturday 15 October Lyric Theatre, Belfast Tuesday 18 – Saturday 22 October Wales Millennium Centre Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 October

Originally directed by Kentridge in 1992 this 2011 revival by Luc de Wit carries powerful themes of social injustice and political power play in a time of economic crisis, which still holds true nearly 20 years after its creation.

Aberystwyth Arts Centre Friday 28 and Saturday 29 October Hall for Cornwall Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 November Exeter Northcott Friday 4 and Saturday 5 November Oxford Playhouse Tuesday 8 – Saturday 12 November

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2011 BHM LISTINGS

THE EDEN PROJECT British Airways EDEN (Ethnically Diverse Employee Network)

J

ean Gibson reports on the latest initiatives from a thriving employee network at British Airways.

EDEN (Ethnically Diverse Employee Network) celebrated its first anniversary in June 2011.

Today we have almost 200 members based in the UK and worldwide.

Led by the British Airways Diversity team, a group of British Airways colleagues established an employee network to provide a voice for colleagues from ethnically diverse backgrounds across the company.

EDEN’s mission is to create a forum that promotes and supports the establishment of a diverse work environment for British Airways colleagues from different ethnic backgrounds through awareness-raising events, to educate each other, develop personally and professionally and add value to the business.

Through our merger with Iberia and our revenue sharing with American Airlines and Iberia, now more than ever, understanding cultural differences is important.

Through developing closer working relationships with Sales & Marketing, we aim to serve as a source of competitive advantage for British Airways. We represent key communities of British Airways Customers and are already supporting business initiatives requiring input and understanding from a diverse ethnic perspective.

We also work closely with

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Jean Gibson (founding member of EDEN) pictured with Denise Lewis, who talked to BA colleagues about Teamwork during October 2010 Black History Month.

Community Investment to support community projects and raise funds for Flying Start.

British Airways Black History Month celebrations 2011 EDEN’s celebrations around Black History are in their second year and we are building on the success of last year’s events.

We are extremely pleased to be able to announce our first EDEN senior sponsor: Richard Tams – Head of UK & Sales & Marketing - who will be opening this year’s events.

We would like to invite all colleagues across BA to help us celebrate and we have a number of events scheduled across the business, with the majority of our activity taking place on 27th October, so look out for further information on ‘What’s New’ on

the BA Intranet and through your local publications.

If you’re interested in joining the network or if you would like involvement from EDEN in any business propositions, you can contact us by emailing us: eden.network@ba.com

“Through our merger with Iberia and our revenue sharing with American Airlines and Iberia, now more than ever, understanding cultural differences is important”

Y R O T S I H BLACK month

“If film censors of the day had not been squeamish, Ingrid Bergman could have delivered the famous request to play the song As Time Goes By to Lena Horne�

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PLAY IT AGAIN, SAMANTHA A new book documents the highs and lows of black women in American cinema

Lena Horne - America’s first black Hollywood Star and a role model for the NAACP/British Film Institute.

F

ilm fact: Before Dooley Wilson was cast alongside Humphrey Bogart to play the iconic role of Sam in the 1942 film Casablanca, Lena Horne was considered for the part? However, America was not ready to see an interracial relationship however platonic – between a black woman and a white man on the movie screen.

If film censors of the day had not been squeamish, Ingrid Bergman could have delivered the famous request to play the song As Time Goes By, to Lena Horne.

Jacqueline Williams’ Out of the Shadows uncovers many littleknown facts like this as it explores the contribution that black women have made to movie making in the first half of the twentieth century.

In April 2002, Halle Berry became the first African American woman to receive an Academy Award for Best Actress in the ceremony’s 74-year history. She made an emotional acceptance speech acknowledging pioneers like Lena Horne (1917-2010) and Dorothy Dandridge (1923-1965), whose contribution to Hollywood film, particularly musicals, is rarely mentioned in the film industry today. Before Halle Berry’s success, only two other black women: Hattie McDaniel (1895-1952) and Whoopi Goldberg had received statuettes for Best Supporting Actress for their respective roles in the films Gone With The Wind (1939) and Ghost (1991).

The starting point of the book is 1900 and the creation of new urban black societies that gave rise to some of America’s earliest

black filmmakers, including Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951) and Noble Johnson (1881-1978) and actors like Edna Mae Harris (1910-1997) and Louise Beavers (1902-1962).

The emerging black bourgeois had amongst their number patrons with enough capital to fund, promote and publicise films made

by African-Americans. In 1900, Booker Taliaferro Washington was their legitimate voice, promoting the ideal of America as a meritocracy and championing selfhelp and racial solidarity through The National Negro Business League, launched in 1900.

So just how far has Hollywood come since then?

In June 1991, the actress Robin Givens asked: “Why are black actresses having such a hard time in Hollywood?” She argued that Hollywood’s limited vision meant quality roles for black women were scarce: “The paucity of roles for black actresses and Hollywood’s limited vision of us as maids, hookers, sidekicks and best friends, make it tremendously difficult for us to keep on and find steady work.”

In the 1940s Lena Horne’s father Teddy Horne had raised similar concerns when his young daughter was offered a contract with MGM. He surmised: “I don’t see what the movies have to offer my daughter. I can hire a maid for her, why should she act one?”

Out of the Shadows, Black Women in Film: 1900-1959 by Jacqueline Williams is published 1 December 2011, £10.99, ISBN 9781848767904.

Distributor: Troubador Publishing Ltd.

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TEACH UK PRIMARY SCHOOL PROFILE • Involving parents by inviting them into school to talk to pupils about their early memories, celebrations etc • Working with Kapeni Melesse a local writer of Caribbean heritage, who aims to help children know and appreciate their own cultures.

• Working with the well known writer and artist, Michael McMillan (creator of The West Indian Front Room) to explore family history through living rooms using story telling and creative writing.

Black History at Ravenscroft Primary School

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avenscroft Primary School – a vibrant school in East London – is proud of its multi-cultural community. Over forty languages are spoken by its families and the school is currently welcoming Polish Roma pupils – a group new to the school. Throughout the school year the children enthusiastically learn about and celebrate festivals of many cultures and religions; consequently there is a tremendous sense of respect and appreciation amongst the pupils for the cultures and beliefs of their peers. It is against this backdrop that the school must

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explore how best to develop a culturally relevant curriculum and how Black History Month can help them with this work.

Black History Work During Black History Month and ongoing: • Considering philosophical questions such as “Should all people be treated equally?”

• African writers’ work as stimulus for creative/biographical writing • African instruments and rhythms in music lessons • Learning dances such as the South African Diski dance in PE • Ensuring that dressing up clothes and artefacts in the home corner reflect black culture

Head Teacher Alison Sharp says “One third of our pupils are black or have dual heritage and it is crucial that our curriculum reflects their history if we are to develop their own self worth and aspirations. Black History Month is an absolutely ideal opportunity to raise the profile of black achievers and to explore effective and powerful ways to make our curriculum relevant to all our pupils. Our children love learning about successful people and about people who have fought for human rights; our Black History work proves to them that black people have been instrumental in those areas and, very importantly, that they have also had a tremendous influence on areas such as medical research, scientific progress, politics and the arts. This is empowering and inspirational for all our pupils – the clear message is that they can be successful in their own everyday lives, whatever path they follow.

The lessons that we, as teachers, learn from Black History work help us to meet the needs of all our pupils.” BHM

Image of Nelson Mandela from the documentary film Projek Mandela on The Africa Channel

Only by understanding history do we forge a better future.

Award winning documentaries marking Black History Month every Wednesday and Sunday from 9pm.

on sky 268

www.theafricachannel.co.uk

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