bHM Magazine. The Official Guide to Black History Month 2010

more than just a month

Santander Could Be You As an Equal Opportunities employer Santander is committed to achieving diversity in its workforce and in providing an environment where all employees are valued, respected and encouraged to achieve their full potential.

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If you think ‘Santander could be You’ and are interested in a career with us, further details can be viewed on our website: www.santanderjobs.co.uk Supported By

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Who wants TV without colour?

Channel 4 is proud to promote diversity in all parts of our business. On and off screen.

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To find out more, go to channel4.com/diversity

more than just a month

8 Diane Abbott MP Making political history again 10 An African Princess The royal life of Sarah Forbes Bonetta Davies 14 From Hackney to Hollywood Why actor and musician Idris Alba is on everyone’s hotlist 18 Who’s Who? Test your cultural knowledge with Recognize’s BHM Quiz

10 22 Celebrating

Centuries of Black

British History

by Kanja Ibrahim Sesay NUS Black Students’ Officer

3 Isabel Appio - Editor A Big Thank You to all our readers and supporters

32 African Art of Threading

by Charlotte Mensah

6 Prime Minister David Cameron

40 Fostering and Adoption Find out if you could make a difference 47 Uniform services A look at careers & life in the Emergency services.

26 Going for Gold We meet our Olympic 2012 hopefuls 28 Beyond the Boundary Cricketing pioneers and heroes 36 A Greener Future Play your part in our caring for our environment 38 Creativly Diverse Channel 4’s Mix of culture 62 Breaking the Silence The campaign for LGBT rights in Africa

54 Teach UK A guide to the profession 64 Brother to Brother Robert Ingham reviews a unique film about gay life in Harlem 66 ARTS - Fela!

A captivating musical based on the inimitable musician and activist Fela Kuti 68 The Great British with Annetha Mills

66

Cake Bake

70 Extraordinary Heroes Remembering the bravery of Private Johnson Gideon Beharry VC

76

74 Experience Gambia Discover the perfect holiday destination 76 Spirit Worlds Artist Julien Sinzogan exhibits his mesmerising work 79 BHM Listings nationwide Find out what’s on in your area

26 www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

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W elcome

more than just a month A word of thanks This is our 14th year of publication and the BHM team at Talent Media wanted to say some words of thanks, and give recognition, to both old-time friends and new supporters.…..

Isabel Appio

We want to give an almighty cheer to Diane Abbott for her valiant stand for Labour Party leader - giving her a double entry in the history books: in 1987 she became the first black woman MP (for Hackney North & Stoke Newington) and this year, she became the first black person to stand for leadership of a major political party. After 30 years in politics she still has a passion for the grassroots values which originally brought her into politics. Read Diane’s column on page 8 & 9.

Editor

We want to thank the NUS, particularly the NUS Black Student’s Campaign, for their tireless campaigning throughout the year. Big round of applause for outgoing Black Student’s Officer, Bella Ribeiro (whose enthusiasm and drive never ceases to amaze) and an equally big welcome to newly elected Kanja Sesay, who continues to keep vital student issues in the headlines. Find out this year’s NUS BHM theme on page 22.

Published by Talent Media Ltd Publishing Director: Darren Waite

Praise too for Idris Elba (mesmerising star of US series The Wire and BBC’s Luther) whose acting, music and all-round creative talents have taken him from the streets of Hackney to the Hollywood Hot-list. Widely touted to be the next James Bond, Idris made time to give BHM an interview mobile-to-mobile from LA. Don’t miss his new, independent film Legacy, which he co-produced and stars, at the Raindance Festival (read all about it on page 15).

Publishing Editor: Isabel Appio Assistant Editor & Listings: Sam Bristowe Listings Co-ordinator: Robert Ingham

In sport, we salute the young hopefuls determined to bring back the Gold in the forthcoming 2012 Olympics - and we look back at the cricket heroes who broke down barriers and triumphed in the international arena.

BHM Community Out-reach: Helena Morgan

In the world of entrepreneurs, the creative talents of Charlotte Mensah represent those enterprising and hardworking pioneers in the business sector. Now one of the most respected names in the UK Hair and Beauty industry, Charlotte showcases her “Hair Lounge” cultural hairstyles on pages 32 & 33.

Education and Training Liason: Bea Anderson Design: Christopher Powell

Every year we pay tribute to key workers in the public services - Teaching and Police and Fire Services - we feature the dedicated teams that still strive for excellence in testing economic times.

Advertising Talent Media M& H Partnership

We also want to thank two of our writers this year for highlighting the plight of BME people everywhere who face extreme discrimination and violence for being gay. Civil rights campaigner Peter Tatchell is supporting Godwyns Onwuchekwa and Skye Chirape from Nigeria and Zimbabwe, two lone voices speaking up on behalf of all others who remain silent out of fear of brutal reprisals. (Be inspired by their stories on pages 62 & 63).

Thanks to Sarah Burge & Charlie Whitworth Talent Media Ltd Studio 37, The Riverside Building, Trinity Buoy Wharf, 64 Orchard Place London, E14 0JW

Thanks also to the diversity unit at Channel 4 who continue to lead the way in challenging old habits in TV and media; to reach out beyond the four walls of Channel 4 HQ and to open the doors to diverse talent everywhere.

Personal, in-house thanks to BHM team members Rob Ingham and Sam Bristowe for their patience and creative talents and last, but not least, to all our supporters who have been with us from day one - our readers, BHM events organisers, advertisers, teachers, BHM revellers - we couldn’t have done it without you.

Tel: 0207 001 0754.

Fax: 0203 070 0017 email: info@talentmedia.org web: www.talentmedia.org Bhm (he official guide to Black History Month) © is published by Talent Media ltd. No material in this publication may be used without permission from the publisher. Disclaimer: the views expressed In Bhm are not necessarily the views of the publisher.

4 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

So - let’s hear it for BHM 2010……

See you next year

Isabel Appio Editor

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

more than just a month

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 5

forword

David

Cameron Prime Minister

I’m delighted to be supporting Black History Month again this year. And I want to thank all those who are working so hard to organise the many events and celebrations that are taking place.

This month is a great opportunity for us all to pay tribute to the tremendous contribution that generations of Black and Minority Ethnic people have made to our country. And I think it’s really important that we recognise the efforts and achievements of so many who have helped to make our country the vibrant, tolerant and diverse society that it is today.

But it’s also a moment to celebrate the values we all share - whatever our background or culture. The togetherness that makes such a strength of our diversity and that gives us the uniqueness of our British identity.

That spirit of togetherness is vital as we get to grips with our broken economy and seek to build the Big Society.

So I hope this month can be a time not just to reflect on what we can learn from the past - but also to focus on how together we can shape our future. A time for each and every one of us to ask what more we can do to help each other and work for the common good.

I wish you all a great month.

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk ®

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THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Lewis Hamilton interview and the story so far

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BHM events National Listings WHAT’S ON IN YOUR AREA

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more than just a month

Santander Could Be You As an Equal Opportunities employer Santander is committed to achieving diversity in its workforce and in providing an environment where all employees are valued, respected and encouraged to achieve their full potential.

Santander consistently builds on its own diversity practices but also strives to encourage greater diversity within the UK retail banking sector by continually reviewing how we can best support our employees.

If you think ‘Santander could be You’ and are interested in a career with us, further details can be viewed on our website: www.santanderjobs.co.uk

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 7

F E AT U R E

I

__n 1987 Diane Abbott became the first black woman to be elected a member of parliament. This year she made political history again as she became the first black candidate to stand for the leadership of a major political party in Britain. Here Diane explains what motivated her to make the leadership bid.

“I joined the Labour Party 30 years ago because the Labour Party spoke to me and my values.”

In our last 13 years in government we achieved many good things. But we lost our way. We became out of touch and lost the public. We closed down internal democracy and lost membership.

Now the party must put forward the most determined opposition to the reactionary agenda of this coalition government and develop our policies in order to reconnect with voters.

Alongside that we must rebuild the party, broaden its base, bring in new supporters and welcome back old ones.

I want again a party of values,

a party of democracy, and a party that listens to its members and allows them participation in policy debate. I want again a party of radical hope, of compassion.

Ever since it became clear that a Labour leadership race was in the offing, people were urging me to run. I looked at the line up and it just seemed wrong.

The declared frontrunners were hugely talented, but the danger was they were “hoovering up” all the nominations and sucking the air out of the contest.

I put myself forward for the job because I believed we needed to offer the country someone different; someone who wasn’t a Westminster insider and a part of the ruling elite of the last Labour government. What kind of change is offering candidates who had been part of the old administration?

A few have sought to criticise my candidacy as being based purely on equality, diversity and ‘tokenism’. I am proud of the diversity I brought to this leadership contest, not just by being a black woman on the ballot, but also through the debates I have pushed to the forefront. And as the most

experienced individual in the contest I reject all notions of tokenism.

I came up through the party as an activist. I was the only candidate that was a former councillor, an elected member of the national executive, a former trade union official, and by far the longest serving MP. Unlike many who ascend to positions of power, I also remain a veteran to a number of grassroots campaigns, and I would not have stood if I did not believe I was the best person for the job.

Whether it made me enemies or stopped me from ascending the greasy pole of parliamentary promotion, I took a clear and principled stand on important issues; I protested against the abolition of the 10p tax rate, voted against tuition fees, stood up for civil liberties and voted against 42 and 90 days detention without trial and opposed the Iraq War and have called for troops to return from Afghanistan. I consistently stick by my principles even when it is tough to do so.

Politics should be about policies. Advocating fiercely for increased black representation

I want again a party of values, a party of democracy, and a party that listens to its members and allows them participation in policy debate. I want again a party of radical hope, of compassion.

8 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

more than just a month

in politics, does not equate to voting for someone simply because they are black. My identity as a black woman has most certainly shaped my beliefs, and in the twenty-first century, a winning progressive movement in any country must reflect the views and concerns of all groups. A lack of diversity and a lack of representation in any institution is instantly reflected in debate, policies and implementation.

If we do not have a political leadership which looks like the community around us then it will lack legitimacy we want to represent. We need a political leadership that reflects our increasingly globalised world and Britain today, not the Britain of the 1950’s.

As we celebrate Black History Month I am proud to have contributed to our archives once more as I did in 1987 when I became the first black woman to be elected a member of parliament. Black people in Britain continue to defy expectation. When Paul Boateng, Bernie Grant, Keith Vaz and I ran to be the first black members of parliament we were told we wouldn’t win and 23 years later Britain celebrated the record election of 27 Black MP’s. A few months ago I was told I would never make it on to the ballot and this June saw the first black candidate for the leadership of a major political party in Britain. We have come a long way since 1987. There is so much more work to be done and it will not be easy. But I have every faith that we will continue to defy circumstance, until we achieve the political equality we deserve.

Diane Abbott is MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington nb: this piece was written before the announcement of the Labour Leader.

Diane Abbott MP and comedian Lenry Henry at the London School and Black Child Achievement Awards (www.blackeducation.info)

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F E AT U R E

A

t the age of five, Sarah Forbes Bonetta Davies, born into a royal West African dynasty, was taken to England and presented to Queen Victoria as a “gift” from one royal family to another. A unique and admired figure in history, she spent her life between the British royal household and her homeland in Africa. Her photographic portraits can now be seen at the National Portrait Gallery, London throughout October.

Sarah Forbes Bonetta Davies, a West African Yoruba girl, was captured by the King of Dahomey in 1848 during a “slave-hunt” war in which her parents were killed. In 1850, when she was around eight years old, she was rescued by Captain Frederick E Forbes of the Royal Navy whilst he was visiting Dahomey as an emissary of the British Government. Forbes convinced King Ghezo of Dahomey to give Sarah to Queen Victoria saying: “She would be a present from the King of the Blacks to the Queen of the Whites.” The young girl

“

was subsequently given the name Forbes as well as that of his ship, the ‘Bonetta’.

She returned to England with Forbes who presented her to Queen Victoria, who in turn gave her over to the Church Missionary Society to be educated. Sarah suffered from fragile health and in 1851 she returned to Africa to attend the Female Institution in Freetown, Sierra Leone. When she was 12 years old, Queen Victoria commanded that Sarah return to England, where she was placed under the charge of Mr and Mrs Schon at Chatham.

Queen Victoria was so impressed by the girl’s natural regal manner and her gift for academic studies, literature, art and music that she gave her an allowance for her welfare and Sarah became a regular visitor to Windsor Castle. Sarah’s genius became admired throughout the royal court and she continued to outshine her tutors with her advanced abilities in all studies.

For her age supposed to be eight years. She is a perfect genius; she now speaks English well, and has a great talent for music. She has won the affections, but few exceptions, of all who have known her. She is far in advance of any white child of her age, in aptness of learning, and strength of mind and affection.

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more than just a month

At the age of 18, Sarah received a proposal from James Pinson Labulo Davies, a 31 year old Yoruba businessman of considerable wealth who was living in Britain. She initially refused his proposal and it is reported that in order to persuade her to accept Sarah was sent to live with two elderly ladies in Brighton whose house she described as a “desolate little pig sty”.

Queen Victoria sanctioned Sarah to be married in St Nicholas Church in Brighton in August 1862. The wedding party, which arrived from West Hill Lodge, Brighton in ten carriages and pairs of grays, was made up of “White ladies with African gentlemen, and African ladies with White gentlemen” There were sixteen bridesmaids. The newlyweds moved back to West Africa and Sarah was baptised at a church in the town of Badagry, a former slave port. They settled in

Lagos where her husband became a member of the Legislative Council from 1872-74 (in which year Lagos Colony was for a time amalgamated into the Gold Coast)..

Shortly after her marriage, Sarah gave birth to a daughter and was granted permission by the Queen to name the child Victoria - the Queen also became her Godmother.

Sarah visited the Queen in 1867 with her daughter then returned to Lagos and had two more children. Later, upon Sarah’s death the Queen wrote in her diary: “Saw poor Victoria Davies, my black godchild, who learnt this morning of the death of her dear mother”. So proud was Queen Victoria of Sarah’s daughter, that when she passed her music examination, teachers and children had one day holiday.

Throughout her life Sarah had a long lasting cough that was caused by the climate change between Africa and Britain. In 1880, suffering from

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 11

F E AT U R E

tuberculosis, she went to convalesce in Madeira off of the coast of West Africa. She died, around the age of 40, in 1880 and was buried in Funchal, Madiera.

Her daughter Victoria was given an annuity by the Queen and she continued to visit the royal household throughout her life.

In his journal Captain Forbes gave an account of his mission with relation to Miss Bonetta.

“I have only to add a few particulars about my extraordinary present The African child”. In a former portion of this journal I have mentioned the Okeadon war; one of the captives of this dreadful slave-hunt was this interesting girl.

It is usual to reserve the best born for the high behest of royalty and the immolation on the tombs of the diseased nobility. For one of these ends she had been detained at court for two years: proving, by her not having been sold to slave dealer, that she was of a good family.

Uncover History at the National Portrait Gallery Camille Silvy - Photographer of Modern Life 1834-1910

So extraordinary a present would have been at least burden, had I not the conviction that, in consideration of the nature of the service I had performed, the government would consider her as the property of the crown.

To refuse, would have been to have signed her death warrant which, probably, would have been carried into execution forthwith.

Immediately on arriving…

Of her own history she was only a confused idea. Her parents were decapitated; her brother and sisters she knows not what their fate might have been .

For her age supposed to be eight years. She is a perfect genius; she now speaks English well, and has a great talent for music. She has won the affections, with but few exceptions, of all who have known her, she is far in advance of any white child of her age, in aptness of learning, and strength of mind and affection.”

illustrate how Silvy pioneered many now

society through the eyes of one of

familiar branches of the medium including

photography’s outstanding innovators.

theatre, fashion and street photography.

Working under the patronage of Queen Victoria, Silvy photographed royalty, aristocrats and celebrities, including Sarah

Camille Silvy, Photographer of Modern Life ,1834-1910, is organised by the Jeu de Paume, Paris, in collaboration with the

Forbes Bonetta Davies. He also portrayed

National Portrait Gallery. The exhibition

Over 100 images, including a large number

uncelebrated people, the professional

is on at the National Portrait Gallery,

of carte de visites, focus on a ten-year

classes and country gentry, their wives,

London until 24 October 2010.

creative burst from 1857-67 working in

children and servants. The results offer a

Algiers, rural France, Paris and London, and

unique glimpse into nineteenth-century

For full details see www.npg.org.uk

James Pinson Labulo Davies and Sarah Forbes Bonetta (Sarah Davies), 1862 by Camille Silvy - 108 x 129mm © National Portrait Gallery, London Sarah Forbes Bonetta (Sarah Davies), 1862 by Camille Silvy - 108 x 129mm © National Portrait Gallery, London For office use ONLY in connection with Camille Silvy, Photographer of Modern Life, 1834-1910 at the National Portrait Gallery, London from 15 July –24 October 2010o

12 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 13

F E AT U R E

“

I went to the World Cup and I got a chance to revisit

Mandela’s history and what he stood up for and achieved as an activist is amazing. I take my hat off to him this BHM.

I

dris Elba got his first acting break as a young boy in Hackney and after some mesmerising, high profile screen performances, is now touted to be the next James Bond.

With acting credits as long as they are varied (and a parallel musical career), Elba is hot, hot property in both London and LA. Isabel Appio tracked the busy man down for a special BHM interview.

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Idris Elba has come a long, long way from his first career break as a backstage hand in a local East End production of Jack and the Beanstalk, LA, his home now, and his acting talent has earned him equal acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. He makes that elusive USA/ UK crossover look easy - a man as comfortable in Canning Town as he is in Tinsel Town.

The young Idris took to acting in his early teens and, with a list of school productions behind him, he won a Prince’s Trust grant to the National Youth

more than just a month

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.

Music Theatre. Aged 16, a passion to succeed meant he snapped up the chance to work night shifts at Ford to help pay his way through his theatre studies.

By his early 20s he had appeared in a variety of television and theatre roles including Absolutely Fabulous and Family Affairs. But the pickings for young, black actors in the UK were slim and in his mid20s he uprooted and moved to New York in search of more challenging roles.

In 2002 (perfecting an American accent) he landed a key role in the hit USA series The Wire. His portrayal of Stringer Bell, the drug dealer with big vision and an even bigger plan - to wield real political power - won him instant international respect and praise.

Other pivotal casting moments include co-lead alongside Beyonce in Obsessed (2009), a Fatal Attraction-like thriller and a lead part as the boss in USA version of The Office. Aged 38, Elba can now call his own shots when it comes to casting and the word is already marking him as the next James Bond.

An equally prolific musician, producer and singer, he is yet to fully expose the world to his musical talent. He’s been DJ-ing “East London Underground” since his Hackney days, having grown up listening to his father’s American soul records and helping his uncle in his wedding DJ business. DJ Big Driis has now shared studio space with the best of them, including Sean Combs, Ludacris and Jay-Z - whose 2008 album American Gangster features a spoken intro by Elba.

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.

Familywise, born of a Ghanaian mother and Sierra Leonean father, Elba was married and divorced in his mid-twenties, (and according to the gossip columns is “dating”. We leave it there. The guy likes his privacy). He has a young daughter in the States by his ex-wife Liberian actress Dormowa Sherman.

Elba is back in London for October for the premier of his independent film, Legacy, showing at the Raindance Festival. It’s a psyclogical thriller about a former black-ops soldier struggling to overcome his demons while caught up in paranoiainducing political intrigue. (see www.whatismylegacy.net for more info and screening details) Elba’s next immediate move is a new series of Luther - the compelling BBC detective series and, judging by his past form he need only to sit back and wait for the offers to flow in.

It’s a lifelong ambition. There are other things I do within the arts which I havn’t exposed yet. I was one of those kids when it came to arts I could do everything pretty well - music, photography, writing.

Most admired figure I went to the World Cup and I got a chance to revisit Mandela’s history and what he stood up for and achieved as an activist 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!

New BBC series of Luther?

Idris Elba on……

Most significant career break?

First career break? I was asked to be a backstage hand aged 16 years old - it was when Danny Baker was starring in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Barking Theatre, that was my career break. The next was getting on to a performing arts course at the National Youth Music Theatre, and the third biggest, 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.

African Experience

I have West African parents.

Unfortunately and embarrassingly I have not been to Ghana or Sierra Leone where my parents are from. I have been to Rwanda, Congo, South Africa and Botswana. My experience of Africa so far is one of awe and I can’t wait to go where my parents are from, which will happen very soon.

Musical Ambitions

day I do definitely aspire putting out a full length album.

Yes there will be a new series of Luther, a second instalment. I’m really excited about it and 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.

The Award-winning film Legacy I’m going to have a film called Legacy at Raindance film festival, London. It’s one of my most ambitious pieces of film as an actor and executive producer. It’s about a black soldier who comes back home to Brooklyn and holes himself up in a hotel room – you start to watch this character unravel in front of you. He has a brother in politics and a web of intrigue unfolds.

It was a great idea and written and directed by young film director - a London guy from Nigeria. He sent me this real passionate email. I just took to him and bosh, we raised the funding and we just made it.

Favourite acting roles Sometimes in April as a soldier caught in Rwandan genocide and now Legacy.

Favourite motto?

I have put out a couple of EPs and one

Born alone, die alone.

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www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

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FFEEAT ATU URREE

Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey (b. 1818 d. 1895)

M

_any people still

ask the question: “Why do we celebrate Black History Month?” Here we look back at the origins of Black History Month and at the life of Frederick Douglass, one most influential black civil rights activists of the nineteenth century and one of the key figures who inspired Black History Month.

In 1926, American historian Carter G. Woodson created “Negro History Week”. Woodson chose the second week of February because it marked the birthdays of two Americans who greatly influenced the lives and social condition of African Americans: former President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass. Over the years the concept has developed into a month of celebration and in the UK we celebrate the event during October.

Frederick Douglass was born in Talbot County, Maryland, and was sent to Baltimore as a house servant at the age of eight, where his mistress taught him to read and write. At about the age of twelve or thirteen Douglass purchased a copy of The Columbian Orator, a popular schoolbook of the time, which helped him to gain an understanding and appreciation of the power of the spoken and the written word.

At the age of fifteen, he was sent to the country to work as a field hand and experienced most of the horrifying conditions that plagued slaves during

the 270 years of legalised slavery in America. He was brutally beaten and was determined to escape to freedom.

After an aborted escape attempt when he was about eighteen, he was sent back to Baltimore to live with the Auld family, and in early September 1838, at the age of twenty, Douglass succeeded in escaping to New York by impersonating a sailor.

He found work as a day laborer in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and after an extemporaneous speech before the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, became one of its agents.

Douglass quickly became a nationally recognised figure among abolitionists. In 1845 he bravely published his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, which related his experiences as a slave, revealed his fugitive status and further exposed him to the danger of re-enslavement.

In the same year he went to England and Ireland, where he remained for two years, speaking on slavery and women’s rights and ultimately raising sufficient funds to purchase his freedom. On leaving Britain on March 30th 1847, he said: “ I do not go back to America to sit still, remain quiet, and enjoy ease and comfort. . . . I glory in the conflict, that I may hereafter exult in the victory. I know that victory is certain. I go, turning my back upon the ease, comfort, and respectability which I might maintain even here. . . Still, I will go back, for the sake of my brethren. I go to suffer with them; to toil with them; to endure insult with them; to undergo outrage with them; to lift up my voice

16| |BLACK 1 BLACKHISTORY HISTORYMONTH MONTH2010 2010| |www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

in their behalf; to speak and write in their vindication; and struggle in their ranks for the emancipation which shall yet be achieved. “ Upon returning to the United States he founded the anti-slavery newspaper, North Star. In the tense years before the Civil War he was forced to flee to Canada when the governor of Virginia swore out a warrant for his arrest.

Douglass returned to the United States before the beginning of the Civil War and, after meeting with President Abraham Lincoln, he assisted in the formation of the 54th and 55th Negro regiments of Massachusetts.

He was internationally recognised as an uncompromising abolitionist, indefatigable worker for justice and equal opportunity, and an unyielding defender of women’s rights. He became a trusted advisor to Abraham Lincoln, United States Marshal for the District of Columbia, Recorder of Deeds for Washington, D.C., and Minister-General to the Republic of Haiti.

Frederick Douglass sought to embody three keys for success in life: •

Believe in yourself.

•

Take advantage of every opportunity.

•

Use the power of spoken and written language to effect positive change for yourself and society.

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 17

QUI Z

The Knowledge

Are you a Black History buff? Find out if you are in touch with your roots, or if you need to go back to the BHM learning zone, with Recognize’s BHM Quiz…

&# Which 1940’s musical starred Cab Calloway, Fats Waller and Lena Horne, the title of which has become Lena Horne’s signature tune?

A Strange Fruit B Stormy Weather C Hearts in Dixie '# Which two brothers performed the legendary dance routine ^c i]Z Òab Hidgbn LZVi]Zg4 A Nicholas Brothers B Harris Brothers C Jones Brothers (# L]^X] H]V`ZheZVgZVc VXidgÉh first known British performance was at the Royal Coburg (now known as the Old Vic) in 1825?

A Idbra Ellis B Ira Aldridge C David Harewood )# Who is known as the Mother of Notting Hill Carnival and the founder of the West Indian Gazette?

A Clarissa James B Claudette Johnson C Claudia Jones *# Name the space shuttle on l]^X] 9g# BVZ ?Zb^hdc lVh Vc VhigdcVji! l]Zc ^c HZeiZbWZg 1992 she became the first WaVX` ldbVc ^c heVXZ# A Star Ship Enterprise B Challenger C Endeavour

A Clothes Dryer B Washing Machine C Dish Washer -# Which scientist has the distinction of being the very first person to successfully transform electric current into light?

A Lewis Latimer B Oliver Bulb C Alexander Bell .# L]n lVh i]Z ^aa^iZgViZ ?ZYZY^V 7jmidc! ]ZVk^an [ZVijgZY ^c the popular English paper, The Gentlemen’s Magazine in 1788?

A He spoke 5 languages B He was a mathematics genius C He invented shoe polish &%# In what business did Madam 8#?# lVa`Zg VcY 6cc^Z IjgcWd specialise before becoming the first black women selfmade millionaires?

A William Blake B Walt Whitman C Robert Browning &*# In 1773, twelve years after she was taken from Cameroon, Phillis Wheatley became the first Diaspora based African woman to do what?

A Own a newspaper B Publish a book C Paint a masterpiece &+# On the 24th August 1981 Charles Chapman became

A St Vincent and The Grenadines B St Lucia C Barbados

&(# Who became the first black writer to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature with the poetry

WWW.BLACKHISTORYMONTHUK.CO.UK

18 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

&)# Which English poet of ?VbV^XVc YZhXZci lgdiZ the masterpiece The Ring and the Book in 1969?

&&# Which Caribbean island has produced a Nobel Prize winner for both Economics and Literature?

A Flanders Fields B If We Must Die C Shape of Kings to Come

A Human Biology B Marine Biology C Brain Surgery

collection Annie Allen in 1960?

A Sterlin A. Brown B Gwendoline Brooks C Frank Yearby

A Cosmetics B Cotton C Food

&'# Name the famous poem

by Claude McKay that was adopted by Winston Churchill Yjg^c\ LdgaY LVg >>#

+# What branch of science was pioneered in Europe before World War II, by the oddad\^hi 9g :gcZhi ?jhi4

52

,# Dc ,i] ?jcZ &-.' <Zdg\Z HVbehdc gZXZ^kZY V eViZci for which utility appliance?

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

the first black swimmer to swim across a geographical lViZg gZ\^dc# CVbZ ^i# A Atlantic Ocean B Mediterranean Sea C English Channel &,# Which player became the first black captain of the West Indian cricket team in 1960?

FEATURE

more than just a month Black History Month Quiz

21

4

A Althea Gibson B Venus Williams C Gail Devers '%# Which British police force did Norwell Roberts join in 1967, Ron Hope become its first black Chief Inspector in 1994 VcY HjeZg^ciZcYZci ^c &..+4 A South Yorkshire Police B Greater Manchester Police C Metropolitan Police

we must die, 13 c Frank Yearby, 14 c, Robert \Zc^jh! &%V 8dhbZi^Xh! && W Hi AjX^V! &' W >[ Dryer, 8 a Lewis Latimer, 9 b Mathematics 5c Endeavour, 6 b Marine Biology, 7a Clothes 7gdi]Zgh! ( W >gV 6aYg^Y\Z! ) X 8aVjY^V ?dcZh! 6chlZgh/ &W Hidgbn LZVi]Zg ! 'V C^X]daVh

''# The late Bernie Grant MP was the elected honorary life president of which political organisation?

A Human Rights Commission B The Equal Opportunities Commission C Law Commission

Browning, 15 b Publish a book, 16 c English, 17

A 1987 B 1988 C 1992

')# Before being elected leader of the British House of Lords, Baroness Valerie Amos became the first black 8]^Z[ :mZXji^kZ l^i] l]^X] independent organisation?

c Frank Worrell, 18 a Viv Anderson, 19 a Althea

'&# Give the year Britonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AVWdjg EVgin cVi^dcVa ZmZXji^kZ member, Diane Abbott become the first black woman ZaZXiZY id EVga^VbZci#

www.recognizeonline.co.uk, www.myspace.com/ recognizebirmingham, www.facebook.com/recognize. birmingham

Gibson, 20c Metropolitan Police, 21 a, 1987,

&.# Who was the first black female tennis champion?

A Barbara Jordon B Shirley Chisholm C Yvonne Braithwaite Burke

Recognize is a community based social organisation committed to raising the profile of Black History and culture within the African and Caribbean diaspora. Our mission is based on the well known notion that whilst we can all name the well known Nelson Mandela, Muhammed Ali, Rosa Parks how would we fare with unsung heroes Olaudah Equiano, Ignatius Sancho, Walter Tull or Mary Prince.

In a time when the British media thrives on publishing negative stories on the black community here is an event aimed at raising the consciousness of the historic contributions by the Black community. We applaud those figures who names and achievements have been omitted from their rightful places in the history books and school history classes.

'' V HiVcY^c\ 8dc[ZgZcXZ dc GVX^Va :fjVa^in

A Viv Anderson B Andrew Watson C Ricky Henderson

'(# Who in 1968 became the first African American woman to win a seat in Congress?

Recognize

^c :jgdeZ! '( W H]^gaZn 8]^hdab! ') W :fjVa

&-# Who became the first black footballer to represent England?

A The Standing Conference on Racial Equality in Europe B One National Forum C Operation Black Vote

Opportunities Commission

A Clive Lloyd B Leary Constantine C Frank Worrell

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 19 BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2009

53

‘The First Black Britons’ is an epic and defining historical journey: from slavery to heroes of the grand imperial age and a struggle for equality. It centres on the incredible hidden history of the British West Indies Regiment, and a unique act of parliament that established them as a new class of citizen ‘Black British’ BHM have five copies to give away of this historical DVD. If you would like a copy then send your name address and email to: giveaways@ blackhistorymonthuk. co.uk and place First Black Britons DVD in the subject heading.

The first 5 people drawn on the 30th October 2010 will receive a copy.

Win a copy of the New Black Inventions Book O2Yourcountrylive.co.uk

Brother to Brother DVD A young mans chance encounter with famous poet Bruce Nugent introduces him to a historical journey into the gay and lesbian subcultures of the Harlem Renaissance and the creative centre for rebellious black artists.

We have five DVD’s to give away to BHM Readers, all you have to do is send us an email with your name and address to giveaways@ blackhistorymonthuk. co.uk stating Brother to Brother in the subject heading.

20 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Tarrus Riley, Nneka, Samini and DJ David Rodigan are among the star performers on 8th and 9th November at this year’s O2 Your Country Live: a fantastic free annual live music event to reward O2’s international calling community in the UK. To be in with a chance to win guaranteed entry tickets to the event and a signed Nneka CD send us your name, Address and contact number to giveaways@blackhistorymonthuk. co.uk stating O2 in the subject heading.

To apply for free standard tickets if you’re not among the winners, O2 customers can text one of the below keywords to a unique number or visit O2Yourcountrylive. co.uk.

Text YC1 to 66102 for Tarrus Riley & David Rodigan on 8th Nov Text YC2 to 66102 for Nneka & Samini on 9th Nov Want to go to the gig but not on O2? Get your free SIM at O2Yourcountrylive.co.uk

Black Inventors, Crafting Over 200 Years of Success, clearly outlines Black inventors from over seventy countries. The book highlights the range of inventions, patents and labour saving devices developed by Black inventors. Africans, before the period of enslavement pioneered a number of innovations such as agricultural tools, building material and medicinal herbs.

BHM have five of these informative books to give away. If you want one the send an email with “BHM NBI Book in the subject heading to: givaways@ blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk For more information on Black Inventors, Crafting Over 200 Years of Success got to: www. globalblackinventor.com

more than just a month

Your fu

ture

Committed

to your future

so sodexo

Sodexo is a world leader in providing On-site Service Solutions with 375,000 employees working in over 30,000 sites across 80 countries worldwide.

We employ 43,000 people in the UK and Ireland, and what makes us such a thriving business is the diversity of these people.

We value diversity and inclusion through a culture that appreciates the skills brought by each individual to benefit our organisation.

We ensure that all people, whatever their age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religious belief or sexual orientation are welcomed and included in our business.

We are proud to join you in celebrating Black History Month.

To find out more about exciting career opportunities and make your future our future, visit www.sodexo.com

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 21

F E AT U R E

‘Celebrating Centuries of Black British History’ – marking the hundreds of years Black people have been in Britain. The fact that Black people have contributed to British society over centuries is often forgotten. As we celebrate our feats internationally we also want to emphasise the pride we have in our dual identity as Black British people, and to articulate that multi-cultural Britain is not a recent phenomenon.

“

This year the Black Students Campaign theme for Black History Month is ‘Celebrating Centuries of Black British History’ – marking the hundreds of years Black people have been in Britain. The fact that Black people have contributed to British society over centuries is often forgotten.

T

__his year the NUS Black Students

Campaign is proud to say that more student unions are organising events and workshops to celebrate Black History Month than ever before.

After years of campaigning, Black History Month is increasingly becoming the firmly rooted institution it is meant to be.

We can never overlook the struggles of our predecessors, great individuals and organizations who challenged the injustice that plagued our communities.

Although we have not yet won the war on inequality, we come increasingly closer as a result of every battle they fought on our behalf. Black History Month gives us a chance to pay homage to these heroes and heroines and to learn from their experiences.

At the moment Black communities are being further stigmatised and marginalised by a resurging climate of racism in society. With the new governments proposed cuts to public services, Black people are amongst those set to fare the worst. We need to be

22 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

joining campaigns and actively trying to make a difference. This is important if we are to try to make this world a better place. It is important if we too want to leave our own legacies. Black History Month gives us a platform to highlight all these issues affecting Black people here and around the world.

Ensuring that Black History Month is integrated into education makes a real difference. Young people like Stephen Lawrence, Anthony Walker and Zahid Mubarek, make up the overwhelming majority of victims of racist attacks.

Education is vital in breaking down barriers and prejudice. This notion is supported by the recommendations from the Lawrence Inquiry, which called for diversity in education. It recognized that learning about the contribution made by Black people to society and civilization is essential in challenging prejudice, which leads to racist violence amongst young people.

This year the Black Students Campaign, theme for Black History Month is

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Throughout the year we will also continue with our campaigns to increasing Black representation, challenging inequality in education, challenge racism and fascism and for international peace and justice.

In November the NUS Black Students Campaign will also have our flagship event, the Winter Black Students Conference. This is a two day training event for all African, Arab, Asian and Caribbean students in colleges and universities across Britain. This year we have made the 1st day of the event entirely free and open to any Black student that wishes to attend; 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 and materials produced by the Campaign for national initiatives, and build your 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.

Yours in unity, Kanja Ibrahim Sesay .

NUS Black Students’ Officer

more than just a month

A registered charity in England & Wales (no.288527) and in Scotland (no.SC039986).

SAFE ort p s g n i g n i Br al u x e s d n a health together

Are you Black or Asian and aged 16-25?

Would you like to use sport to teach your mates about sexual health?

Play it Safe’is looking for volunteers!

If you’re in London, Essex, Yorkshire or Humberside, we can train and support you to plan projects for your friends using sport or any physical activity you choose!

If you’re interested or would like more information, call 020 7803 1660 or email playitsafe@tht.org.uk

Supported by:

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 23

Working at the National Audit Office “I’ve always wanted to do a job which helps to make real improvements to the everyday lives of people. Although I previously enjoyed studying, and later working in academia as an LSE Health Policy Research Assistant, I wanted to be based in a setting where my analytical skills would be applied to the cut and thrust of public policy, examining how public bodies use financial resources to deliver services in the most effective and efficient way.

I had come across the NAO and its unmistakable stamp many times. But when I started to think about working for it, I came to a much better understanding of its importance to government accountability. The impact the NAO has is mainly to do with its reports to Parliament on a whole range of topics of significant public interest: including water pollution, health inequalities, preparations for the 2012 Olympics and student finance. Our recommendations on how services can be improved, which can be seen within the hard-hitting headlines of major newspapers and in key journals can lead to new and innovative ways of implementing departmental policies and delivering services to the public.

In due course, I came to learn that the NAO was an independent parliamentary body, which is charged with holding the government to account in relation to how taxpayers’ money is used to deliver public services. The NAO scrutinises public spending 24 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

on behalf of the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Commons, delivering around 60 so-called ‘Value for Money’ reports, which aim to improve the delivery of central government services.

My role as a Researcher on the Health VfM team is extremly interesting and engaging, and has given me the ability to apply key aspects of my health policy masters degree in a tangible reallife setting. Given that being healthy is an integral part of a fulfilling and happy life, it is extremely important that the NAO can examine whether the Department of Health has the appropriate systems in place to ensure that health-care services are delivered in the most effective, economic and efficient manner.

Over the past year I have worked on many exciting projects, such as examining whether the Department has the appropriate incentive structures in place to improve secondary prevention of stroke; leading on a Good Practice Guide which showcased some of the bestpractice initiatives used to improve the quality of patient care; and using key performance data to identify critical drivers associated with improving NHS hospital productivity.”

Candida Owusu-Apenten,

more than just a month

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. Our equal opportunities policy has the full support of senior management and all staff are respected as individuals: their diverse

qualities, experiences and contributions are valued. If you are interested in a career with the NAO or would like to find out more about the range of career opportunities we can offer you please visit our website: www.nao.org.uk/recruitment 157-197 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9SP Telephone 020 7798 7000 www.nao.org.uk We aim to reflect the diversity of the public we serve

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 25

Going For In the countdown to London’s 2010 Olympic Games, BHM profiles three of our brightest young hopefuls going for gold……

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.

What was your inspiration to take up your sport?

Like many sports that I tried, I found I really enjoyed basketball and adjusted to the new skills with ease.

What are your interests outside of sport?

I enjoy relaxing with a good book, watching Family Guy, chilling with old school friends and hanging out in the city.

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

For me it was when I was in the stadium at 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.

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

Seoul 1998 or any race which late Florence GriffithJoyner ran in the 100m, as a youngster I dreamt I would run for our GB athletics team.

THREE Words best describe you?

Quiet, committed, strong.

Who should light the flame for London 2012?

Dame Kelly Holmes, Colin Jackson, Denise Lewis or maybe all three.

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.

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

Watching Christine Ohuruogu win Olympic Gold in Beijing 2008.

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 in teaching them about the sport and sprinting. I’m also a huge fan of Liverpool FC as well as the LA Lakers.

What three words best describe you?

Competitive, powerful, crazy.

26 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Who should light the flame for London 2012?

Christine Ohuruogu.

more than just a month

Olympic Facts The Official Olympic Flag was created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1914, the Olympic flag contains five interconnected rings on a white background. The five rings symbolise the five significant continents and are interconnected to symbolise the friendship to be gained from these international competitions. The rings, from left to right, are blue, yellow, black, green, and red.

The colors were chosen because at least one of them appeared on the flag of every country in the world. The Olympic flag was first flown during the 1920 Olympic Games.

The Motto In 1921, Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, borrowed a Latin phrase from his friend, Father Henri Didon, for the Olympic motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius (“Swifter, Higher, Stronger”).

A City, not a Country When choosing locations for the Olympic Games, the IOC specifically gives the honor of holding the Games to a city rather than a country.

The First Marathon In 490 BCE, Pheidippides, a Greek soldier, ran from Marathon to Athens (about 25 miles) to inform the Athenians the outcome of the battle with invading Persians. The distance was filled with hills and other obstacles; thus Pheidippides arrived in Athens exhausted and with bleeding feet. After telling the townspeople of the Greeks’ success in the battle, Pheidippides fell to the ground dead. In 1896, at the first modern Olympic Games, a race of approximately the same length was held in commemoration of Pheidippides.

The Creed The Olympic Creed reads: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

The Flame The Olympic flame is a practice continued from the ancient Olympic Games. In Olympia (Greece), a flame was ignited by the sun and then kept burning until the closing of the Olympic Games. The flame first appeared in the modern Olympics at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. The flame represents a number of things, including purity and the endeavor for perfection.

Real Gold Medals The last Olympic gold medals that were made entirely out of gold were awarded in 1912 Opening Ceremony Procession Order During the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, the procession of athletes is always led by the Greek team, followed by all the other teams in alphabetical order (in the language of the hosting country), except for the last team which is always the team of the hosting country. www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 27

F E AT U R E

Beyond the

Boundary

A new exhibition explores cricket, culture, class and politics

B

eyond the Boundary, a photographic exhibition, explores the relationship between cricket, culture, class and politics and how it can be seen as a legacy of British imperialism and colonialism and, paradoxically, as a means of resistance against it.

Through photographs featuring cricketers such as Viv Richards, Paul Adams and Basil D’Oliveira, the exhibition celebrates contemporary players who, by playing in the boundary of the cricket pitch, broke the boundaries of racial discrimination.

The initial introduction of cricket to the Americas, Europe and Africa was a result of the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism. As the sport became more entrenched in the African Diasporas cultures it became a tool of resistance to the regime that had ironically first introduced it. These communities brought about their own identities in their struggle against the imposed boundaries of Empire, colonialism and Apartheid.

Despite exclusion from the elite “white game” throughout the Empire, by the second half of the 20th century the West Indies team became the undisputed world champions. They rode on the wave of nationalism which accompanied political independence in the 1960s, while at the same time Apartheid in South Africa isolated their team internationally.

Beyond the Boundaries is on at the International Slavery Museum www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

Bottom Center : Paul Adams, Courtesy of www.sporting-heroes.net Below: Rhodes University, Credit: PIC/A1319, Corey Library for Historical Research, Rhodes University. Used with permission.

28 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Bottom Left: Poster image, Courtesy of AAM Archives Committee Viv Richards lead image, Courtesy of David Munden/Popperfoto/ Getty Images Left: Richard Benjamin image, Combined Forces West Indian Cricket Team, Aden, circa 1959, Courtesy of Conrad Benjamin

more than just a month

L

ondon is one of the world’s great cities, with a history dating back thousands of years. Right at the heart of this great city is a small area called the City of London. Recognisable to millions of people around the world for its iconic buildings (from the historic such as St Paul’s Cathedral to newer additions such as the “Gherkin”), it’s also recognisable as one of the worlds most important financial and banking centres.

It was the ancient Romans who, from 43 a.d. onwards, started to shape the city we know today. They named their settlement on the river Thames “Londinium” (which gave us the name London) and surrounded their city with walls enclosing an area of roughly one square mile (which gave us the term “the Square Mile”, still used when talking either about the City of London itself or the global financial and commercial activities that take place there).

Always an important centre for trade and commerce, around 800 years ago the City of London and its people became one of the first cities in the world to be granted a form of self government. This predates the establishment of Parliament itself and the City’s form of government has served as a model to other cities for centuries. Today, the City of London Corporation, which

is responsible for services in the “Square Mile” (along with many other duties) can claim an unbroken history of government from those early days.

Throughout this long history the City has always attracted people and commerce from far and wide.

There is evidence of traders and soldiers from North Africa living in London during Roman times for example, while today the City is home to the European operations of a growing number of African banks.

Like the City it serves, the City of London Corporation is itself a diverse organisation, both in terms of the things it’s responsible for and in terms of the diversity of its workforce. For example, in addition to providing all the usual local authority services, it’s unique in having its own police force (the City of London Police). It also finances and runs many large open spaces in and around London such as Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest, the Barbican Arts Centre, Tower Bridge (and four other bridges across the Thames) as well as managing the premises of the Central Criminal Court (better known as the Old Bailey!).

In fact it would be difficult to find an organisation of a similar size with such a wide range of job and career opportunities.

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 29

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more than just a month

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Be fearless in your style! Find more tips on our website to create your signature look using Motions Care products. www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 www.motionshair.com

| 31

F E AT U R E

A

ll over the continent of

The style makes hair grow long and

Africa, hair forms a vital

soft. When properly done it gives

part of body adornment.

the wearer a very unique and exotic

The human head has

appearance. It is a hairstyle that

historically functioned as a canvas for

involves partitioning the hair into

creativity expressing the individual.

sections and wrapping the sections

The head may be adorned in intricately designed hair sculpture due to the variety in thickness, and texture, from tightly curled to wavy and coiled natural hair. Natural hair lends itself to several hair sculpting techniques.

One of the techniques is the practice of “Threading” not to be confused with the removal of unwanted hair and the shaping of eyebrows etc.

Threading is found in many African countries and it traditionally involves wrapping wool, yarn, extra shiny extra strong mercerized cotton or nylon thread tightly and evenly (or unevenly for a specific effect) around small sections of hair.

The hair becomes stiff but pliable and easily coiled or coaxed into bold Geometric shape perched on top of the crown. A 20th century variation on threading involves shiny synthetic thread instead of thread around natural hair (also called Silky Locks).

tightly with shiny black thread and is then folded into different designs.

But the very existence of this hairstyle is under threat in Africa. You hardly see ladies wearing it these days.

This fact became alarmingly clear when I decided to do this feature on threading.

The reactions were enormous. I never imagined that we had so much forgotten about threading hair that seeing someone wearing it would make people think they must come from another planet. The hairstyles attracted so much attention, admiration as well as controversy.

Everyone who saw the styles turned and gave it a second look, many were impressed, their reaction showed that they thought plaiting thread for a modern woman was a daring or brave thing to do. Of course there were still those who called it ‘primitive and uncivilised’. But the commendations were just so much. One gentleman

Everyone who saw the styles turned and gave it a second look, many were impressed ...

32 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

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more than just a month

said ‘wow! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this kind of hairstyle. It reminds me of the good old days. To help protect the endangered art of threading hair you can contribute to promoting it by creatively plaiting it and wearing it with pride at least once in a while. It’s our culture. Portray! Project! and Protect! it.

But the very existence of this hairstyle is under threat in Africa. You hardly see ladies wearing it these days. This fact became alarmingly clear when I decided to do this feature on threading.

Charlotte Mensah Charlotte is the owner and creative director of London’s Hair Lounge. She is extremely passionate about the hair and beauty industry and has received numerous business and hair awards. As well as concentrating on her career she is also a dedicated mum and charity worker. Charlotte regularly donates her spare time to mentoring young single mothers in developing their self motivational skills within the field of hair and beauty.

She is currently building a hair and beauty academy in Accra Ghana and is also one of the leading fund raisers for the Fresh2O charity that promotes clean water and sanitation for Africa and Asia.

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 33

A new, thought-provoking display exploring forced migration is now on at the Museum of London Docklands

‘People and Change’ focuses on the global issue of enforced migration, featuring work by artist Rosemarie Marke, who came to London as a refugee from Sierra Leone. Also presented is work by clients of the Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers, created through workshops led

by Rosemarie.

Centre for Asylum Seekers come from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and South America and range from - 60 years of age. The group were encouraged to reflect the experience of enforced migration and the impact it imposed on their lives.

Although it is 200 years since the transatlantic slave trade was abolished, enforced migration is still a global issue with terrible human consequences.

Political, economic, religious and personal persecution forces individuals and families to flee their homes and start new lives in other countries. Such was the reality for Rosemarie and clients from the Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers.

Rosemarie said: “We offered the group a unique opportunity to truly express how migration changes everything about the world we live in and the people we become.”

In 1997, Rosemarie’s life changed forever. As Head of the Arts for the Sierra Leonean Ministry of Education and an internationally exhibiting artist and teacher, Rosemarie lost her entire collection of work when she was forced to flee the war.

The artists from the Southwark Day

34 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

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‘People and Change’ opens 3rd September 2010 and runs until March 2011. Free admission.

“

In 1997, Rosemarie’s life changed forever. As Head of the Arts for the Sierra Leonean Ministry of Education and an internationally exhibiting artist and teacher, Rosemarie lost her entire collection of work when she was forced to flee the war.

more than just a month

AFRUCA

A

Africans Unite Against child Abuse

FRUCA is a UK based organisation which works to protect African children from abuse no matter where they occur, or who the perpetrator is. Over the last 9 years we have worked to raise the awareness of abuses occurring within the African community and do all we can to stop them.

We offer various services dealing with delicate issues such as domestic abuse, domestic servitude, immigration, trafficking, and work to protect children from other social aspects such as gang culture, education and being safe online.

Our parents training program works to empower parents with the knowledge and confidence to effectively deal with issues surrounding child up-bringing in the UK, while our National Training Programme conducts expert training sessions across the UK for practitioners who work closely with black African children and families. The aim is to

educate and equip workers with confidence and knowledge to deal with cultural and religious aspects which affect African families here in the UK. AFRUCA also works closely with policy makers and has had input into the Home Office Consultation on Human Trafficking and the Victoria Climbie Inquiry, amongst others. AFRUCA is also often asked to provide information and advice to government agencies such as local authorities, the immigration service and the police regarding cases involving African children.

AFRUCA is the only UK based charity actively working on anti-trafficking issues in terms of raising awareness of the risks, the role of the African community in prevention and the roles of various governments. Our ‘Survivors Forum’ provides a refuge for young trafficked victims seeking help and advice.

AFRUCA has a head office in London, and a regional office in Manchester that extends its services to Liverpool, Sheffield and Newcastle. More information about AFRUCA can be found at www.afruca.org

Following the recent Dispatches documentary “Britain’s Witch Children”, AFRUCA has used this opportunity to push for the introduction of a new law to make it illegal for anyone to brand a child as a witch or carry out exorcism rites on children. The legal framework does not recognise the specificity of this issue and we are urging Ministers and prominent figures in the charity sector to support this new legislation.

AFRUCA CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND INVITES YOU TO AN INTERACTIVE SESSION WITH 4 PRESTIGIOUS AFRICAN AUTHORS Precious Williams Abidemi Sanusi Ola Lydia Taiwo Lydia Ogo Akubue-Ogbata Exploring the issues of childhood suffering and exploitation within an African context

Date: Friday 15 October 2010 from 6pm to 9pm Venue: Metro Bar, 6 St. Christopher’s Place, London, W1U 1ND (2 mins from oxford circus and bond street tubes) Entrance fee: £8.00 per person

This is a charity event. % of book proceeds go to AFRUCA! Your donations to AFRUCA are also welcome.

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 35

a greener

future Find out if you could you be a part of the environmental and land-based sector

I

t’s an exciting time to join the environmental and land-based sector.

As the UK strives to increase food production to become more self-sufficient, find greener alternatives to carbon fuels, and combat climate change, there are lots of opportunities to really make a difference and benefit our future generations. But caring for the environment at a local level can also be just as rewarding.

Well designed green spaces boost people’s health as well as bringing pleasure to the masses. Managing sports grounds keeps us at the top of our game whether it is the local golf club, county cricket ground or national football team. A wealth of careers is also available for people passionate about the health and welfare of animals, whether domestic, exotic or wild.

There are more than 300 skilled and managerial job roles to choose from in the sector and Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for the environmental and land-based industries, estimates that in the next ten years these industries will need an additional 215,000 workers. Levels of weekly pay are on average £100 higher than that earned in the retail, hotel or restaurant industry, but there are also plenty of opportunities to become self-employed.

If you are interested in a career in this sector, then one of the best ways of gaining knowledge and experience is by taking a college course or qualification. Apprenticeships are a great way of gaining on-the-job experience and are not exclusively for the young either; with changes in funding support, more people are choosing to become adult apprentices.

36 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

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more than just a month

What could you do?

There is a whole range of jobs available in the sector from caring for animals and wildlife to managing the home turf of your favourite football club or looking after our planet in environmental conservation.

With employers looking for people with more technical skills, for example in machinery operation, animal care and farming, there are lots of opportunities that will offer exciting and dynamic roles that are well rewarded financially.

The sector needs really well rounded, well qualified and well informed people and so Lantra is encouraging young people, career changers and career advisors to take a closer look and see what it might be able to offer.

•

Agricultural Crops

• Agricultural Livestock •

Animal Care

•

Animal Technology

•

Aquaculture

Together time From breathtaking views and gorgeous walks, to stunning houses and bewitching tales. We're closer than you think, so come along for a visit.

Working with local black and minority ethnic communities we are connecting people to places in ways which inspire the involvement of families, and help us understand our cultural heritage.

Members go FREE Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk

• Fisheries Management •

Floristry

•

Game and Wildlife

• Horticulture, landscaping

and sports turf

• Environmental Conservation

• Land-based Engineering

•

Equine

• Production Horticulture

•

Farriery

•

Fencing

• Trees and

TimberVeterinary Nursing

For more information about careers in the environmental and land-based industries call

Call 0844 800 1895 or email enquiries@nationaltrust.org.uk Registered charity number 205846

Full and part-time courses For Animal and Land-based Industries Sparsholt College Hampshire, Winchester SO21 2NF

01962 776441 www.sparsholt.ac.uk

0845 707 8007 or email connect@lantra.co.uk.

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 37

F E AT U R E

C

__hannel 4 aims to reflect the rich and diverse mix of cultures in Britain today.

Resisting the easy route of relegating ‘minority’ programmes to late night corners of the schedule, Channel 4 seeks to bring the full range of British voices into the mainstream, so that programme themes and onscreen roles reflect subjects and characters from every part of the nation’s community.

We want our programming to challenge people to see the world differently; we look for stories outside of the mainstream, that explore alternative points of view. Take for example, our documentary series, Bloody Foreigners, and our powerful single drama, I Am Slave…

38 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

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In a mountainous land, at the edge of its empire, the world’s only superpower was bogged down in an asymmetric war against a deadly insurgency. It sounds like a familiar story, but this is history from almost 2,000 years ago.

Brought to life with animated sequences based on contemporary Roman sources, Channel 4 aired the extraordinary story of the little-known and only black Roman Emperor - Septimius Severus, an African who seized Rome’s Imperial throne in a vicious civil war, and then fought a brutal campaign in Britain helping to forge the English-Scottish divide familiar to us today.

Britain’s African Emperor aired as part of Channel

more than just a month

Britain’s African Emperor aired as part of Channel 4’s Bloody Foreigners season, a series of four drama-documentaries, which highlighted the unsung role played by foreigners at iconic moments and crucial turning points in what we traditional think of, as very British history.

4’s Bloody Foreigners season, a series of four drama-documentaries, which highlighted the unsung role played by foreigners at iconic moments and crucial turning points in what we traditional think of, as very British history.

The season also included The Battle of Trafalgar, which for the first time revealed documentary evidence proving the Navy recruited hundreds of black sailors, many of them exslaves from the West Indies and America. Nelson famously signalled the Battle of Trafalgar with the words: ‘England expects that every man will do his duty’. But of the 18,000 sailors fighting for King and Country, 1,400 of them were not British, with 25 different nationalities in all pressganged into serving the British King.

This film paid tribute to the diverse nationalities that sailed on 21 October 1805 - united not by patriotism, but by a unique opportunity for performancerelated pay. The Admiralty promised every man at Trafalgar – irrespective of race, creed or colour - a fair share of any captured enemy ships. If they defeated the entire Combined Fleet, even the humblest sailor might become the equivalent of a millionaire.

But between these brave foreigners and a potential fortune stood the bloodiest battle in naval history.

And in a tale of more recent times, Channel 4 screened the drama I Am Slave, inspired by real-life events, an extraordinary story of one woman’s fight for freedom from modern-day slavery. Starring incredible international talent Wunmi Mosaku, I am Slave told a powerful story of imprisonment, cruelty and despair, but also one of hope and humanity.

Home Office figures put the number of trafficking victims currently in slavery in this country at 5,000 people.

The real life accounts of displaced

persons sold into domestic servitude here in the UK were the inspiration for this extraordinary film.

Both Bloody Foreigners and I Am Slave uncovered stories that gave an alternative view on the Britain we’re a part of, highlighting the untold stories that built and that make up the country we are today.

Channel 4 believes that the only way to represent the rich diversity of cultures and lifestyles in modern society is with an approach that is itself diverse – one that properly reflects the varied passions, aspirations and concerns of ethnic minority groups, gays and lesbians, people with disabilities and those from different social backgrounds. We are uniquely positioned to bring such diverse perspectives into the homes of mainstream audiences.

Over the past year, Channel 4 has built on its longstanding commitment to diversity with a host of ambitious programmes.

Our major observational documentary series, The Family, followed the day to day life of the Grewals. Made up of nine members spanning three generations, the Grewals presented a new picture of a British Asian Family, all the more illuminating for being far from stereotypical. The programme received a very positive reaction from viewers, especially among the Asian community.

2009 was a breakthrough year for bringing disability into mainstream programming on Channel 4. Actors with disabilities were cast in prominent roles in peak time drama series, including Hollyoaks and Shameless, while Cast Offs starred disabled actors in the six lead roles.

Building on our strong commitment to diversity and disability, Channel

4 won the broadcast rights to The Paralympics, which will be a major event at the heart of 2012’s output.

Already on air in the run up to 2012 is That Paralympics Show – a high-energy, entertaining magazine show introducing members of the ParalympicsGB team presented by Paralympian and broadcaster, Ade Adepitan.

In the casting of our mainstream shows, Channel 4 strives to reflect the rich mix of cultures, lifestyles and ethnicities in Britain today.

Our new E4 drama series Misfits burst onto screens last year, and featured a hot young cast of brand new talent, including the phenomenally talented Antonia Thomas and Nathan StewartJarrett as Alisha and Curtis.

Channel 4 launched Stand Up for the Week - a new late-night series of edgy satirical takes on the big stories and themes of the week, as seen through the eyes of some of the country’s best comedians, including the brilliant Andi Osho.

And after a hugely successful pilot as part of 4’s Comedy Showcase season, new comedy PhoneShop returns for full series as part of E4’s autumn line-up, featuring an amazing ensemble cast, including Javone Prince.

The major focus for Channel 4 over the next year can be summed up as creative diversity. Irrespective of where companies or content creators are geographically, C4 will make it its mission to search out the most cutting edge and creatively diverse hot beds of new talent to work with, and nurture. In 2011 we want Channel 4 to an innovative and forward thinking powerhouse of creativity. Diversity of supply will be an absolutely crucial part of this.

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 39

F E AT U R E

C

__reativity, Culture and

and reflect critically. Above all, creative

a different perspective to learning and

Education (CCE) is an arts

learning and access to culture empowers

understanding across the curriculum.

education charity which aims to

young people to imagine how the world

Through the Find Your Talent pathfinder

transform the lives of children

could be different and gives them the

in Liverpool, Year 8 pupils from Kirkby

and families by harnessing the potential of

confidence and motivation to make

Sports College took part in an African

creative learning and cultural opportunity.

positive change happen.

music project themed around the subject

Paul Collard, Chief Executive of CCE talks about how the organisation’s work impacts on children and the wider community.

Through our flagship creative learning programme, Creative Partnerships, CCE has worked to do this by fostering

At CCE, we take a fresh look at creativity

innovative, long-term partnerships

in education as well as the potential

between schools and a range of creative

for access to arts and culture to boost

professionals, Creative Partnerships has

young people’s aspirations, achievements

helped to tackle a range of issues in

and skills. CCE’s vision is for children’s

schools from improving literacy or teaching

creativity to be encouraged and nurtured

in science to supporting cohesive school

in and out of school and for all children to

communities.

experience and access the diverse range of cultural activity in England because these opportunities can dramatically improve

We know that using arts and culture to support learning can also help to bring

of slavery. This cross-curricular project traced the influence of African music across a variety of genres; from traditional to contemporary forms. The project was led by African artists with live and interactive performances in the school, and composition and dance workshops where children created their own pieces using text from original slave songs. This was complemented by work with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra which linked this into the rich musical culture of their city. Find Your Talent was the pilot

their life chances.

Creativity is at the heart of changing young people’s lives, it gives them the ability to question, make connections, innovate, problem solve, communicate, collaborate 40 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

Creativity is at the heart of changing young people’s lives, it gives them the ability to question, make connections, innovate, problem solve, communicate, collaborate and reflect critically. __

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

more than just a month

cultural offer which provided children and young people with regular involvement with arts and culture both in and out of school. It looked at ways of helping young people discover new things, express themselves, develop a passion and make the most of their talent.

This is just a snapshot of the inspiring activities that are taking place both inside and outside of school. Arts and culture can enrich, change and transform communities, including through strengthening families, increasing community cohesion and play a significant role in social and economic regeneration. We all have a responsibility to do more to make sure that all children and young people are able to develop their full potential and access to these opportunities are too

Creativity, Culture and Education (www.creativitycultureeducation.org) Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE) has a vision for children’s creativity to be encouraged and nurtured in and out of school. CCE believes all children should experience and access the diverse range of cultural activity in England because these opportunities can enhance their aspirations, achievements and skills.

Registered Charity no.1125841

important to be an accident of geography or the privilege of a minority as it really

Our work:

can change young people’s lives.

•

Creative Partnerships – England’s flagship creative learning programme: www.creative-partnerships.com

•

Find Your Talent – how we can help children and young people to access arts and culture: www.findyourtalent. org

To find out more about Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE) visit www.creativitycultureeducation.org

Twitter: CCEinsights www.twitter.com/cceinsights

Have you thought about adoption?

There are lots of children in the UK waiting for loving homes, and last year over 130 found “forever families” with LGBT parents.

Schools Directory, Home Education, Events Calendar, Mental Health,Nutrition, tion, Edutaiment, News, Kwanzaa and much more.....

new family social New Family Social is a network run by, and for, LGBT adopters and foster carers across the UK. If you are considering adoption and are unsure where to start, you are welcome to join us for advice and encouragement. In our group you will find support and friendships that last throughout your adoption journey, for you and your future family.

Mr Nia Imara

To find out more please visit www.newfamilysocial.co.uk or call us on 0843 2899 457

info@nabss.org.uk

With thanks to some of our supporting agencies for sponsoring this advertisement:

07958348558 T: 0800 7316550 www.ealing.gov.uk

T: 0800 0277280 www..barnardos.org.uk

T: 0800 7311845 www..pactcharity.org

T: 01494 586443 www.buckscc.gov.uk

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 41

F O S T E R I N G & adoption

Background of the Family.

The following case gives an example of two children from an Indian background that needed to be removed from their family of origin and taken into foster care.

Mina and Rohit’s experiences in Foster Care.

Rohit and Mina were much happier since their move to Mohan and Rita’s.

Not only were their religious and cultural needs were met but also they had support in facing the harsh reality of racism.

42 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

Mina aged 8 and Rohit aged 6 came into care of the local authority (looked after) because their father and mother had not been able to care for them. The father Vikram, used to physically chastise the children, and the mother Rani used to collude with him. Rani also suffered from mental health problems and was hospitalised for long periods of time.

When she would come home she wanted the children to keep quiet, as she needed to take some rest. There were some incidences of domestic violence also that the children used to get caught into.

Mina and Rohit were placed with white foster carers in an area where they were the only children from a Black Minority Ethnic background. Rohit used to get upset when other children and older people called him names and bully him. He used to ask why they bullied him – the foster carer would say to just ignore them and that it will go away.

Over the two-year period that he lived there, he became angrier and used to lash out at children or the teachers. Often at home he would scream if the foster carers said something and latterly had also started to wet his bed.

Due to these reasons the children were moved to an Indian family – Mohan and Rita who had a 16 year old son Raj. Mina was unhappy at first as she enjoyed the attention she got at the previous foster carer- she said she liked wearing jeans and tops rather than Shalwar Kameez. However as time passed by she

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

enjoyed the festivals – Holi and Diwali being celebrated with lots of gifts, sweets and colourful clothes. Mina started to take pride in her appearance and chose clothes from Indian shops. Being of Hindu religion Mina and Rohit also started to attend the temples along with the foster carer and also started to attend the religious education on Sundays.

Rohit started to look up to Raj and felt safer going out with him and talking to his friends.

Mohan, Rita and Raj shared their experiences of racism with Rohit and Raj told him how to avoid getting into situation where he could be bullied. Rohit said he did not share his experiences of bullying with the previous foster carer as he didn’t want to trouble them, but he said that bullying used to make him angry and he wanted to scream.

Mina also enjoyed the Indian food. She said it reminded of her home, she liked going to the Asian superstore with the foster carers. Mina and Rohit’s parents were vegetarian and these foster carers made various vegetarian dishes. With the previous foster carer the children used to have hamburgers when they went to McDonalds and at their house they were mostly given egg and bread and they missed the Indian food.

The Social Worker commented in her report that “Rohit and Mina were much happier since their move to Mohan and Rita’s. Not only were their religious and cultural needs were met but also they had support in facing the harsh reality of racism.” The birth parents also stopped complaining about their children’s standard of care and were appreciative of Mohan and Rita’s care.

The experiences of Rohit and Mina demonstrate the importance of culturally matched placements, and how the children felt understood by Mohan and Rita.

As they were from the same cultural background they could help Rohit and Mina to value and celebrate their heritage, and to provide them with positive role models which they had been missing in their lives in the past.

Case history provided by Sahara. www.bmeadoptionandfostering.co.uk

Fostering

more than just a month

Jared is creative and loves to paint; he wants to be an artist.

He often paints pictures of the family he wishes he had.

We need someone to fit into that picture. Are you that person?

We hold regular information sessions about fostering. You are welcome to come and meet us to find out more. Call us or go online to find out when the next one is.

020 8937 4538

www.brent.gov.uk/fostering Jared is fictional. However in Brent we have many children just like him who need foster2010 carers. www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk | BLACK HISTORY MONTH | 43

F O S T E R I N G & adoption

O A child who is placed for adoption will have a lot of questions about what it means and why it is happening.

The following

nce you have made the decision to adopt a child, the first thing you will need to do is contact your local adoption agency to make an initial inquiry. After this, your adoption agency may ask you to a meeting where you can meet and chat with social workers and adoptive parents.

Initial application for adoption

If you decide to proceed with the application and it is accepted by the adoption agency, you will be assigned a social worker to undertake what is called a home study assessment.

Home study assessment

leaflets might

the social worker will make a number of visits to your home and will:

be helpful when

•

talking to a child or young person about

•

adoption.

•

ask you detailed questions about your own family background, your childhood and your present circumstances. speak with your partner, children and other members in the household (if any) . interview two personal referees (who you supply).

You will need to have a full medical examination with your own doctor, who will then give the adoption agency’s medical advisor a report. This report will outline your own and your family’s health history. This information allows the agency’s medical advisor to properly assess the health implications of adoption. They can advise the adoption agency of any known health reasons why you would be unable to care for a child under 18.

The home study assessment is demanding, it can feel intrusive, and will take several months to complete. Everything is explored in depth with you. Adoption is for life, and the agency must be sure you are right for 44 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

the role. Just as importantly, you must be certain you can make a success of it.

Adoption panel Once you have seen and agreed with the home study report made by the social worker, it will be considered by an adoption panel. An adoption panel is a body of people who are empowered to consider whether: •

• •

a child in the care of a local authority should be made available for adoption. potential adopters should be approved to adopt. particular adopters are suitable for a particular child or children.

The report will then be seen by the agency’s decision maker, who will be a senior manager in the Children Services Department. The panel’s written recommendation is passed to the decision maker for a final decision to be made.

How long does it take to adopt?

The assessment and approval process should take about eight months from your initial phone call to the adoption agency. Once approved, the process of matching you to a suitable child within the UK can take from a couple of weeks to over a year.

The earliest time a court can make an Adoption Order is 13 weeks after a child has lived with you. On average the adoption process takes two years from the time of the home study assessment to the making of an adoption order. Each case is different however, and it may take longer. for more information please see www.direct.gov.uk

more than just a month

Could I

adopt a

child?

For most people there is good reason to believe that you could be approved to adopt. One of the “issues” that all adoption agencies are aware of is that quite a number of people decide not to apply because they think that they might not be approved. In many instances they are quite simply wrong!

There are some things which might indicate that you should consider delaying your application for a while and other matters that might make it more difficult for you to adopt. There are only a few things that would make it most unlikely that you could ever adopt. We list some of the more often asked questions below: What will not affect your application to adopt Your sexuality Adoption by hetrosexual and gay people and couples should be treated similarly by all adoption agencies. Recent research indicates that gay adopters do a very good job of parenting children and that they have as much as anyone else to offer children who are placed for adoption. You should not expect to face any discrimination because of your sexuality.

Your religious beliefs Agencies will often state that they approve prospective adopters “of all faiths or none”. Your religion may exclude you from being considered for some children, usually where the birth parent has expressed a

desire for them to be brought up in a particular faith, but it will not be a barrier to you adopting.

We are not married Unmarried couples are encouraged to apply to adopt. Couples can be straight, lesbian or gay.

I’m not well off Agencies will want to establish that you are financially secure (eg not threatened with eviction). You do not have to have a certain level of income to adopt.

I’m on benefits You can be employed, self employed or unemployed. It will make no material difference to your application.

I live in rented accommodation Agencies will consider this irrelevant unless you are renting a property where the lease is to end, and where you are expected to move out in the near future.

The list above is not exhaustive.

Please see www.adoption.org.uk for advice.

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 45

F O S T E R I N G & adoption

Could you adopt

a child like me?

B

lack History Month is an ideal time to flag up the campaign that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea launched over a year ago.

The campaign was devised to draw people’s attention to the fact that children from black and mixed heritage backgrounds often wait longer for adoptive families than other British children - highlighting the need for more adopters to come forward from black and minority ethnic communities.

Over the past year, six adoptive families from the black community have been accepted for assessment by Kensington and Chelsea and two have welcomed their newly adopted children home.

Encouraged by this success, the Royal Borough is appealing again for interested people to come forward – especially those with mixed black and white ethnic heritage.

The Royal Borough believes that the best place for children to grow up is within their own

46 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

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family; however, this is not always possible for some children who have had difficult experiences at home.

Social workers want to encourage a wider range of people to think about adopting those children who usually wait longer for an adoptive family – including sibling groups, older children and children with special needs.

Potential adopters can find out more at Kensington and Chelsea’s adoption information event on Thursday 25 November 2010.

The event will be held in Committee Room 3 and 4, Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 7NX between 6.30pm to 8.30pm (prompt start).

If you would like to adopt in Kensington and Chelsea, please call 0800 1832500, or visit www.rbkc.gov.uk/adoptus.

more than just a month

Interested in

Adoption? or long term fostering

We are looking for people from all parts of the community to adopt children from Hammersmith & Fulham At the moment we are looking to find adopters for: • Children over the age of five • Black children and those from dual heritage backgrounds • Brothers and sisters who need to be adopted together • Disabled children and children whose future development is unclear.

If you are over the age of 21 and can offer children a happy and secure permanent home then we would like to hear from you.

For more information please call freephone 0800 781 2332 or 020 8753 2302 Email: adoption@lbhf.gov.uk

Visit our website www.lbhf.gov.uk/fosteringandadopting

Hammersmith & Fulham Council

COULD YOU GIVE A CHILD A CHANCE ?

Integrated Services Programme (ISP) is an independent, not-for-profit childcare organisation providing foster care to children with a wide range of emotional and behavioural needs. We have Centres in Kent, London, Bucks and Sussex. We were judged “Outstanding” in our latest Ofsted inspections.

ISP looks after children from many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds including white UK, African, African-Caribbean, Asian and dual heritage. We are keen to recruit carers from similar cultural backgrounds. In addition, we are currently experiencing a high demand to look after children with various disabilities, children who are involved in the criminal justice system and ‘parent & child’ placed together.

IF YOU HAVE: • life experience • the ability to work with children or young people and parents • the ability to rise to the challenge of fostering • patience, determination and a sense of humour • no children under the age of 8 • a spare bedroom • a career change in mind ISP WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU We offer full training, 24 hour support and a professional fee of up to £770 a week for specific placements.

Could you adopt a child like me?

We need people to adopt children from a wide variety of cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

You do not need to be wealthy or own your own home.

We offer support and financial assistance.

COME TO OUR ADOPTION INFORMATION EVENING Date: Venue:

For an information pack please contact our Fostering Team on:

0800 085 7989 Visit our website for more information : www.ispchildcare.org.uk

Time: Freephone: Or visit:

Thursday 25 November 2010 Committee Rooms 3 and 4, Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 7NX 6.30 to 8.30pm (prompt start) 0800 1832500 www.rbkc.gov.uk/adoptus

Adoption - it’s the magic of being a family

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 47

Ben Fawcitt, 31, Firefighter and Watch Representative for the Black and Ethnic Minority Section of the Fire Brigades Union, Cambridge Fire Station.

“The euphoric feeling that you get when you have saved someone’s life, a thank you card from a resident whose house you have saved from burning down, children who wave at the fire engine as it drives down their street. These things help me realise just how much of a difference our jobs can make to other people’s lives.”

A

Dwight Williams, 30, Firefighter, St Albans Fire Station.

“I have a great job in a role that is satisfying, exciting and demanding. I have personal development opportunities and access to a structured career path.

“I also have the opportunity to make a difference in my community.”

Tariq Khan, 23, Firefighter, Basildon Fire Station.

“I enjoy all the challenges that the fire service brings. I’m a keen sportsman and enjoy maintaining my physical fitness, training together with colleagues practising drills which simulate emergency situations. I also enjoy the non-operational aspect, visiting members of the community and schools delivering fire safety messages.

“Whatever your religion or culture, the fire service treats people with dignity and respect.”

Victor Liburd, 46, Bedfordshire & Luton Watch Manager, Competency and Development.

“I have always enjoyed helping those less fortunate than myself and the fire service prides itself on this.

“I encourage people to join as it is a great way to help in your community.”

Working together to actively support equality & divers 48 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

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more than just a month

An inclusive workforce serving a diverse community

sity

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 49

U N I F O R M E D S E R V I C ES

I became involved with the Fire Service

working with be more confident in what

through my work with the YOT. I

you are asking them to do.

worked with a number of Fire Fighters on our Arson Projects and gave

BHM: How do the male/female ratios

talks to other Fire Fighters who were

affect working life at your particular

training to deliver Arson and F.A.C.E

fire service?

(Fire Awareness Child Education)

DG: I have a very ‘varied’ job but do

programmes. I gave them an insight

spend a lot of my time at Headquarters

into how to deal with difficult situations

where the majority of staff are female

whilst working with young people.

(although in our team of five we have two men), but then when we go out on

D

onna Gyles first became involved with the Fire Service as a young girl and is now an Equality

I think the fact that I worked with the

to the stations the majority are male.

Service and had an idea of some of

To be honest it doesn’t make a lot of

the different work they did gave me

difference, although I will admit, when

the confidence to apply for the job

I first started going out on to stations

of Equality & Diversity Trainer and

to deliver training it was very daunting

Outreach Worker. My role has evolved

(being one of only two females in a

over the past few years and I am now

room full of men).

an Equality & Diversity Adviser with

I don’t feel like that any more.

Outreach as my specialist reference.

& Diversity Adviser with Greater

BHM: What have been your most

Manchester Fire Service. She talks to BHM about her life and work.

BHM: What are the three main

significant achievements to date?

characteristics you have which help

DG: I think my most significant

BHM: Could you tell me briefly about

you succeed in your job, and why?

achievement to date has been setting

DG: For a job like mine I think you

up our ‘Taster Days’ programme.

have to have the following Passion,

The aim of the days / sessions was

Patience & Confidence

to breakdown any misconceptions

you (career and what inspired you to join the Fire Service)?

Donna Gyles (DG): I have worked since the age of 15 but I suppose my first ‘proper job’ was with Barclays Bank (after I graduated) as a Sales and Service Adviser. Over the past ten or eleven years I have had a variety of jobs working in different industries. I’ve worked in banking, in a car showroom, debt management & IT. I spent a number of years working with children and young people as a Residential Social Worker and a Youth Offending Team (YOT) worker.

people may have had about being a I think it is important to be passionate

Fire Fighter and to give them an insight

about what you do and believe in it. I

to the job and the recruitment and

have found that the Fire and Rescue

selection process. It was a lot of hard

Service (as with most public services)

work setting everything up (although

has its own protocols and ways of

I did have a lot of help from my Fire

working so patience helps when trying

Fighters colleagues) and we started

to implement something new. Finally I

to see an increase from people from

have to have confidence because a lot

under represented groups (Women

of my role is about working with people

and Minority Ethnic) coming into the

and their ‘mind sets’. It can be about

Service. It was really rewarding,

trying to open peoples’ minds and

seeing people you met on a Taster Day

maybe even taking them out of their

sitting in front of you on the Recruits

‘comfort zones’. Being confident in

course.

what you are doing helps those you are 50 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

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Coming soon your chance to...

more than just a month

Come into our community to help your own community We at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service are looking to develop our Community Safety Team over the next year or so.

If you are interested in a challenging career and want to make a contribution to your local community, keep an eye on our website www.manchesterfire.gov.uk where details will be available soon.

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 51

U N I F O R M E D S E R V I C ES

Difference makes the difference Equal Opportunities and Diversity Bedfordshire Police has a long and proud history of promoting equality, respecting the individual and building confidence. To reflect the diversity of our communities and among our colleagues, Bedfordshire Police has developed a diversity strategy and a range of actions focusing on the key areas of age, disability, lesbian, gay, bisexual, gender and Transgender, race, religion or belief and social cohesion.

Our diversity strategy follows four guiding principles: •

Every person is unique and should be treated with dignity and respect.

•

Our services should respond to the diversity of our local communities and cultures.

•

Our people are the key resource and investing in them, involving them in decisions, and developing flexible working opportunities delivers better outcomes for people who use our services.

•

By effectively engaging with our diverse communalities we will be able to police effectively.

Our aim is to integrate diversity into day-to-day working environments and activities. Our Diver-

Putting diversity in the spotlight

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MARCH 2009

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2009 THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH

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GIRLS ALLOWED

Building a Great Future

www.pridelondon.org

plugged into the LGBT community

60 Years

Enterprising Women Making Economic Sense

of Women in the Armed Forces

The Official Guide to Pride London 2009

Stand-up with Shazia

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1958 – 2009

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How he made his mark on Black British Music

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LISTINGS EVENTS

1958 – 2009

OF

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THE

Supported by

YOUR AREA WHAT’S ON IN National Listings BHM events

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ALSO

THE Embracing Global Looks BEAUTIFUL GAME GAME BEAUTIFUL Looks THE Global Embracing

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WS

RVIE

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New Site. New News. New Views.

ING

LIST

www.pinkwire.co.uk

www.pinkwire.co.uk

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LIST

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EXC

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with Shazia Stand-up

For further information about our publications and websites please visit 60 www.talentmedia.org Building a Great Future

ALLOWED GIRLS

Sense Economic Making Women Enterprising

THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH

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ENT

Forces the Armed of Women in

to Pride London 2009 The Official Guide

Years

*

INTERNATIONALWOMENSMONTH.COM

2009

®

plugged into the LGBT community

MARCH 2009

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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S MONTH 2008

*

52 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

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sity Unit co-ordinate and promote the diversity strategy, but for it to be a success we all need to do our bit.

Whether you are a Police Officer, Special Constable, Police Staff member of volunteer, in the course of your day-to-day duties you have a responsibility to ensure diversity issues are recognised.

You can do this by: •

Becoming involved in our staff support groups

•

Talking to staff in the diversity unit

•

Identifying any areas where you can help or get involved.

•

Sharing good practice with colleagues

more than just a month

Ghana High Commission launches first Ghana Youth Day to promote achievement and peace among young people

T

__he Ghana High Commission UK in conjunction with Ghana Union and Noble Friends will be hosting the first Ghana Youth Day. The Ghana Youth Day event, for Black History Month, is the Ghana High Commission’s response to the recent sad losses of life to gun and knife crimes, as well as a way to engage young people with community groups.

Those attending will include a representative from the Metropolitan Police, Mr and Mrs Lawson, the parents of Godwin Lawson who was fatally stabbed earlier this year, as well as positive achievers from the Ghanaian community.

Ghana Youth Day is sponsored by Tullow Oil Plc and supported by Ghana Union, Noble Friends, Suban Solutions, Akwaaba UK, OBE TV, Wasanii Studio and Ghanaian Londoners.

These community groups and organisations have come together as they recognise the need for critical dialogues between peers, role models and parents alike.

The theme for this event is, ‘Our Youth, Our Future’, in recognition of the importance of young people to the future of the community. A statement from the High Commission said: “We will redress the negative portrayal of young people and

although opportunities available to them in the UK are narrowing we will inspire our young people to work hard and achieve their best. The Ghana High Commission UK is taking an active role to prevent any further losses of young life and hopes that it can depend upon the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) community as a whole to assist in its cause to do so. Ghana Youth Day is a youth oriented event however, it is an event for all generations as the problems in our community affect us all.”

Kobby Mensah-Kumah, chairman of the Ghana Youth Day Organising Committee says: “This event was borne out of the sadness felt in the Ghanaian community as the lives of our precious sons and daughters are being taken. We want to bring peace back into our community and believe that this is a step in the right direction for doing so.”

This event was borne out of the sadness felt in the Ghanaian community as the lives of our precious sons and daughters are being taken. We want to bring peace back into our community and believe that this is a step in the right direction for doing so.

Further information www.ghanayouthday.com.

GHANA YOUTH DAY, SATURDAY 2ND OCTOBER 2010, TOTTENHAM GREEN LEISURE CENTRE, 1 PHILIP LANE, LONDON N15 4JA, 11:30AM - 18:00PM.

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 53

TEACH UK

ATL, the education union, explains what you need to consider Teaching is a wonderfully rewarding career but it can also be challenging and you need to be realistic about what you hope to achieve by entering the profession.

You are considering a career that is interesting, rewarding and stimulating. Of course, it can also be stressful and demanding at times, but most teachers wouldn’t do anything else. As a teacher, you’ll get to work with a wide range of people of all different ages and backgrounds moreover, you’ll also have fun.

At the ATL website www.atl.org.uk, you can find out more what it’s like to be a teacher, how you train as a teacher and how to get a place on the teacher training course you want.

Here are some initial frequently asked questions about life as a teacher.

What kind of qualifications will you need to become a teacher?

To become a fully qualified teacher in state schools in England and Wales, you’re going to have to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This will almost certainly mean completing a programme of initial teacher training (ITT).

What kind of experience will you need to become a teacher?

Experience of working in schools or with youth groups, for example, are important aids to learning more about what it might be like to be a teacher and also in getting onto the 54 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

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Many entrants to the profession are older individuals who are changing careers and looking to take on new challenges. In fact, teaching is one of the most popular choice of occupation for those planning a career change.

ITT course you want.

Other issues to consider If you have thought seriously about a career in teaching, you will already have thought through many of the issues below. Use these points as a checklist to ensure that you’ve considered the impact of your decision on every area of your life.

• Your current financial commitments: will you be able to support yourself during a year or more of study?

• Opportunties: are there many teaching/ITT opportunities in your area? Would you be willing to relocate if not?

• Travelling: how far are you willing/able to travel for work/training?

• The structure of the academic year: what’s the impact of the termly structure on how you like to work? What impact might it have on the holidays you and your family/friends can take? How will you manage with the ‘peaks’ of busy times within the school year?

16318 ATL BHM Pub 254(h) x 89.5(w) HATS:Layout 1

27/8/10

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• Work/life balance: will you find the time for lesson planning, marking etc?

• Age groups: what age group do you wish to teach? Do you have any work experience with that age group?

• Subjects: would you prefer to teach one or two subjects in depth (secondary) or a broader range of subjects (primary)?

• School culture: what kind of school culture would support how you wish to teach and interact with pupils? Depending on how long it’s been since you’ve been in a classroom, you may need to consider the extent to which it will have changed in that time.

• Challenges and difficulties ahead: how do you cope with challenges? Teaching is a rewarding and also challenging career. Pupil/parent behaviour, the national curriculum, structures of school buildings, school culture, community profile are among the issues that can be the cause of either support or challenge for teachers. It may not always be possible to find the perfect school for you at particular points of your career and it’s worthwhile considering how you would meet the challenges that such a situation can present.

ATATL PROTECTION IS NOT ONESIZE-FITS-ALL. WE OFFERYOU TAILORED SUPPORT THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER, AS WELL AS AT TIMES OF NEED. As the UK’s leading education union, ATL invests heavily in the areas that matter most to our members. From legal advice and representation on a range of professional and employment issues, to training and CPD opportunities that can lead to a foundation or masters degree, ATL meets your needs throughout your career.

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

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Local rates apply.

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 55

1

TEACH UK

Thinking of changing your career?

Looking for new challenges? Want to contribute more to your community. Then teaching may be the profession for you.

Many entrants to the profession are older individuals who are changing careers and looking to take on new challenges. In fact, teaching is one of the most popular choice of occupation for those planning a career change.

Initial teacher training (ITT) providers and potential employers welcome the increased confidence that maturity brings. As any other prospective student or teacher, you will need to demonstrate your reasons for wishing to become a teacher and a commitment to helping children and young people learn.

Remember also that new discrimination legislation came into force in October 2006 meaning that no-one can be turned down on the grounds of their age.

What you bring as a mature student Experience of a different sector: commercial/financial/ public service etc.

Transferable skills.

Enthusiasm for new life experiences.

Financial concerns.

Many mature entrants to ITT courses are making a financial sacrifice, giving up careers to train as a teacher because of the intrinsic rewards of teaching.

However, financial commitments are often particularly important for mature students. There are employment based routes you can take which offer a salary while training. You could also look into part-time or flexible PGCE courses, details of which can be retrieved from the Teacher Development Agency and Graduate Teacher Training Agency websites.

Commitments When finding an appropriate ITT course and provider, you may also want to consider your mobility needs. You may be restricted geographically in terms of ITT provider and / or available schools for placement. It is important that you identify your needs and take them into account when searching for an appropriate ITT provider.

Not having the correct qualifications While there is no ‘let out’ on having the right qualifications, providers are often more sympathetic to mature candidates in allowing them to sit or resit an equivalence test, rather than having to resit the relevant GCSE. Useful websites: www.gttr.ac.uk/www.tda.gov.uk ATL is the education union – led by education professionals from across the sector and throughout the UK.

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more than just a month

Why return to

teaching?

As a former teacher, your skills and experience both in and out of teaching are valued highly by schools.

If you have experience of teaching any of the following subjects at secondary level, your skills are in even greater demand: • • • • • • • •

Maths Science English, including drama Information and communications technology Design and technology Modern foreign languages Religious education Music

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Before you make a decision about returning to the profession, it’s useful to understand the information, resources and support available to you.

These include: • pay scales and career development opportunities • flexible working arrangements • improving your behaviour management skills • the role of support staff in the classroom The TDA funds a return to teaching helpline offering advice and support to help you make an informed decision.

Call 0845 6000 993.

Page 1

Assistant Headteachers and School Business Managers are eligible for full membership of NAHT

Effective union support and professional advice for just £15 per month and no price increase until January 2011 NAHT is an independent trade union and professional association representing over 28,600 members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In addition to effective union support and professional advice, NAHT: • negotiates on pay, conditions and pensions in the interests of all school leaders; • focuses on leadership issues across the education spectrum; • delivers effective CPD training programmes many geared specifically towards assistant headteachers and school business managers • access to a wide range of member benefits and educational services are preferential rates.

To request an application form call the Membership Recruitment Team on 01444 472 414 (quoting BHM365 ), email joinus@naht.org.uk adding BHM365 in the subject line or visit www.naht.org.uk to join online. www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 57

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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more than just a month

Life as a teacher :

Career prospects

The joy of teaching lies within the interactions teachers have with children. But, teaching is a rewarding profession in more ways than one, offering fantastic career prospects and development opportunities.

a particular subject as head of department, faculty or curriculum; a particular age group as head of year or key stage coordinator; or a particular area such as special educational needs or pastoral care (i.e. personal guidance).

There are a number of ways in which teachers can progress in their careers, either within the classroom or in a leadership role.

Ultimately, you could progress to a senior management position such as deputy head, assistant head or headteacher - at which point you will have overall responsibility for the management of a school and the education its pupils receive.

In primary schools you can (cont...)

In secondary schools you could move up and across the management structure to gain responsibility for:

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 59

TEACH UK

take on responsibility for coordinating key areas such as literacy, numeracy or special educational needs; and you can move into senior management by becoming a deputy head or headteacher.

Additional responsibilities There may also be opportunities to take on additional responsibilities outside of the classroom setting. Sarah Stead is a French and Spanish primary school teacher. At the heart of Sarah’s approach to teaching is a belief in getting her pupils immersed in a culture – and not just in a book.

‘We’ve loads going on. We’ve got an international week coming up which they’re getting so excited about. It’s not just reading out of a book; it’s about bringing the language and culture to life.’

Sarah’s skills and enthusiasm have led her to become an ambassador for the British Council, promoting international links between schools – which has meant a lot of welcome travelling.

‘It’s so great to watch the children learning about the other cultures and languages. I love it.’ Sarah Stead Progressing towards leadership I started life as a mathematics supply teacher before moving into school management. Now I’m the local authority’s head of school improvement.

Rob Bricoe Head of school improvement, Tower Hamlets There are also several schemes that are targeted at leaders in education. Accelerate to Headship, for instance, is an intensive leadership development programme for outstanding individuals with the ability and commitment to follow this accelerated route to becoming a headteacher.

Middle leaders in primary and secondary schools (established subject or special educational needs coordinators) can take advantage of the ‘Leaders from the Middle’ programme, which provides professional development in the form of face-to-face and online training and works towards developing school, team and individual priorities.

The National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH)

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is suitable for those wanting to become a headteacher. For more information about headship programmes, visit the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services website or, in Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government - Education and Skills website.

Further information Register with the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) to receive a free, straightforward guide to becoming a teacher and find out if becoming a teacher can give you the career you’ve dreamed of. The TDA runs a series of events throughout the year, giving you the perfect opportunity to get all your questions about a career in teaching answered. www.teach.gov.uk For more details on a teaching career see www.prospects.ac.uk

• • • •

Are You...

dedicated to improving the quality of children’s lives? passionate about sharing your knowledge? looking for an interesting and challenging career? considering in a career in teaching?

Our Post Graduate Certificate in Education courses are stimulating and challenging, designed to prepare trainees to become outstanding classroom teachers in state schools throughout the United Kingdom, and to equip trainees for leadership roles in those schools in the future.

We run PGCEs for: Early Years and Primary Teaching Secondary Teaching – Design and Technology, Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), Classics, Art & Design, English, English/Drama, History, Geography, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Religious Studies and Music.

We are looking for committed trainees who reflect the diversity of Britain in the twenty-first century to join us in helping to establish a world-class state education system.

www.educ.cam.ac.uk/pgce/ Faculty of Education

Contact PGCE Admissions Email: pgce-admissions@educ.cam.ac.uk Tel: 01223 767600

more than just a month

St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College 10 Malwood Road, LONDON, SW12 8EN Tel: 020 8772 6070 Fax: 020 8772 6099 enquiries@sfx.ac.uk www.sfx.ac.uk St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College welcomes applications from all students who wish to continue their education in a Christian environment. As a top performing College in Inner & South London, we offer prospective students:

• • • • •

A wide range of AS/A Level and BTEC courses Consistently good examination results (99.1% pass rate in June 2010) A sixth form tutorial system Teaching by subject specialists An outstanding record of student progression to top universities

OPEN DAY

Saturday 13th November 2010 10.00am—2.30pm

Prospective students for September 2011, who must be accompanied by parents, are invited to meet the Principal, Staff and Students of SFX. Parking available for disabled drivers only.

Educating through a Christian environment

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 61

F E AT U R E

African Lesbians

By Skye Chirape, a lesbian activist and refugee from Zimbabwe

G

rowing up in Zimbabwe as a female I was irrelevant. As a lesbian, I was non-existent and my visibility would have cost me jail time, ‘corrective’ rape, forced marriage, banishment or even my death. Throughout my life in Zimbabwe there was not one single portrayal anywhere of gayness, queerness or lesbianism combined with Africaness. The only person that I had ever heard of being gay was Elton John and even that was spoken of in whispers. Africans it seemed were not gay, and so I had nowhere to place or understand the feelings that were abound within me.

Zimbabwe as of most of Africa follows a patriarchal macho society, with clearly defined roles of men and women, this combined with the fact that community and family are of greater importance than the individual.

All females feel pressure to live up to expectations of the family and community. When one does not live up to these expectations or roles one is seen as a threat and of bringing shame to their family. Family is everything in Zimbabwean culture. The extended family and wider community have immense power and have a say in your ability to succeed, your access to employment, education and your life. Without the support of family in Africa, it is simply not possible to survive. In some cases this importance placed on family and community can be immensely positive as long as you as an individual do not fall outside the accepted ‘norms’ of that society.

As a visible lesbian in African society my sexuality would be punishable by any one of these actions: ‘corrective rape’, imprisonment, honour killings, public floggings, burning, stoning and forced marriage.

62 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

However you cannot discuss the culture of any African country without acknowledging the effects that 100 years of intrusive European political, social, cultural and economic rule has had on those countries.

Prior to European involvement in Africa there is evidence of same-sex unions being tolerated, understood and acknowledged within traditional cultures. Boy wives and female husbands are prevalent in oral

traditions of the Bantu tribes in Kenya such as the Kikuyu and the Kamba.

In the Nile region, Kalenjin, womento-women marriages were welcomed and were accepted as alternatives to heterosexual marriages. In these tribes elderly women are encouraged to take on female wives, not solely for the sake of inheritance but also as a way of promoting procreation.

In South Africa and Southern Africa, Zimbabwe included, there is a tradition that is acknowledged to this day of ancestral marriages of female traditional healers (sangoma) to other women.

During the colonialist and apartheid-

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era ‘sangoma’s’ were portrayed as evil and primitive witchdoctors. However the same-sex sangoma’s still hold some respect to this day and because of this they are not subject to the macho misogynistic society that promotes the “corrective rape” of women as a way of curing them of their lesbianism that has become so much part of the modern black South African culture.

You may not agree that the aforementioned relationships could be classified as “lesbianism.” But then Africans have always suffered at the hands of the European trying to get to “the Heart of Africa” by observing it through a very Eurocentric colonialist lens.

With its laws in one hand, and The Bible of condemnation on the other, colonialism wiped away the old African world and the new world is a consequence of European colonial rule. Contrary to popular belief colonialism did not bring homosexuality to Africa. Colonialism brought homophobia and Victorian laws regarding Victorian-era definitions of sexual identity. The hold that Christianity has over Africa cannot be underestimated. Of recent years, this has taken on a new level of extremism fuelled and financed by the ever-growing power of rightwing American evangelists. This tidal wave of religious zealousness has birthed a witch-hunt across many African countries against lesbian, gay bisexual transgender and inter-sex (LBGTI) people, such as the tabling of the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill which proposes the death penalty for repeat homosexual act. There is also high profile imprisonment of LGBTI and perceived LGBTI individuals, such as Steven and Tiwonge in Malawi, and the endemic ‘corrective’ rape of

more than just a month

lesbians in South Africa, where it is estimated that 10 actual or perceived lesbians are raped every week in the misguided hope of ‘correcting’ their sexual orientation and ‘curing’ them of their lesbianism.

Hence in many African societies, LGBTI people are mostly invisible, silenced and forced to live in the closet or risk death.

I am a refugee. Many other LGBTI people such as myself have been forced to flee our countries to seek asylum in order to be who we are and to preserve our lives. As it stands, eight countries in the world still carry the death penalty for homosexual acts.

These are Yemen, Iran, Mauritania, Sudan, northern Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and the United Arab Emirates.

In Zimbabwe, the UK is often portrayed as a ‘democratic society of human rights.’ I came here to seek asylum on the grounds of homophobic persecution in Zimbabwe. I was shocked by the appalling treatment I received at the hands of the Home Office. At first, when I applied for an extension to my visa they ‘declined’ my application. Then they proceeded

to withhold my passport from me not for a month or two but for seven years. For seven years I was effectively a prisoner in the UK. Unable to go home, unable to move forward, unable to try my chances at claiming asylum elsewhere. I was left with no official identification papers that said who I was and where I had come from. For seven years I wrote letters to the Home Office begging for my passport. I was unable to work, unable to rent accommodation and unable to continue with my studies. I had no family here. I was a stranger, far from home and forced into vagrancy by the Home Office. I would not wish this situation on anyone. I cannot describe to you the isolation and loneliness one feels to be walking the streets in a city so far from home. Sleeping on buses and being forced to work illegally in shit jobs for shit pay.

I was eventually detained and interned in a detention centre in Dover. Make no mistake about it, detention centres are prisons. Your basic freedoms are taken away. I was transported through the night in a van, confined with an inner cage. It is common practice to transport asylum seekers through the night and in ‘meat wagons’. On arrival

at Dover, I was finger-printed like a criminal and had all my possessions removed, except the clothes that I was standing in. I was locked up, unable to go outside when I desired and unable to eat when I desired. I had to ask permission to use the bathroom, so the doors could be unlocked. I was locked in a cell at night. Stripped of all my basic human freedoms, I was made powerless - held in a room with bars at the window and cold walls. I had travelled so far to seek safety in England, only to find that it was a country that incarcerates refugees – even children - in detention centres; people whose only crime has been to flee persecution or who have had the misfortune to have been trafficked here.

I did eventually win my right to stay in the UK. But the Home Office fought me all the way. I took them to appeal and represented myself in court - and won. I eventually received my passport back. I am a refugee. I am black. I am African. I am a lesbian. But I am not just these labels. I am so much more than that. I am a human being with all the hopes and dreams of other human beings.

Gay and Black, They don’t really go together do they?

By Godwyns Onwuchekwa, gay Nigerian human rights campaigner hese are views that black and African detractors of homosexuality have often, in my experience, expressed over the years. From Libya to Malawi, Nigeria to Kenya, Jamaica to Somalia, the argument is the same. The gay black person is still, to a large extent, deemed a myth. We are non-existent.

History shows that homosexuality has always existed in Africa.

The northern Nigeria Hausa language refers to it as: dan-dauru/ dan-dauda. While in the south-eastern Nigerian Igbo [or Ibo] tribe, there has been the practice of women who married women as far back as unrecorded oral history can remember. In fact, one of my own maternal aunties in Nigeria, who claimed to be the priest of a particular goddess, did ‘marry’ a wife.

Other evidence has been found among Amhari people [Wändarwäräd ] of Ethiopia, Sudan and Eritrea and also the Maale people. cont...

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F E AT U R E

Nonetheless, many present-day lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) African people face great oppression, including family rejection, violent attacks, blackmail, religious intolerance and criminalisation. No wonder low selfesteem is a common problem among LGBTI Africans. They often grow into introverted individuals whose lives are mired in selfmisunderstanding and self-distrust; choosing double lives of open heterosexuality and secret homosexuality. I know this can cause many ill-consequences: substance abuse, career under-achievement, dishonesty in relationships and personal unhappiness.

However, there are some determined individuals who choose self-acceptance and to live their lives as open, proud African LGBTI people. Often they seek, like I did, to escape from homophobic oppression in Africa. They pursue migration or asylum in countries like Britain, in order to avoid the risk of discrimination, prison and death.

·

But this escape involves tough challenges.

Many of us experience racism from white Britons, plus the trauma of not being accepted by African straight people who have settled in the UK. These Africans in Britain often share the anti-gay attitudes of their home countries – the same bigoted attitudes that many LGBTI people have fled from. Strangely enough, black people born in Britain sometimes don’t seem to be any more understanding. They can be homophobic too.

This is why some LGBTI people of African origin have come together to form Justice for Gay Africans [JfGA] - a pressure group to give a collective voice for LGBTI Africans and to provide a platform to challenge our societies, both in the UK and back in our homelands, on the issue of homosexuality.

JfGA are determined to make a difference so that in years to come, Black History Month will always be a positive, inclusive celebration of all that is black, including LGBTI people of African origin.

Godwyns Onwuchekwa is the founder of the Justice for Gay Africans [JfGA] which is campaigning against state-sponsored homophobia in African countries. Godwyns was born in Nigeria and moved to the UK in 2004, where he has worked in the sexual health and HIV sector. To read more about JfGA, see the website: www.jfga.org.uk and for more details email: info@jfga.org.uk

“QUIET, THOUGHTPROVOKING...JOYOUSLY DIGNIFIED, POETIC AND EARTHY. ” CULTUREVULTURE.NET

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R EV IEW

Brother to

Brother B

Review by Robert Ingham

rother to Brother is a wonderfully absorbing drama about Bruce Nugent who, now an elderly man, meets a gay teenager in a New York homeless shelter and reminisces about his time as a writer and painter in the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s.

Whilst it is a fictional story, it is based in reality and told in sweeping flashbacks.

This is an intelligently written and stunningly acted portrayal of a part of African American history that has not really been addressed before. Whilst this side is told in black and white, the characters spring to life, rich and rounded, and illustrates that it doesn’t matter what generation you are from – we all face the same problems when fighting for what we believe in and for acceptance in our society.

The story opens on Perry (Anthony Mackie), a black teenager studying art who, whilst standing up for his rights as a gay man, faces antagonism from another student who “doesn’t want to hear about all that sh*t”. Perry has been kicked out of home and disowned by his family for being gay but finds solace in another guy in his class, Jim, who is straight/curious – and white.

It is easy to be sceptical and say this film portrays that era with a glossy coat but this is told from Bruce’s point of view, about the most important part of his life, so a sheen is allowed.

Plus for those that have no understanding of the Harlem Renaissance this is a sumptuous and affecting introduction.

What starts off as a seemingly routine and unoriginal film about war on race and sexuality blossoms into a beautiful story about finding friendship where you least expect it and kindred spirits that transcends the decades.

As Perry and his friend Marcus, an aspiring writer, talk they are interrupted by an old man quoting poetry. This old man seems to be wherever Perry is and turns out to be Bruce Nugent (a riveting and nuanced performance from Roger Robinson), who wrote a short story that has been deemed by many to be the first publication by an African American openly depicting homosexuality. Perry’s thirst for knowledge and desire to expand his horizons leads Bruce to tell his story of the Harlem Renaissance and we are introduced to his bohemian, hedonistic days of youth.

Brother To Brother was brought out in 2004 but seemed to miss the accolades it deserves.

It is a warm tale, bringing together two people who are almost two sides of the same coin. It will leave you wishing that everyone could meet someone who inspires them to be the best they can be through their wisdom, wit and wonder.

Brother To Brother is from Peccadillo Pictures and released on DVD on 4th October.

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arts

Fela!

A captivating musical depicting the life of one of Africa’s most legendary figures is getting standing ovations both in London and on Broadway, USA Fela!, the musical immortalises the legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti whose soulful Afrobeat rhythms ignited a generation. The show is a triumphant tale of courage and passion, featuring Kuti’s captivating music and the visionary direction and choreography of Tony Award-winner Bill T Jones. Inspired by his mother, a civil rights champion, Kuti defied a corrupt and oppressive military government and devoted his life and music to the struggle for freedom and human rights.

Sahr Ngaujah (who won an Obie Award for his performance as Fela Kuti) leads a new cast for the London production, with Rolan Bell alternating the role at certain performances.

Fela Ransome Kuti was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in 1938. His father was a Christian schoolmaster and minister and his mother was a feminist leader, who was very active in the anti-colonial Nigerian women’s movement during the struggle for independence.

Fela was educated in Nigeria amongst the indigenous elite. Ironically, many of his classmates in his Nigerian school would become the very military leaders he so vociferously opposed.

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was arrested more than two hundred times in his life, and charged with almost every conceivable crime, although only serving one eighteen month sentence in jail for a currency violation. Despite this constant harassment he continued to live in Nigeria. His death in 1997 of complications from AIDS deeply affected musicians and fans internationally, as a unique and ineffable musical and sociopolitical voice was lost.

In Nigeria one million people attended his funeral. His incredible body of work, almost 70 albums, is now available all over the world.

In America, the Broadway show is produced

by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. Last month the show was joined by Grammy Award-winning, multiplatinum recording artist Patti LaBelle who joined the cast as Fela’s mother (Funmilayo Anikulapo-Kuti).

Fela! is currently showing at The Olivier Theatre, Royal National Theatre, Southbank, London SE1. www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/felalondon.

Inspired by his mother, a civil rights champion, Kuti defied a corrupt and oppressive military government and devoted his life and music to the struggle for freedom and human dignity.

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more than just a month

‘An ecstatic phenomenon.’

‘Radiates joy.’

Entertainment Weekly

Celebrating and supporting professional performance artists

‘There should be dancing in the streets.

There has never been anything like this.’

Ben Brantley, New York Times

Follow us

www.equity.org.uk 020 7379 6000 188 x 125_BLACK HISTORY MONTH HALF PAGE

12/10/10

Time Out, New York

From 6 November Tickets from £10

No booking fee

020 7452 3000 • felalondon.com

London SE1 9PX 17:39 South PageBank, 1

Waterloo, Southwark, Embankment

MHO proud to support Black History Month, here to help you.

We are an award winning business, with a great track record. For almost 30 years, MHO has helped low and moderately paid working people buy or rent a decent, affordable home.

We have helped over 35,000 households into homes of their own, including 5,000 key workers.

As well as providing new homes and financial products to thousands of households who would otherwise be priced out of the property market and the private rental sector, we provide marketing and asset management services to businesses.

We invest in the communities we work in by supporting projects for local people, and we support households in financial difficulty looking to stay in their homes.

We don’t just help people onto the property ladder; we help them to stay on it. We are Affordable Housing Provider of the Year, 2010 as voted for by readers of First Time Buyer Magazine. We are part of MHP, one of the leading charitable housing associations in England, managing over 35,000 homes. We put our customers first, we are business effective, we deliver best value and we care for our staff.

Our vision is ‘Improving Life Together’.

Our Housing Options service, run in partnership with L&Q, helps Londoners find affordable homes to own and rent from over forty housing providers.

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 67

L IF E S T Y L E

Annetha’s Great British Cake Bake ANNETHA’S BHM RUM CHOCOLATE BROWNIES (with Almonds) 125g dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids (broken) 125g butter

1tsp mixed ground spice 50g almonds grounded 30g almond flakes

250g dark muscovado sugar 3 eggs

Oven temp 180 °C/350F/

3 tbsp rum

Gas mark 4

1 tsp vanilla extract

8” square tin

125g plain flour (sifted)

1. Preheat your oven.

2. Line the base of 8” tin with greaseproof or baking parchment paper.

3. Melt the butter and chocolate in a glass bowl over a simmering saucepan of water or (microwave for about 30 seconds). Stir with a spoon until smooth. Set aside.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, rum and vanilla until smooth.

5. Add the melted butter and chocolate to this mixture and combine.

6. Gently fold in flour ,mixed spice and ground almonds. Pour into the lined tin.

After discovering her gift for baking, Annetha Mills decided to develop her skills and launch her own unique cake making services via www.westindiancakes@mail.com.

It all started back in 1998 when Annetha was asked to bake an engagement cake and received enthusiastic feedback.

She was inspired to travel to numerous Caribbean islands - taking in Jamaica, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and many more - in search of traditional cake baking methods which would develop her own signature recipes.

During this time, Annetha was studying at Kings College London University, she then decided to turn her passion to writing about British and West Indian foods.

ANNETHA’S MANGO TART Serves 6

7. Sprinkle the almond flakes on top of the mix.

3 sweet firm mangos

8. Bake the brownies for approx 25 minutes.

Pinch of mixed spices

Allow the brownies to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes. Cut into 16 squares.

375g puff pastry sheet

6 tsp dark brown sugar 6 tsp butter

Oven temp 180 °C/350F/Gas mark 4

1. Peel each mango and slice the two halves (lobes) away from the seed.

2. Slice , finely each mango lobe and place on a lined baking tray with greaseproof paper.

3. Sprinkle the mangos with 1 tsp each with sugar, butter and pinch of spices.

4. Bake for about 10 minutes and leave to cool.

5. Roll your pastry out approx 3mm thick and cut out 6 circles or ovals.

6. Place the cooled mango onto the puff pastry circles and bake for 15- 20 minutes, until golden.

Serve with fresh cream or ice cream.

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more than just a month

UNITE the Union Celebrating Black History Month This year UNITE the Union is paying particular tribute to the many black workers who have played a huge role in the public sector, especially at this time when severe cuts are being made.

The membership of UNITE is made up of workers from across all industries, in the Public, Private and Voluntary Sectors throughout the Britian & Ireland.

Unite the Union is committed to:• 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

Joint General Secretaries: Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson Collette Cork-Hurst National Officer, Equalities

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk To Join UNITE the Union |

visit www.unitetheunion.com

BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 69

Extraordinary

Heroes T

he Imperial War Museum London opens the Lord Ashcroft Gallery, its first major permanent gallery for ten years, this November. The new gallery will house the Extraordinary Heroes exhibition containing the world’s largest collection of Victoria Crosses (VCs), which has been established by Lord Ashcroft since 1986.

The exhibition will feature a portrait of Private Johnson Gideon Beharry VC who served in the 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. In 2004, while in Al Amarah, Iraq, Beharry’s Warrior armoured vehicle was twice engulfed in an ambush.

On both occasions he showed great skill, determination and initiative in moving his Warrior out of the line of fire, driving the wounded to safety and leading the column away from danger. As driver of the lead vehicle, when his officer and gunner were concussed, Beharry assumed responsibility for moving the column out of the ambush on 1 May. On both 1 May and 11 June, Beharry drove through heavy and deadly fire, despite being severely wounded in the head. Once out of direct fire, although still in danger, he removed the wounded from the Warrior and carried them to safety before setting off the fire extinguishers which disabled the vehicle. After recovering from wounds of 1 May, Beharry was ambushed again on 11 June and wounded very severely by an RPG which hit the vehicle only 15 cm from his head. He still reversed vehicle and took it out of serious danger.

Imperial War Museum London, Lambeth Road, London, SE1 6HZ. Public Enquiries + 44 (0)20 7416 5000

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more than just a month

Proud to support Black History Month Metropolitan Home Ownership help people buy or rent a quality home through affordable options: New Build HomeBuy (also known as Shared Ownership) - new and resale homes to part buy, part rent.

Intermediate Rent - rent a new or refurbished home for less than the market rate. Intermediate rent homes are normally around 20% less to rent per month.

Visit: www.mho.co.uk - for more information about who we are, what we do and where we work. www.housingoptions.co.uk - No. 1 for affordable homes in London.

Call 020 8920 7777.

Follow us on twitter @flythenest

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 71

Manchester Metropolitan University â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Institute of Education

Manchester Metropolitan University gains highest Ofsted accreditation for teacher training Manchester Metropolitan Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Institute of Education has an excellent reputation, both nationally and internationally, for producing the finest teaching talent from all sectors of the community.

As one of the longest established and largest education providers in the UK, we provide initial primary and secondary teacher training and continuous professional development at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Both our primary and secondary training areas have been awarded a Grade 1, the highest Ofsted accreditation for overall management and quality of programmes. We operate on two campuses, Didsbury in South Manchester and Crewe in Cheshire.

With its unique character, sense of history and varied ethnic mix Manchester has a great buzz and needs little introduction. Crewe is a thriving town with lively social scene set in attractive countryside with ready access to an impressive range of facilities.

A warm, friendly and supportive atmosphere is evident at each site, alongside an informative and practical approach to education.

Our academic staff are committed to applying the latest in new technology to learning and teaching and working in close partnership with schools, colleges and key service providers in the North West region.

New approaches to teaching and learning and practical â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;on the job development are always high on our agenda. Students at both campuses have ready access to extensive teaching resources, including books, journals, audio visual and electronic media.

We also offer a range of part-time programmes for professionals, which can be studied as qualifications in their own right or credited towards a first or higher degree.

www.ioe.mmu.ac.uk

The University for World Class Professionals 72 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Institute of Education

more than just a month

Knowledge is precious…

pass it on At Manchester Metropolitan University, when you train to teach, you don’t just learn the theory, you practice it.

You can be confident that our courses will give you the hands on experience you need as well as the essential skills, knowledge and qualification to play a key role in raising standards to improve the lives of young people.

• Undergraduate and postgraduate courses for primary and secondary education • Campuses in Didsbury and Crewe • Warm, friendly and supportive atmosphere • Outstanding teaching quality • Career support with a range of continuing professional development programs from diplomas to PhDs. For more information contact our Course Enquires Team on 0161 247 6969 or email courses@mmu.co.uk

www.ioe.mmu.ac.uk The University for World Class Professionals

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk MMUJ1921.081010

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 73

F E AT U R E

T

__he Gambia may be Africa’s smallest (inland) state but as a holiday destination it offers unrivalled culture, history and some world class Rest & Relaxation accommodation. Anne Burge discovered the lure of this wondrous country.

For good reason, Gambia has become known as the tourism jewel of the West African coast. This unexploited holiday destination, known as ‘the smiling coast’, ticks all the holiday boxes – and them some!

The Gambia is perhaps best known for its connection to Alex Hayley’s story of the slave trade - Roots, and most travellers who visit the country will certainly want to explore the rich history that exists throughout the region.

Eco-tourism has also paid a large part in preserving Gambia’s unique cultural history. Nestled “within” Senegal, The Gambia boasts golden coastline to rival any Caribbean destination, a range of scenery taking in expansive nature reserves, mangroves, rural villages and the bustling markets of its capital Banjul. Just six hours flight from the UK, you will get a chance to savour real Gambia life, African culture and engage with what many describe as its “best asset”, its people.

It is said that Alex Haley traced his family history back to Kunta Kinteh - a Gambian who was taken to the Americas. The Gambian Roots tour (www.gambia tours.gm) is a worthwhile excursion departing from Banjul ports, passing historical sights such as Albreda, the French slave trading post - where sits the freedom flag pole. Any slave that could swim across the wide stretch of water - amid treacherous currents - was given freedom. Here too is the Museum of Slavery, tracing more than 400 years of the slave trade.

At Juffureh, documented as the home village of Kunta Kinteh, you can pay a courtesy call to the Chief, at the bantaba (meeting place), where the chieftancy rule will be explained as well as how to become a chief in The Gambia. One of the highlights of the trip is the visit of the Kinteh clan.

Top choice to stay while you explore all that Gambia has to offer is the Coco Ocean Resort & Spa. Accommodation at Coco Ocean ranges from stylish suites furnished using local materials to palatial penthouses – making this an ideal spot for honeymooners or those wanting complete R&R (Rest and Rejuvenation). The restaurants serve a tempting array of both local and international cuisine. However, Coco Ocean’s trump card has to be its glorious spa offering hammams and therapies using natural ingredients.

Of course - food is another great attraction in any African nation and there is no shortage of local dishes.

In particular, the popular Kombo Beach Hotel has a lively Brasserie, located on the waterfront with an abundance of seafood – roasted fresh fish Gambia Butterfish in foil or Gambia lobster with turmeric are a must-have.

Whether you are travelling around by foot, bus, boat or 4x4, you will feel at ease in both local villages and on the buzzing street markets of the vibrant capital Banjul. Responsible tourism is at the heart of Gambia’s tourist industry, so at every opportunity community projects are linked into tourism.

Gambia is a great way to experience the very best of Africa and once you leave, you will be eager to return to discover more about the rich variety of this unique destination.

Travel Contacts BHM travelled courtesy of Serenity Holidays/The Gambian Experience. For Reservations Tel: 0845 330 2060 / +44 1489 866939. www.serenity.co.uk The Gambia Experience.For all informationregarding travelling to the Gambia please contact The Gambia Experience www.gambia.co.uk. Tel: 0845 330 2060. Reservations: 0845 330 4567. (UK). Email: holidays@gambia.co.uk. Serenity Holidays also offer: The Senegal Experience Tel: 0845 330 2080 The Cape Verde Experience Sales Tel: 0845 330 2047 Accommodation courtesy of: Coco Ocean Resort & Spa, Thanks also to Kombo Beach Hotel & Restaurants, PO Box 694, Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa Tel: +220 446 5466/7/8. Fax: +220 446 5490, Email: info@kombobeachhotel.gm. www.kombobeachhotel.gm

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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 75

arts

Julien Sinzogan is on at October Gallery, London until 6th November, 2010.

76 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

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more than just a month

Spirit Worlds is a bold and inspirational new series of works exploring the slave trade, by West African artist Julien Sinzogan

In his first UK solo show at the October Gallery in London, Julien Sinzogan reveals his provocative and compelling artwork. Sinzogan was born in the Republic of Benin, once one of the largest slavetrading ports on the West African coast. His works feature tall ships and depict the mythical return journeys that carried away the people of Benin and other areas of West Africa to be slaves in the New World. Originally trained as an architect, his use of painted pen-and-ink displays the astonishing, technical sophistication of a master draughtsman.

To understand Sinzogan’s work requires a certain familiarity with ideas characteristically found amongst West African groups such as the Yoruba and Fon peoples of Nigeria and Benin. In “vodoun” – one of the chief indigenous religions of Benin, it is understood that there exists a permanent link between the visible world that we inhabit and the invisible world of the spirit ancestors. There is an understanding that these worlds rub shoulders with each other at all times, allowing the ‘ancestors’ to look out over the world of men and see what is happening today – even if they are only dimly perceived in their turn.

Sinzogan has an uncompromising regard for the grim realities of those darkest times of history, but his art is affirmative and somehow – ultimately uplifting.

Across Boundaries - an Educational Project In October, St George’s Bloomsbury and October Gallery will join forces to stage workshops and events. Across Boundaries is in conjunction with the Bloomsbury Festival (Oct 22-24), the ‘Big Draw’ and Black History Month. For further information about the workshops go to www.octobergallery.co.uk/ education www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 77

L istings

Methodist recorder _ quarterpage_180hx129.4w - no bleeds/typearea 1st proof 240810

Photo: Andy Carvin

guest speaker: the reverend Jesse Jackson

20.10.2010 Do JusTiCe aT The gaTe 11am wednesday 20 october Methodist Central hall London sw1h 9Nh

(Amos 5: 15)

Christian Aid insists that the world can and must be swiftly changed to one where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty. It’s time to rally your church group and take this message to the new Parliament and your MP.

Three ways To regisTer: www.christianaid.org.uk/october T: 020 7523 2264 Contact your local Christian Aid area office

UK registered charity no. 1105851 Company no. 5171525 Scot charity no. SC039150 NI charity no. XR94639 Company no. NI059154 ROI charity no. CHY 6998 Company no. 426928 The Christian Aid name and logo are trademarks of Christian Aid; Poverty Over is a trademark of Christian Aid. © Christian Aid August 2010

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London Central & West London Saturday 2nd October Separation Reunion Forum Eclectic Musical Evening A collection of musicians playing in celebration of Black History Month as part of a fundraising event for the Separation Reunion Forum charity. Artists include operatic singer Ronald Samm, gospel, R&B singers, steel band, jazz and classical artistes.

St John’s Church, Waterloo Road, London SE1 8TY, Doors open 7pm, concert starts 7.30pm, £15 Adults; £5 Children under 16 years old, Leo 07747 752930 or Michelle 07782 140057

Stephen Bourne Stephen Bourne’s new book Mother Country - Britain’s Black Community on the Home Front 1939-45 (The History Press) unearths a ’hidden history’ of Britain and the Second World War. Stephen’s illustrated talk highlights the contribution to the British war effort made by some of the black Britons he has featured in the book.

These include the community leader Dr Harold Moody, Esther Bruce (Stephen’s adopted aunt), and black senior citizens who have been interviewed about the home front in Africa and the Caribbean.

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM Conference Room, 2pm 3.30pm

Friday 22 October Saturday 16 October Mother Country - Britain’s Black Community on the Home Front 1939-45 Free illustrated talk given by

Celebration Of Life Concert The Metropolitan Black Police Association presents an irresistible night of reggae grooves and upbeat vibes. The

more than just a month

Celebration of Life Concert returns with reggae legends Aswad, featuring The Aswad Horns.

Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, 7.30pm, Tickets: £20, £15, £10 + Booking fee Book: 0844 847 9910 / www. southbankcentre.co.uk

Tuesday 26 October 2010 UCL Lunch Hour Lecture: What does London owe to slavery?

For Liverpool and Bristol much work has been done in tracing the role of the slave-trade and slavery in shaping the cities’ histories, but the scale and complexity of London’s growth in the 18th and 19th centuries has obscured the contribution of slavery to the formation of the modern capital. This lecture marks Black History Month. Lecturer: Dr Nick Draper (UCL History) Darwin Lecture Theatre, UCL, Gower Street (accessed via Malet Place), London WC1E 6BT 13:15 – 13:55, www.ucl. ac.uk/lhl

Saturday 30 October BEFFTA Awards – Black Entertainment Film Fashion Television and Arts BEFFTA Awards is a distinctly special awards ceremony honoring the best showbiz and entertainment personalities in the black and ethnic communities in the UK and globally. BEFFTA Awards is the first of its kind rewarding under one roof outstanding achievements and contributions from Africans, Caribbeans and Asians in entertainment, film, fashion, television and arts.

The Great Hall, Central Hall, Westminster, Storey’s Gate, London, SW1, 6pm Standard Ticket Price: £20.00 (can be purchased online or at the door subject to availability) Group Discount price (for five or more) Standard tickets: £15 per ticket Limited VIP Tickets only on request (3 course meal, drinks, VIP After-show Party, Goodie Bag)

In Darkness all colours agree ‘EVERYTHING we do in life, the clothes we wear, food we eat, architecture, medicine and of course - the music we hear everyday have been brought about, influenced, changed and channeled by the development and history of black people within our society.’ Noir will be an acknowledgement and celebration of diversity and the richness it brings to our society. It will announce and note the massive difference this has made to our lives through fashion & design PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE. Embankment East, Somerset House, Strand WC2R 1LA, 1pm-10pm By invitation, £6 advanced booking only

Sunday 31 October Oxjam & Good Deeds Fundraiser Black History Month Special!

Presents a Cultural Musikaal Explosion and Appreciation showcase hosted by Wanjok featuring top reggae, soul, r&b & world music acts.

Presentations by Black Star Foundation, New Minds School, ADHA & GAC NGO’s (Ghana). Special appearances

by Hayeerayah and The Human Bridge Band, Lenea, Karim Ali and more. Fashion show courtesy of Neters Design & others. African

Edenic Exhbition, cultural merchandise, special guests, comedy and much more. This is a family friendly event and is aimed at all you positive people interested in making change whilst having a good time.

Tabernacle, Powis Square, Kensington & Chelsea, W11, 5-10pm, Tickets Adults £10 in advance £12 on the door, Young People £8:00 in advance £10 on the door, under 2’s Free

SOUTH LONDON Every Wednesday from 15 September to 10 November Blackheath Goes Gospel Course Come and be part of the Blackheath Halls Gospel Choir.

This popular project is led by the London Community Gospel Choir.

Blackheath Halls, 23 Lee Road, London SE3 9RQ, 7.30pm9.30pm, Contact 020 8463 0100

Wednesday 29 September Anti-Fascist Tour of East London Meet outside Goldsmiths Library, University of London, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW at 1pm.

Contact Goldsmiths Student Union 020 8692 1406 www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Thursday 30 September Milestones: Sandra Agard Writer and storyteller Sandra Agard celebrates the 80th birthdays of three iconic figures in African and Caribbean literature: Chinua Achebe; Kamau Brathwaite and Derek Walcott. Sandra will be talking about and reading from particular milestones in each of the writer’s lives. The featured works are Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Brathwaite’s The Arrivants and Walcott’s White Egrets.

Lewisham Library, 199201 Lewisham High Street, London SE13 6LG ,7.45pm for 8.00–9.30pm

Friday 1 October 8SIXTEEN32 Pioneering grime theatre fusing word and comedy with a tailor-made score of beats. A breath-taking, tongue-twisting tale of life and lyrics with a darker look at youth culture exploitation.

The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford. London SE8 4AG, 7.30pm, Contact 020 8692 4446 Puppy Love Comedy starring Oliver Samuels Catford Broadway, Catford Road, London SE6 4RU , 8pm, Contact 020 8690 0002

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L istings of the Black and Asian Studies Association.

6.30-8pm, Tooting Library Free. Booking essential (020) 8871 7175

Tuesday 5 October Handa’s Surprise The classic picturebook story brought to life. (ages 3-7) New Cross Library, 283-285 New Cross Road, London SE14, 11-11.40am, Contact 020 8314 8410 Miruthangam – Indian drum workshop Downham Tamil Association presents an introduction and instruction of Indian drumming, named Miruthangam by the drum teacher.

Goldsmith Conmmunity Centre, Castillon Road, SE6 1QD, 6–8pm, Contact 020 8695 9118 or 0798 5798 710

Love Goldsmiths Hate Racism hip hop night Goldsmiths College, Students Union, Dixon Road, New Cross SE14 6NW 8pm - late Contact Goldsmiths Student Union 020 8692 1406, £2 entry

Saturday 2 October Handa’s Hen Craft special for all ages creating Handa’s farmyard companions.

Wavelengths Library, Giffin Street, Deptford, London SE8 4RJ , 10.30am-12 noon, Contact 020 8314 8029

USA during the height of the civil rights movement. Under constant harassment from local police and the Ku Klux Klan, the black community arm themselves and form a people’s militia to fend off racist attacks. A stunning film, it uncovers a rarely heard of, yet crucial chapter of, the civil rights movement.

Goldsmiths College, Students Union, Dixon Road, New Cross SE14 6NW, 6pm Contact Goldsmiths Student Union. Tel: 020 8692 1406

Monday 4 October

Film: Deacons for Defence Starring Forest Whittaker and Ossie Davis, the true story of a small southern town in the

Cliff Pereira Africans in Asia Study of the African Diaspora is now a dynamic field in the development of new methods and approaches to African history. Unlike the transatlantic diaspora, eastwards African migrants have received little attention. Born in Mombasa, Kenya in 1960 a third generation Kenyan Goan, Cliff came to Britain in 1971. He is an author and authority on the Bombay Africans and Goan diaspora. Cliff is chair

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Monday 4 October Bharatha Natyam Indian Dance Workshop Traditional Indian dance and folk dance workshop Goldsmith Conmmunity Centre, Castillon Road, SE6 1QD, 5.30–8pm, Contact 020 8695 9118 or 0798 5798 710

Mzobane South African dance company Via Volcano, with British choreographer and hip hop icon Benji Reid, fuse the traditional township dance of Pantsula with breaking, hip hop and tap. Part of the Afrovibes Festival.

The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford. London SE8 4AG, 8pm, Contact 020 8692 4446

Wednesday 6 – Tuesday 12 October Nollywood Now! Nigerian film festival Our first ever festival of Nigerian cinema celebrates the world’s second largest film industry. Over six nights, we will screen one documentary and five feature films that prove that Nollywood is a dramatic, exciting cinema culture of global importance.

The Moonshot Centre, Fordham Park, Angus Street, New Cross, SE14 6L , 7.30pm www.nollywoodnow.co.uk BHM Public Speaking Contest Downham Tamil Association’s Supplementary School students and other competitors participate in speech and reading competition on BHM, National Heroes and different cultures.

Goldsmith Conmmunity

Centre, Castillon Road, SE6 1QD, 6-8pm, Contact 020 8695 9118 or 0798 5798 710 A Face Like Mine Asanda Phewa explores the many fragmented perceptions black women have of themselves. A lyrical and sensual performance taking an honest look at how women dress up self worth. Part of the Afrovibes Festival.

The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford. London SE8 4AG, 7.30pm, Contact 020 8692 4446 Mzobane South African dance company Via Volcano, with British choreographer and hip hop icon Benji Reid, fuse the traditional township dance of Pantsula with breaking, hip hop and tap. Part of the Afrovibes Festival.

The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG, 8pm, Contact 020 8692 4446

Thursday 7 October The New Cross Massacre Talk and photo exhibition from the George Padmore Institute.

Contact Goldsmiths Student Union Goldsmiths College, Students Union, Dixon Road, New Cross SE14 6NW, 5pm, Contact 020 8692 1406 Soundtracks to South London life Patrick Vernon of Every Generation Media and lecturer and DJ Dr Lez Henry, author of What The Deejay Said identify the music, clubs, festivals and threads which counted in South London from the 70s through to the 90s.

Downham Library, 7-9 Moorside Road, Downham, Bromley BR1 5EP, 6.45pm for 7.00-8.30pm, Contact 020 3049 1980 Kwa Mashu: Still My Home Kwa Mashu is Durban’s oldest township born out of the forced removal of Africans from Cator Manor by the apartheid government. This documentary follows the people who still call it home.

The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG,

more than just a month

7pm, Contact 020 8692 4446

Thursday 7 October – Sunday 10 October Ncamisa! Kiss the Women Explosive and emotional play directed by Peter Hayes and performed by Pam Ngwabeni exploring the consequences of being a lesbian in Khayelitsha, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town. Part of the Afrovibes Festival.

The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG, 7:30pm, Contact 020 8692 4446

Friday 8 October BHM Fashion Xtravaganza A celebration of black culture through an exciting night of fashion and live music. Enjoy the diversity and aspirations of up and coming designers, models and performers. One community - all welcome!!

Catford Powerleague, Private Banks Sports Ground, Canadian Avenue, Catford SE6 4SW Paperboy Productions, 7pm12midnight, Contact 0208 690 1111 Welcome to Rocksburg A play about a cash-in-transit heist; the criminals, the cops, and the community they live in. Directed by ‘Township Tarantino’ Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom, one of South Africa’s most exciting theatre makers. Part of the Afrovibes Festival.

The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford. London SE8 4AG, 7.30pm, Contact 020 8692 4446

Saturday 9 October Sean Creighton John Archer – talk and walk Talk followed by a walk on John Archer, Battersea’s Black Mayor 1913 -1914. Born 1863 in Liverpool, Archer was involved in Battersea municipal and in international black rights politics. First elected in 1906 he served on behalf of the Progressive Alliance and for the Labour Party from 1919 on Battersea Council on many occasions up to his death in 1932. Two heritage plaques are proposed

to commemorate his life and work.

Battersea Park Library, 2.004.30pm, Free – booking advisable (020) 8871 7468 Black History Month craft club Celebrate Black History Month through poetry, crafts and making a collage (all ages).

Downham Library,7-9 Moorside Road, Downham, Bromley BR1 5EP. 10.30am 12noon Contact 020 3049 1980 South London: In the moment Workshop with Patrick Vernon of Every Generation. An oral history and reminiscing session for young people and mature ravers and clubbers, exploring the club and West London music scene from 1970 to 1990. Bring your own CDs, tapes and photos to share.

Downham Library, 7-9 Moorside Road, Downham, Bromley BR1 5EP, 1.304.30pm, Pre-book in person or on 020 3049 2002 BHM-themed Chatterbooks Wavelengths Library, Giffin Street, Deptford, London SE8 4RJ, 2.30-4pm, Contact 020 8314 8029 Navarathiri Cultural Celebration An evening of traditional Indian dance, folk dance, music and related talks.

Goldsmith Conmmunity Centre, Castillon Road, SE6 1QD, 5.30–9.30pm, Contact 020 8695 9118 or 0798 5798 710 A Face Like Mine Asanda Phewa explores the many fragmented perceptions black women have of themselves. A lyrical and sensual performance taking an honest look at how women dress up self worth. Part of the Afrovibes Festival.

The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG, 7pm, Contact 020 8692 4446 Welcome to Rocksburg A play about a cash-in-transit heist; the criminals, the cops, and the community they live in. Directed by ‘Township

Tarantino’, Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom, one of South Africa’s most exciting theatre makers. Part of the Afrovibes Festival.

The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London, SE8 4AG, 7.30pm, Contact 020 8692 4446 Handa’s Surprise The classic picturebook story brought to life for all ages.

Wavelengths Library, Giffin Street, Deptford, London SE8 4RJ, 10.30-12 noon,Contact 020 8314 8029 Welcome to Rocksburg A play about a cash-in-transit heist; the criminals, the cops, and the community they live in. Directed by ‘Township Tarantino’, Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom, one of South Africa’s most exciting theatre makers. Part of the Afrovibes Festival.

The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG, 3pm matinee and 7.30pm, Contact 020 8692 4446

Sunday 10 October

Around the world in books Listen to stories and join in with creating an animal map of the world. (ages 5–7) Manor House Library, 34 Old Road, London SE13 5SY, 10.30–11.30am, Contact 020 8852 0357

Monday 11 October A Life of my Own A collection of workshops, lectures, poetry, music and an inspirational speaker to encourage attendees to aim high and to find a life of their own. Massage available for a fee.

Carers Lewisham, Carers Centre, Waldram Place, Forest Hill, London SE23 2LB, 6pm9pm Contact 020 8699 8686 Film: Malcolm X In His own Words Arguably the best film available on Malcolm X, who paved the way for the dynamic Black Power movement of the 1970s and 80s. This film, using documentary footage, takes us through the incredible journey from his firebrand

Solicitor & Commissioner of Oaths Wills & Probate, Trust Deeds, Commercial & Residential Conveyancing, Lease Extensions, Injunctions, Powers of Attorney, Debt Recovery, Company Formation and Restoration, Partnership Agreements, Matrimonial, Licensing & more.

GOOD RATES LONDON E16

Telephone 0207 476 2544 E-mail info@gmhewettsolicitor.com Web Site. www.gmhewettsolicitor.com www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

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L istings oration and political maturity up to his assassination.

Goldsmiths College, Students Union, Dixon Road, New Cross SE14 6NW, 6pm, Contact Goldsmiths Student Union 020 8692 1406

Tuesday 12 October Make History Work Tuesday 12 - Saturday 16 October A week of debates and workshops. Towards the end of the week there is an open day where the local community can view work done and participate in workshops and discussions on how history relates to everyday lives.

The Moonshot Centre, Fordham Park, Angus Street, New Cross, SE14 6LU, 11am4.30pm Contact 020 8691 6099 Islamophobia: The New Racism in the War on Terror Co-hosted by the Sisters’ Islamic society.

Goldsmiths College, Students Union, Dixon Road, New Cross SE14 6NW, 5pm Nollywood Now! Nigerian film festival The closing night of the festival celebrating the world’s second largest film industry.

Screenings and talks from industry experts.

The Moonshot Centre, Fordham Park, Angus Street, New Cross, SE14 6LU, 7.30pm Lewisham Black History Month Film Challenge A celebration of local filmmaking talent. Four trailers edited by young people for Wayne Campbell’s documentary One Minute In May (the story of the campaign to get one minute silence at all Premiere League games in memory of the victims of gun and knife crime). Plus local documentary filmmaker Baff Akoto’s Football Fables, about the journey of African footballers to the UK leagues. Includes a Q&A with the filmmakers.

The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG, 82 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

7.30pm, Contact 020 8692 4446 Sixty Poems for Haiti Guyanese-British poet Maggie Harris headlines an evening of poetry promoting the fund-raising anthology she conceived. The evening, like the book, combines seasoned poets with new voices inspired to assist the country’s reconstruction.

Blackheath Village library, 3-4 Blackheath Grove, London SE3 0DD, 6.45 for 7.00-8.30pm Contact 020 8852 5309

Wednesday 13 October African tales and craft Listen to African themed stories for the under 5s.

Manor House Library, 34 Old Road, London SE13 5SY, 2.303.30pm, Contact 020 8852 0357 Black Children and School: A recipe for success Neil Mayers, author of the fast-selling book Gifted at Primary, Failing by Secondary gives invaluable advice on helping children achieve their potential in secondary school.

The Albany, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG, 6.30pm, Contact 020 8692 4446

Thursday 14 October BHM for beginners BHM themed session for under 5s, with Caribbean songs and stories.

Blackheath Village library, 3-4 Blackheath Grove, London SE3 0DD, 9.30-10am, Contact 020 8314 8224 Handa’s Surprise The classic picturebook story brought to life (under 5s).

Crofton Park Library, 375 Brockley Road, Brockley, London SE4 2AG, 10-11am Contact 020 8314 8726 World War 2 in the Caribbean Ex-Royal Navy serviceman Allan Wilmot talks about his experiences in the Caribbean during WWII as German u-boats bombed ships and caused havoc.

Calabash Day Centre, Lewisham Park Housing

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Association, George Lane, Catford, London SE13 6HH, 3.30pm, Contact 07737 271437

Saturday 16 October Saris, spice and splendour – Asian cultural walking tour of Tooting This repeat of the popular cultural walking tour with Blue Badge Guide Rachel Kolsky and Asian Community Librarian Therese Rajadurai, between Tooting Bec and Broadway, is a feast for the senses. From 1920s suburban tube stations, an elaborate 19th century pub, Indian saris and sweetmeats to the Mayfair cinema (now an Islamic Community Centre), this tour is full of surprises.

10.30 am and 2.30pm, £8 – booking essential (020) 8883 4169, info@eastlondon.co.uk Meeting place provided on booking

Monday 18 October Film: Tsotsi Set amidst the sprawling Johannesburg township of Soweto - where survival is the primary objective - Tsosti traces six days in the life of a ruthless young gang leader who ends up caring for a baby accidentally kidnapped during a car-jacking.

Goldsmiths College, Students Union, Dixon Road, New Cross SE14 6NW, 6pm Contact Goldsmiths Student Union 020 8692 1406

Tuesday 19 October Motown Party at Lewisham Pensioners Forum Motown transcends cultural divides and impacts on the lives of millions. This is the power of music to bring about change! Free for over 55s.

Savillle Centre, 436 Lewisham High Street, Lewisham, SE13, 2pm-4pm, Contact 020 8690 7869 African paper bead jewellery Learn how to make African paper beads and make a unique necklace or bracelet.

Forest Hill Library, 82 Dartmouth Road, Forest Hill, London SE23, 6-7.30pm,

Contact 020 8699 2065 How to be a winner: Yana Johnson MBE Recommended for aspiring entrepreneurs wishing to develop a business idea. We will also showcase the musical talents of Sophie and Stephen this evening.

Manor House Library, 34 Old Road, London SE13 5SY, 6.007.30pm, Contact 020 8852 0357

Wednesday 20 October Caribbean-themed under 5s song and story time Stories by Trish Cooke Catford Library, Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, London SE6, 11.00-11.45am Contact 020 8314 6399 Apartheid: From South Africa to Palestine With Vicky Araj (PhD student from Bethlehem), Tony Dykes (Director, Action for Southern Africa). Co-hosted by the Goldsmiths Palestine Twinning Campaign.

Goldsmiths College, Students Union, Dixon Road, New Cross, SE14 6NW, 4pm Contact Goldsmiths Student Union 020 8692 1406 African animals craft special Wavelengths library, Giffin Street, Deptford, London SE8 4RJ, (all ages) 10.30am 12noon Contact 020 8314 8029 Forest Hill Library, 82 Dartmouth Road, Forest Hill, London (mask making for ages 8-12) 2-3pm Contact 020 8699 2065 Grove Park Library, Somertrees Avenue, London SE12 0BX (family event) 2.30-3.30pm Contact 020 8314 7686 Black History Month craft club Celebrate Black History Month through poetry, crafts and making a collage. All ages.

Downham library, 7-9 Moorside Road, Downham, Bromley BR1 5EP, 10.30am – 12noon Contact 020 3049 1980 Beverly Ramsay speaks of black achievers Beverly uses prose and poetry

more than just a month

to illuminate the lives of black achievers, before taking questions. Staffed sales stall is open 3.00-4.30pm. In association with Spottypig Educational Resources.

Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, London SE6, 2:15-3pm, Contact 020 8314 6399

Thursday 21 October Open Door: Inspired Word in performance Open Door is the culmination of creative writing workshops on the theme of communication. Come and enjoy a night of rhyme, prose and monologue. If time allows, there will be an opportunity for Open Mic on the same theme.

Crofton Park Library, 375 Brockley Road, Brockley, London SE4 2AG , 6.45pm for 7.00-8.30pm, Contact 020 8692 1683

Saturday 23 October John Archer’s Battersea walk Organised by Agenda Services

Walk led by Sean Creighton around part of John Archer’s Battersea. This walk will take in Archer’s homes, his photography business and the Latchmere Estate.

Meet at corner of Albert Bridge Road and Brynmaer Road, 2.00pm, £5.00 For further details email sean. creighton@btinternet.com or text to 07725045550 3D artwork (all ages) Creating iconic black figures.

Wavelengths Library, Giffin Street, Deptford, London SE8 4RJ, 10.30-12noon Contact 020 8314 8029 BHM walking tour of New Cross and Deptford Historian S.I. Martin leads a walking tour revealing the hidden histories of black people in New Cross and Deptford over the past 500 years. 16 places. All places must be pre-booked through New Cross Library and paid in advance.

Meet outside, 439 New Cross Road, 11am-12.15pm, Adults £5, accompanied under 16s free Contact 020 8314 8410 Carnival Creation Discover the wonderful masks and costumes of carnival and craft your own Notting Hill carnival inspired mask (ages 5-7).

Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, London SE6, 2.153.15pm, Contact 020 8314 6399 The Swirling Hijaab (ages 5-7) Enter the imaginary world of a little girl playing with her mother’s hijaab Forest Hill Library, 82 Dartmouth Road, Forest Hill, London SE23, 2-3pm, Contact 020 8699 2065 The Black History of the Manor House Eminent historian S.I. Martin provides an illuminating portrait of the black history of

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

the Lee and Blackheath areas with a particular focus upon the Georgian building hosting this event.

Manor House Library, 34 Old Road, London SE13, 3-4pm, Contact 020 8852 0357

Sunday 24 October Rhythm Feast Evening concert with Indian and fusion music.

London Sivan Kovil Trust, 4a Clarendon Rise, London, SE13, 4.30pm, Contact 020 8318 9844

Monday 25 October Half term storytelling tour Professional performers Sandra Agard, Alison Blunt and Osei Kwame will bring stories to life for family audiences as, between them, they take in Lewisham’s libraries on a whistle-stop tour. See below for listings.

Free.

Know your spices Session for all the family to

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 83

L istings and meaning, particularly topical at this time in our history.

Lewisham Arthouse, 140 Lewisham Way, London, SE14 6PD, Contact 020 8244 3168 Hot Hippo (ages 3-7) Hear this African folk tale and place hippo and fish onto a small collage.

New Cross Library, 283-285 New Cross Road, London SE14 6AS, 11.00-11.40am, Contact 020 8314 8410 Handa’s Surprise (under 5s) The classic picturebook story brought to life.

Lewisham library, 199-201 Lewisham High Street, London SE13 6LG, 11.15-11.45am Contact 020 8314 9800

Wednesday 27 October

learn about spices. Learn how and when to use spices. What are their nutritional benefits?

There will also be some additional activities for children Earlsfield Library, 2.00-3.30pm, Free – booking essential (020) 8871 6389 Film: Injustice Described as “one of the most powerful films ever made” in the UK, Injustice looks at the appalling record of black deaths in police custody. An account of the relentless struggles of families as they find out how they lost their loved ones in extremely violent deaths at the hands of police officers.

Goldsmiths College, Students Union, Dixon Road, New Cross SE14 6NW, 6pm Contact 020 8692 1406

a successful you. You will discover how to boost your self-esteem through selfawareness, take control of your life and use relaxation and visualization.

York Gardens Library, 7.009.00pm, Free – booking essential (020) 8871 7471 Celebrate Multiculturalism Day Food, music, dancing, stalls, hosted by the South Asian Society.

Goldsmiths College, Students Union, Dixon Road, New Cross SE14 6NW, All day Book mark design (all ages) Design your own book mark to celebrate Black History Month.

Crofton Park Library, 375 Brockley Road, Brockley, London SE4, 10am-4pm Contact 020 8314 8726

Tuesday 26 October Sheren Gaulbert – Black empowerment workshop Barack Obama said “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

This confidence workshop will give you the tools for

Exhibition at Lewisham Arthouse: Silent witnesses: Claudette McKenzie-Bassant 25 October - 7 November, 10am-6pm (Wed-Sun) Taking found objects as her starting point for her exhibition, Claudette brings together diverse and discarded objects, setting up an uneasy dynamic between appearance

84 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

A Life of my Own A collection of workshops, lectures, poetry, music and an inspirational speaker to encourage attendees to aim high and to find a life of their own. Massage available for a fee.

Carers Lewisham, Carers Centre, Waldram Place, Forest Hill, London SE23 2LB, 10am3.30pm, Contact 020 8699 8686 Adinkra printing (ages 5-11) Learn West African textile techniques Lewisham library, 199-201 Lewisham High Street, London SE13 6LG, 11am-12noon Contact 020 8314 9800

Thursday 28 October “If it hurts it isn’t love” The Cassandra Learning Centre The centre provides support for non-violent adolescent relationships. This event through songs and recitations will raise the awareness of violence against women and girls. Our guests are jazz singers Sherryl 7 and Marcia Myers.

Battersea Library, 6.30-8.00pm, www.cassandralearningcentre. org.uk

Friday 29 October Caribbean tales from Sandra Agard Blackheath Village library, 3-4 Blackheath Grove, London SE3

0DD, 11-11.45am Forest Hill Library, 82 Dartmouth Road, Forest Hill, London, 2.30-3.15pm Michael Jackson: King of Pop (ages 8-11) Remember the iconic American performer with fun facts, puzzles, word searches and more.

Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, London SE6, 2-3pm, Contact 020 8314 6399 For Queen and Country?

Theatre of the Oppressed A one woman show about the life of Mary Seacole. After her death in 1881, Mary has returned to find out her story has been forgotten from contemporary history books.

It’s time to set the record straight. All proceeds will go to the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal.

The Albany. Douglas Way. Deptford. London SE8 4AG, 7-8pm, Contact 020 8692 0231 BHM for beginners (under 5s) BHM themed session for under 5s, with Caribbean songs and stories.

Lewisham library, 199-201 Lewisham High Street, London SE13 6LG, 11.15-11.45am and 2.15-2.45pm, Contact 020 8314 9800 A Charmed Life: film screening and discussion Patrick Vernon from Every Generation Media presents a short documentary based on the life of Eddie Noble, the Jamaican airman whose life had a major impact on Andrea Levy’s classic, Small Island.

Forest Hill Library, 82 Dartmouth Road, Forest Hill, London, 5.30-6.45pm For Queen and Country?

Theatre of the Oppressed A one woman show about the life of Mary Seacole. After her death in 1881, Mary has returned to find out her story has been forgotten from contemporary history books.

It’s time to set the record straight. All proceeds will go to the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal.

The Albany. Douglas Way.

more than just a month

Deptford. London SE8 4AG 7-8pm Contact 020 8692 0231

Saturday 30 October Black and Asian British History Dr Kathleen Chater For centuries Black and Asian people have been coming to Britain for a variety of reasons. A few, like Olaudah Equiano, who wrote his autobiography, have become well-known but most simply became part of British life.

They married and had families and their descendants live among us today. Come and find out about these invisible settlers and the detective work needed to uncover their lives. Dr Chater has written extensively on Black and family history.

Tooting Library, 3.00-4.30pm Rangoli Mats (all ages) Make a colourful mat to celebrate Diwali.

Crofton Park Library, 375 Brockley Road, Brockley, London SE4 2AG , 10am-4pm Contact 020 8314 8726

Sunday 31 October Champagne and Sky Juice Harmony Production’s revival of the 1986 hard hitting Jamaican comedy drama by multi award winning

playwright Basil Dawkins.

Directed by Anton Philips.

Starring Charles Tomlin and Lavern Archer.

Catford Broadway, Catford Road, London SE6, 8pm, Contact 020 8690 0002

Wednesday 3 November Calypso, collaboration and Solidarity Lewisham Town Hall, Catford, SE6 4RU griotonline@hotmail.com or 0208 691 7201

Thursday 4 November Body patterns… and matters of health An art exhibition based on traditional Ayurvedic doshas that define body type. Images resulting from a series of art workshops: An alternative look at body weight, shape, health and beauty.

Marsha Phoenix Memorial Trust, 90/92 Tressillian Road, Brockley, London, SE4 1YD 1-5pm Contact 020 8691 5911

Friday 12 November 2010 Blackheath Goes Gospel Performance Popular gospel evening led by the London Community Gospel Choir. A community chorus and children from local

primary schools unite in this exciting performance.

Blackheath Halls, 23 Lee Road, London SE3 9RQ, 7.30pm, Contact 020 8463 0100

Talk about slave rebellions in the British West Indies and the United States and their impact on the movement for freedom.

20 September – 30 October

38 West Hill, Wandsworth, SW18 1RZ, tel: 020 8870 6060, www. wandsworthmuseum.co.uk

“Rainbow Families” photography exhibition by Sonalle This exhibition of images from Sonalle’s project on rainbow (same gender and ethnic minority) families is accompanied by text describing the experiences of being part of a rainbow family. Sonalle seeks “to communicate what is frequently left unsaid; to deliver an insight into that detail we may not always perceive, or that we sometimes try to ignore”. For further information on all her projects see www.sonalle.com Balham Library

Throughout October Black presence in Wandsworth Display from the Heritage Service’s collection of archives, books and photographs of Black people living in the borough over the centuries Battersea Library

17-30 October Exhibition of work by artists Ezekiel Madiba and Paula Ware South African artist Madiba’s medium is woodcut, but he has explored mixed media such as silkscreen, printing combined with woodcuts. His work portrays the lifestyle of black people in the townships, with some elements of humour Christian ethos. At the age of 14 he started drawing and after completing his final exams, he moved to Ga-Rankua township. Paula Ware, a Zimbabwian artist, has a large body of work and is a talented sculptor. This exhibition shows some of her African women series.

Putney Library 12th October, 7pm Slave Rebellions and Their Impact on Emancipation

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Lambeth Friday 1 October Various dates in October 2010 Black History Month at Ritzy Picturehouse cinema A special programme of films to commemorate Black History Month 2010. Details soon to be announced. Join the mailing list for the latest updates Website: www.picturehouses. co.uk

Saturday 2 October Keep Making Movies film festival Presented by young multitalented, award winning filmmaker Wayne G. Saunders this historical event will showcase some of the greatest, innovative and pioneering movies of our generation.

Nettlefold Hall, 1 Norwood High Street, West Norwood SE27 9JX, 6pm to 11pm, Free Phone 020 7926 1075 to book your place in advance.

Saturdays 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 October Somali beadwork and embroidery (family workshops) This is a family learning course and participants should be over 18 years old with a child.

The course is five weeks and participants will need to sign up for the full course.

West Norwood Library, Norwood High Street SE27 9JX, 2pm – 4pm Free, 0207 926 1075 or email Blackhistorymonth@lambeth. gov.uk to book your place in advance. Limited spaces available.

Wednesday 6 October Effra International Cultural Celebration and launch of

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L istings Saturday 16 October

Effra Poets CD and poetry book Effra celebrates Black History Month annually in recognition of the contribution of black and ethnic communities to British society. The 2010 celebrations include the launch of ‘Effra Poets CD and Book’ compilation of poems by mental health survivors.

Effra Resource Centre, 65 Effra Road SW2 1BZ, 12 noon to 6pm, £3. Tel: 020 7926 1044, 020 7926 1039 or email dking@lambeth.gov.uk to book your place in advance.

Walking Brixton’s Black History with Michael Groce Lambeth Archives are pleased to announce the publication of their Brixton Black History Walk, starting at Brixton library.

For the launch of the walk Brixton poet, Michael Groce, will lead you on a tour of some of the highlights and hidden histories.

Brixton Library, Brixton Oval SW2 1JQ, 2pm (walk will last for approx 1.5 hours). Free.

Limited places so please book in advance by emailing.

Blackhistorymonth@lambeth. gov.uk or phone 0207 926 1075.

7 to 14 October Brixton Reel Film Festival The Brixton Reel Film Festival will screen new and classic films to raise awareness about the black and minority ethnic experience of wellbeing and mental health and promote ways in which we can actively look after our mental wellbeing.

Free, For further information on this festival phone 020 3049 4470 or email wellbeing@ lambethpct.nhs.uk Thursday 7 October Rotary Club of Streatham This is a family event in celebration of African and Caribbean culture including music performances, a selection of food and drinks from around the world and an exhibition.

Streatham Constitutional Club, 49 Leigham Court Road, Streatham SW16 2HZ, 4pm to 8pm Free. Donations to charity would be greatly appreciated.

Friday 8 October Film screening: Jamaica for Sale Vagabond Media productions present a film about the unsustainable expansion of tourism in Jamaica and how the selling off of its coast line is destroying communities.

Nettlefold Hall, 1 Norwood High Street, West Norwood SE27 9JX, 7.30pm, Free, Tel: 020 7926 1075 to book your place in advance.

Saturday 9 October Film screening: The Battle of Algiers (1965) Director Gillo Pontecorvo’s 86 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

Wednesday 20 October

1965 movie The Battle of Algiers concerns the violent struggle in the late 1950s for Algerian independence from France, where the film was banned on its release for fear of creating civil disturbances.

Minet Library, 52 Knatchbull Road SE5 9QY, 2.30pm, Free, Tel: 020 7926 1075 to book your place in advance.

Saturday 9 October Children’s Theatre Show: Nzinga Arts Winston Nzinga will perform a blend of traditional storytelling from the Caribbean using percussion, song and rhyme.

Nettlefold Hall, 1 Norwood High Street, West Norwood SE27 9JX, 2pm, £5 entry, £4.50 with a Lambeth Leisure Card.

Tel: 020 7926 8070 to buy tickets in advance.

Wednesday 13 October Mother Country: An illustrated talk by Stephen Bourne Stephen Bourne’s new book 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.

Brixton Library, Brixton Oval SW2 1JQ, 7pm, Free, Tel: 020 7926 1075 to book your place in advance. www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Friday 15 October Tate & I – Exploring the Legacy of Sir Henry Tate Lively DVD and exhibition direct from the New Initiatives’ ORIGIN rites of passage programme for young men, a group of graduates (13 – 18yrs old) have created their own action research project on the Life of Sir Henry Tate.

Brixton Library, Brixton Oval SW2 1JQ, 6.30pm, Free. Tel: 020 7926 1075 to book your place in advance.

Friday 15 and Saturday 16 October Chartist Rising: A play by Sam Dowling This play looks at the achievement and life of William Cuffay. In 1839, William Cuffay, the son of a former slave joined the Metropolitan Tailors’ Charter Association. Cuffay became an important figure in the Chartist movement in London, the first mass popular political movement in Britain.

He was transported to Australia for allegedly planning an uprising against the British government.

Nettlefold Hall, 1 Norwood High Street, West Norwood SE27 9JX, 7.30pm, £12.50.

Conc. £9.50. Tel: 07906 136 958 or visit www. hayleydtheatre.com

Diana Evans – The Wonder Author Diana Evans talks about her writing and discusses being an author in Britain today. Her second novel, The Wonder, vividly conjures up the world of 1950s Kingston, Jamaica, the Blues parties and early carnivals of Ladbroke Grove.

Brixton Library, Brixton Oval SW2 1JQ, 7pm, Free. Tel: 020 7926 1075 to book your place in advance.

Friday 22 October Poetic Eruption This is a cultural event on black history through edutainment.

It will be a highly entertaining and thought provoking evening with poetry and spoken word from young black authors.

Nettlefold Hall, 1 Norwood High Street, West Norwood SE27 9JX 7pm to 10pm, Free, Tel: 020 7926 1075 to book your place in advance.

Saturday 23 October Whippersnappers ‘African Diaspora’ Youth led theatre production of Caribbean and African heritage. Uses time travel to explore history.

Nettlefold Hall, 1 Norwood High Street, West Norwood SE27 9JX, 7pm For more information on this event phone 0207 738 6633, email, Whippersnappers@ ukonline.co.uk or visit www. whippersnapper.org

more than just a month

Wednesday 27 October V Jay Theatre presents – ‘Return to the Caribbean’ ‘Return to the Caribbean’ is a short play written and performed by Victor Richards.

The play explores Caribbean elders in the present. In his one man show, Victor captures the spirit of African Caribbean senior citizens, and their need to return home, back to the land of birth and origin.

Brixton Library, Brixton Oval SW2 1JQ, 7pm, Free, Tel: 020 7926 1075 to book your place in advance.

Friday 29 October Film screenings: A Son of Africa and Goodbye Bafana Two film screenings about Oluadah Equiano and Nelson Mandela as two key figures in history that raised the consciousness of humanity by looking at the shame of both slavery and Apartheid.

Nettlefold Hall, 1 Norwood High Street, West Norwood SE27 9JX, 7pm, Free, Tel: 020 7926 1075 to book your place in advance.

Saturday 30 October Untold Design CIC presents Noir Noir launches against the backdrop of Black History Month, with a spotlight on culture, this is an offering to get the creative juices flowing in an inclusive, inspiring and thought provoking showcase incorporating exhibition, Pecha Kucha* , short film and catwalk presentations across the mediums of fashion and design.

Embankment East, Somerset House, The Strand WC2R 1LA, 1pm to 10pm, £6

SE27 9JX, 7pm to 10pm, Free Tel: 020 7926 1075 to book your place in advance.

Monday 1 November For Queen & Country?

A one woman show about the life of Mary Seacole. www. maryseacoleappeal.org.uk The White Bear Theatre, 138 Kennington Park Road SE11 4DJ, 8pm, £10 full price £8 concessions. Tel: 0207 793 9193 or buy online at www. thewhitebeartheatre.co.uk

EAST LONDON Thursday 30 Sep – Saturday 2 October ELLA Part of the Jazz Legends series ‘ELLA’, is a compelling show about the life and music of the first lady of jazz, Ella Fitzgerald.

Ella’s voice is world renown, but her life remains a mystery to many. This original production, scripted and performed by internationallyacclaimed singer SANDI RUSSELL, with her trio, offers fresh insights into this great popular singer, through Ella’s own words and those of her family and fellow musicians.

RICH MIX , 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA, 7.30pm, Tel: 020 7613 7498 boxoffice@richmix.org.uk

Friday 1 October Nuru Kane + House of Fée Uhssi

Black History Month at Passing Clouds presents a night of sensational live music and culture featuring live in concert, all the way from Senegal, the mighty: Nuru Kane and the Bayefall Gnawa.

Passing Clouds, 1 Richmond Rd, E8 4AA, 8pm-3am, £6 before 10pm, £8 after, Tel: 02072414889

Sat 2 October ‘Direction Africa’ Afrikokoa presents ‘Direction Africa - Part 1’, a day curated

by Peter and David Adjaye OBE celebrating visionary African art, film and music, including cult films selected from the specialist African films catalogue of Sanya Films.

RICH MIX 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA, 4pm - 1am, Joint ticket: £8 / £6 concessions Film/Panel discussion: £5, Music gig: £5, Tel: 020 7613 7498 boxoffice@richmix.org.uk

Sunday 3 October Meet Martia Martina Meet a former slave from Roman London and hear her stories about her travels throughout the Roman Empire.

Minimum age: 5 Museum of London, FREE, 13.00 – 13.30, 14.00 – 14.30, 15.00 – 15.30

communities in the media with Joy Francis Hommerton Library, 6.00pm 7.00pm

Tuesday 5 – 19 October London, sugar and slavery Uncover London’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade with this thought-provoking tour.

Museum of London Docklands, FREE, 15.00 – 16.00

Thursday 21 October Does Africa need Fair Trade?

International development specialist Dr Firoze Manji and Professor Chris Cramer from SOAS University debate the benefits of fair trade in Africa.

In partnership with the Royal African Society, the Museum of London presents a discussion by leading experts on the evolution of fair trade, how it impacts the lives of the people it is intended to benefit and what it says about the way in which the West interacts with Africa.

Museum of London Docklands, 18.00 – 20.00, Fee £5 (concs. £3): advanced booking required. In partnership with the Royal African Society

Monday 4 October What do we look like?

The portrayal of Black

Saturday 30 October Film screening: The Dhamma Brothers (YEAR) The Dhamma Brothers tells a dramatic tale of human potential and transformation as it closely follows and documents the stories of the prison inmates at Donaldson Correction Facility who enter into this arduous and intensive program.

Nettlefold Hall, 1 Norwood High Street, West Norwood, www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

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L istings RICH MIX , 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA, Time TBC £5, Tel: 020 7613 7498 boxoffice@richmix.org.uk

Tuesday 12 October An audience with Michael McMillan Join Michael to find out what inspired him to collaborate with the Geffrye Museum to create the West Indian Front Room exhibition.

Stamford Hill Library, 6.30pm 8.30pm, Please book a place

Thursday 14 October Reggae Bizz Quiz Test your Reggae music knowledge with quiz master Shaun Spence.

Hackney Museum 6.00pm - 7.30pm

Wednesday 6 October Night of the Manding Griot If you have not heard, the new lick is to come out to Passing Clouds on the first Wednesday of every month to experience Manding Griot Music, with a lovely selection of West African musicians led by Jally Kebba Susso and Friends. Jamming and strumming amidst an antique lounge setting, soft lights and a sailing high boat bar. It’s free if you get there before 8pm, so its great for an after work hang out and magnificent if you’re looking for something different to run away to that’s relaxed, ambient and groovy.

Passing Clouds, 1 Richmond Rd. E8 4AA, 7.30pm-12am, Free before 8, £3 after, Tel: 02072414889

Wednesday 6 – Tuesday 12 October Nollywood Now! London Festival of Nigerian Film The UK’s first ever festival dedicated to Nollywood. Six films screen over one week celebrating the energy, drama and ambition of the world’s second largest film industry.

Deptford Town Hall, New Cross Road, London SE14 6AF, 7pm for a 7:30pm start

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£3 each or £12 for a festival pass, available online and on the door ,Tel: 07872 164601 (enquiries only - no ticket sales), www.nollywoodnow. co.uk

Wednesday 6 October – Wednesday 3 November Lake of Stars The award winning inspired Lake of Stars project brings a tropical slice of its international festival vibe to the heart of Shoreditch. Expect everything from soulful folk acts to afrobeat MCs, digital exhibitions, indie bands, fashion stalls and DJs. Past artists include Afrikan Boy, Sinden, Ross Allen and Ninja Tunes’ Andreya Triana – check out what’s in the store at www. lakeofstars.org RICH MIX , 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA, 6pm, Free, Tel: 020 7613 7498 boxoffice@richmix.org.uk

Saturday 9 October Black History Film festival A day of film and discussion at the Museum in Docklands - in association with the London, Sugar Slavery gallery during Black History month 2010. This screening is hosted by Rich Mix and UntoldLondon.org.uk People’s History in a World City.

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Friday 15 & Saturday 16 October Nina & Shaz Part of the Jazz Legends series “What if Martin Luther King didn’t have a dream, huh?

Would y’all be dreamin’ your big dreams?

Nina Simone and Shazne, both young gifted and black, bound together across generations through civil rights and shattered dreams. Both seize the courage to speak out through their music. RICH MIX , 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA, 7.30pm, £10/£8 conc. Tel: 020 7613 7498, boxoffice@richmix.org. uk, www.richmix.org.uk

Saturday 16 October Roots Manuva presents the Banana Klan Soundsystem Showcase Representing an all flowing night of hits, sound system madness and The Launch of Roots Manuva’s secret weapon.

Doing it in full Tropical Heat Marathon style the Klan will feature Roots Manuva, Ricky Rankin, D.J. Triston, Photo Machine + Banana Klan All Stars, Oliver Night, Rebel I and much more.

Passing Clouds, 1 Richmond Rd. E8 4AA, 8pm - 3am, £8 before 10, £10 after,Tel:

02072414889

Sunday 17 October Brides of Culture This is the perfect event if you are of African, Caribbean or Asian decent, and want to stay true to your culture when planning your wedding or party and are finding it difficult to do so with what is available in the mainstream. Come along and explore the many possibilities available to you to help make your day special.

The V&A Museum of Childhood, Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London, E2 9PA, Doors open 12pm and close 5pm, Free Entry, info@bridesofculture.com or 07553692673

Monday 18 October Get started on that script Writer and journalist Joy Francis will run through the do’s and don’t of script writing.

Over 18’s. Please the contact library to book a place.

Stoke Newington Library, 6.30pm -8.00pm

Thursday 21 October 100 years of International Women’s Month and Black Women in the media Presenter, broadcaster and journalist Juliet Alexander looks at the women who have influenced her and how.

Over 16’s, Shoreditch Library 6.30pm- 7.30pm

Sunday 24 – 25 October ‘The King of Beggars’ Billy Waters was a black street busker, who became a popular character in central London in the 1780s. Learn more about this charismatic man in our storytelling session.

Minimum age: 5, Museum of London, 13.00 – 13.30, 14.00 – 14.30, 15.00 – 15.30, FREE

Monday 25 – 26 October The Vanilla Orchid In 1841 Edmond Albius changed the future of vanilla.

Learn how this very clever man made sure we didn’t run out of vanilla orchids and then make your own scented orchid to take home.

Minimum age: 3, Museum of

more than just a month

London, FREE

Tuesday 26 October Queen Nanny of the Maroons Discover the story of Nanny and the Maroons with this performance documenting the actions of a fierce military leader in 1740s Jamaica.

Known for outwitting the British Army and leading many Africans to freedom, share in this interactive experience of verse and song.

Minimum age: 11, Museum of London Docklands, 13.00 – 13.30, FREE

Tuesday 26 – 29 October A Fight for Freedom Mary Prince’s fight for freedom brought her to London where her story was used to help end slavery in the 1800s. Meet Mary and hear her story of determination, compassion and survival.

Minimum age: 5, Museum of London, FREE

Wednesday 27 October Evaluating Black History Month Debate the future of Black History Month with leading historians, funders and activists. This event includes a performance of Queen Nanny of the Maroons. Please come to voice your views and become part of the solution. This event will be recorded.

Museum of London, 18.00 – 21.00, FREE

Wednesday 27 – Thursday 28 October Joint effort To ensure sugar, coffee and cocoa got harvested and ready for shipping to London workers would travel from plantation to plantation in 1940s Haiti.

In return for their help the landowners put on a big party with food, music and dancing.

Our storyteller will with his lively story make the party come to life once more.

Minimum age: 5, Museum of London, FREE

Thursday 28 October Meet Mary Seacole Find out more about the extraordinary nurse who helped many soldiers during

the Crimean War and how she came to settle in London in this entertaining gallery drama.

Minimum age: 5, Museum of London, FREE

Friday 29 October Running 1000 miles to freedom Discover the inspiring story of Ellen Craft, the talk of Victorian London. Ellen’s imagination and bravery helped her overcome many dangers to play a leading part in abolishing the slave trade.

Minimum age: 7, Museum of London Docklands, FREE

Friday 29 – Saturday 30 October I Cover the Waterfront - Billie Holliday Part of the Jazz Legends series Her distinctive timbre, warm, yet resonant, possessed the kind of phrasing similar to a Jazz instrumental soloist. Her unique timing, and heart-onthe sleeve interpretation of lyrics ensures that Billie Holiday still ranks as one of the all time great Jazz singers. Lotus Productions presents ‘I Cover the Waterfront’ a one-woman show with live four-piece Jazz band.

RICH MIX, 35 - 47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA, 7.30pm, £12 full /£10 conc.

020 7613 7498, boxoffice@ richmix.org.uk

Saturday 30 October Make a ‘freedom’ box or purse Make your own abolitionist box or purse with an anti-slavery campaign design, and then decorate it.

Minimum age: 5, Museum of London Docklands, FREE

Saturday 30 – 31 October Badge of support Many Londoners wore a badge to show their support for the ending of the slave trade in the early 1800s. We still use badges today to show our support, maybe for a political party or animal charity. Learn more about the Wedgwood cameo and design a new badge to say something about a subject you feel strongly about.

Minimum age: 5

Museum of London, Docklands, FREE

Sunday 31 October Burning an Illusion (1981), 15 Menelik Shabazz’s groundbreaking film is an unconventional love story about a young black couple in eighties London. Resisting the usual stereotypes, the most radical thing about Shabazz’s film is that its primary focus is on relationships rather than race.

Minimum age: 15, Museum of London Docklands, 14.00 -15.45, FREE

Thursday 18 November Film screening of Legacy in the Dust Contact the museum to book a place. Screening of the four Aces film and discussion with director Winstan Whitter.

Hackney Museum , 5.00pm 8.30pm

Thursday 25 November Film screening of Dub Echoes Contact the museum to book a place. Screening of the Dub documentary.

Hackney Museum, 6.00pm 7.30pm

South London Saturday 2 OctoberWednesday 6 October Art installation ‘Identity’ by Rafael Berrio* Rafael Berrio is a child of the Colombian Caribbean regions of Barranquilla and Santa Maria in the North of South America.

The inspiration for his artwork and sculpture comes from a deep sense of ethics, love of nature and a compelling need to express and renew his sense of identity.

St Mary in the Castle, 10.30am, Free Master @ Work. Workshop with Rafael Berrio* What is identity? This workshop uses the medium of art to explore this question.

The creation of a colourful mural will be used to describe participants’ own expression of self. Suitable for both

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

adults and children of all ages and abilities. Bring brushes, watercolours or any unused colourful paints. The mural will be auctioned for charity.

St Mary in the Castle, 10.30am, £3.50 Official Launch featuring HKBFiNN This musical exploration features traditional musical instruments of Africa, Spain, modern voice, and moving images to relate the story of a young man’s journey to awareness and truth.

St Mary in the Castle, 6.30pm, Free

Sunday 3 October African Dance and Drumming Workshops with Sakama Live Dancers and Drummers High energy dance moves and rhythmic drumming at Priory Meadow Shopping Centre.

Suitable for anyone who can shake a leg or tap a toe.

Priory Meadow, 10.30am, Free

Thursday 7 October Tayao Aluko “I got a home in Barack” Signed performance This musically illustrated theatre piece explores African pre-slavery history, Africans’ resistance to white domination over the centuries and their eventual triumph, symbolically at least, with the election and inauguration of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States. Tayo sings Spirituals, as composed and sung by enslaved Africans and their descendants.

St Mary in the Castle, 6.30pm, £7/£5

Friday 8 October “What’s da Word” featuring – Akila Richards “A Different Kind of Black” Signed performance Akila Richards is a published writer and poet. Born in Germany to a German mother and Liberian father, she emigrated to London during the vibrant dub poetry, political awakening and artistic social activism of 1984. Moving to Brighton in 1997, she helped found the performance

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L istings group “Sound Spectrum”.

Akila’s poem “Red Saviour” is published in “RED: A New Anthology of Contemporary Black British Poetry” by Peepal Tree Press. She will be taking part in the Red Tour this autumn.

University Centre, Hastings, 6.30pm, Free Saturday 9 October Hastings Got Culture Talent Competition, African Drumming, Performance, Puppet Theatre. Free refreshments. Contact BELIEVE on 07717 221559 or timjmiller@onetel.net for more information and application forms.

St Mary in the Castle, 3pm, Free

Monday 11 October Caribbean Story Telling in association with In2play Don’t know what to do with the young ones? Bring them along for a delightful morning of colourful Caribbean folk tales.

The Bridge, 10am, Free

Wednesday 13 October Africa Debate* What do you know about the struggle for freedom and the forging of Africa’s identity?

Come and take part in an informative discussion.

University Centre Hastings, 6.30pm, Free

Thursday 14 October St Leonards Film Society Screening: Good Hair (12) When comedian Chris Rock’s daughter, Lola, came up to him crying and asked, “Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?” the bewildered comic committed himself to search the ends of the earth and the depths of black culture to find out who had put that question into his little girl’s head!

Director Jeff Stilson’s camera followed the funny man, and the result is Good Hair, a wonderfully insightful and entertaining, yet remarkably serious, documentary about African American hair culture.

Hastings Arts Forum, 7.45pm, £3.50

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Saturday 16 October St Leonards Film Society, Kids’ Screening: Fat Albert An obese boy named Fat Albert and his friends get into trouble when they “fall” out of their TV world into the real world. Fat Albert tries to help a young girl, Doris, make friends but Fat Albert falls for Doris’ older sister, Laurie, sparking his friends to worry that their leader may never want to return to his cartoon world again.

Christ Church Hall, 10.00am, £3.50

Sunday 17 October Nana Tsiboe Masterclass* Drumming and Historical Awareness Nana Tsiboe’s drumming and historical awareness Masterclass looks at the origins of the rum as a messenger, its significance to African society, and by its connection to the heart of human emotions how it struck fear into the hearts of Africa’s colonisers.

Nana Tsiboe’s drumming and historical awareness masterclass looks at the origins of the drum as a messenger, its significance to African society, and by its connection to the heart of human emotions how it struck fear into the hearts of Africa’s colonisers. Come and learn how to play like a warrior.

House of Hastings, 1pm, Free

Monday 18 OctoberSaturday 23 October ‘Who are you?’ Site-specific artwork by illustrator and fibre artist Lorna Hamilton-Brown, MBE Lorna Hamilton-Brown is a local St Leonards visual artist of Jamaican descent. Her site specific work uses the mediums of knit and illustration to explore issues of identity.

House of Hastings, 11pm, Free

Tuesday 19 October Black History – Citizenship Day Working together, AimHigher staff, along with students from UCH, will host a Creative Black History Citizenship Day for children and staff from Hastings schools. Please register your interest by contacting Polly on pvr1@ www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

brighton.ac.uk 01273 644636.

UCH, 10am, Free, www. afrikaba.co.uk, afrikaba.co.uk

Wednesday 20 October Cook & Eat Caribbean Style* Learn how to cook mouthwatering Caribbean dishes such Jerk Chicken, Rice & Peas.

The Bridge, 10.30am, £3.50

Thursday 21 October Ethnic Minorities and Seaside resorts The UCH Diversity Working Group alongside the student Afro-Caribbean Society, invite you to an evening of discussion. Topic: Ethnic Minorities and Seaside Resorts.

There will be music, literature, a drumming workshop and food.

UCH, 5.30pm, Free, Schools, please register your interest by contacting Polly on pvr1@ brighton.ac.uk or 01273 644636.

Friday 22 October African Table Games* 6pm / Free / House of Hastings Do you enjoy playing table games with your family? Are you a chess champion? Come and learn something new. How much fun can you have?

Saturday 23 October Michele D’Acosta Film Masterclass How do you turn your film idea, into a screen reality? This Masterclass will be led by one of the UK’s first, award-winning and internationally acclaimed Black British, documentary film-makers and screenwriter, Michele D’Acosta.. Bring your work and concepts to see how you might be able to turn them into finished pieces. If you would like to attend the masterclass but feel unable to afford the full fee, a bursary may be available to help towards the cost. To apply, visit www.afrikaba.co.uk.The theme is ‘Identity’. Send your entries to arrive no later than 4:00pm on Fri 8 October to AfriKàBa, Unit 3 House of Hastings, 182 Queens Rd, Hastings TN34 1RQ. Please include a stamped

addressed envelope with correct postage for return of your work.

Electric Palace Cinema, 1.30pm,£25, £15

Sunday 24 October Caribbean Storytelling Don’t know what to do with the young ones? Bring them along for a delightful afternoon filled with colourful Caribbean folk tales from Sandra Agard.

House of Hastings, 11.30am, Free

Tuesday 26 OctoberFriday 29 October Schools Project On View @ House of Hastings This exhibition displays work by children from local schools about identity, which is the theme for this year’s Afrikàba Festival.

House of Hastings, 11am, Free

Wednesday 27 October Africa Debate Nigeria at 50 – Has the Diaspora movement changed Nigeria’s identity? What’s next? This discussion will help deconstruct some of the myths and stereotypes about Africa and dust off the cobwebs with up to date news, views and information.

University Centre Hastings, 6.30pm, Free

Thursday 28 October BME UCH Research Drop-in UCH encourage enquiries from BME community groups interested in research and support.

UCH, 10am, Free, Contact Polly on pvr1@brighton.ac.uk or 01273 644636.

Friday 29 October African Table Games Do you enjoy playing table games with your family? Are you a chess champion? Come and learn something new. How much fun can you have?

House of Hastings, 7pm, Free Gwyneth, Nana, Lynda & Friends A social evening of music, art and interactivity. Bring your own food and drink.

House of Hastings, 7.30pm, Free

more than just a month

Saturday 30 October African Table Games Fun Tournament Are you the champion of champions?

Butlers Gap, 12 noon, £1.50 to compete Closing Event* To be confirmed, check website for details Mural auction, evaluation prize draw, African table tournament presentation.

Gwyneth’s African Party Night!

Everyone welcome! The only one of its kind in Hastings Do you love World or African Dance Music? Then you’ll rave about our Hastings African Party Night with live bands and top DJs. 2nd Sat of every month

Saturday 13 November Pollito Boogaloo (Afro Columbian-Latin fusion), The Green Room, Hastings TN34 1JG, 9pm ‘til 2am

Saturday 11 December Gospel Fund Raising for Uganda St Mary in the Castle, Hastings TN34 3AE, 7pm ‘til 10.30pm £9 plus 50p booking fee in advance from Hastings Information Centre, Tel 01424 451127 £12 on door. www. partynighthastings.co.uk Follow us on Twitter: AfroPartyNight. Image: Chris Bourne, Profile Photography, www.profile.gb.com

became only the second living poet and the first black poet to have his work published in Penguin’s Modern Classics series under the title Mi Revalueshanary Fren: Selected Poems. He is known and revered as the world’s first reggae poet and his work has been translated into Italian and German. His music recordings are amongst the top-selling reggae albums in the world.

Lady Hale Lecture Theatre, University of Salford, off The Crescent, M5 4WT, Time: 5.30pm - 7.30pm, Price: Free. Contact Details: blackhistorymonth@salford. ac.uk or call 0161 295 9003

Saturday 9 October Tracing Your Caribbean Family History This genealogy workshop will help you to begin tracing your own Caribbean family history. The event will include an introduction by Linford Sweeney covering Caribbean history, genealogy and an optional practical online session. This workshop will suit absolute beginners and those who may be a little

more advanced in their own research. It will focus on the English-speaking Caribbean countries. Buffet will also be served.

Performance Space, Oldham Library and Lifelong Learning Centre, 2pm-5pm, Free Naveed Aziz 0161 770 8015 naveed.aziz@oldham.gov.uk

Wednesday 13 October The Messenger: Spirit of Nina Simone A snapshot of the remarkable story of Nina Simone, her musical crusade and commitment to the cause of Civil Rights has been dramatised by two professional performers. A musical child prodigy Nina should have enjoyed a glittering classical career, but rejection by an all-white board of an elite conservatoire shaped the rest of her life. This story is sung/ narrated and describes aspects of Nina’s life with her music providing a backdrop to the struggle of the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s.

Robert Powell Theatre, University of Salford, Frederick Road, M6 6PU, 7.30pm —

Manchester Monday 4 October Madness In this exhibition of large-scale paintings Zengeni draws on diverse cultural imagery to celebrate the impermanence of the everyday.

Chapman Gallery, Chapman Building, off University Rd, University of Salford, M5 4BR, 10.00am – 4.00pm, Free, blackhistorymonth@salford. ac.uk or call 0161 295 9003

9.30pm Free, blackhistorymonth@ salford.ac.uk or call 0161 295 9003

Thursday 14 October Erik Knudsen: Screening of Heart of Gold Erik Knudsen is a filmmaker and Professor of Film Practice and Head of the School of Media Music and Performance at the University of Salford.

Heart of Gold was an Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded documentary project which took the filmmaker back to his country of birth, Ghana, to explore how traditional storytelling may help shape new approaches to documentary forms.

Adelphi Studio Theatre, Adelphi Building, University of Salford, Peru Street, M3 6EQ 5.00pm-6.30pm, Free. blackhistorymonth@salford. ac.uk or call 0161 295 9003

Tuesday 19 October Lecture by Professor Gus John Gus John is an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Education, University of London, and Associate Professor at the London Centre for Leadership in Learning. In 1989 he became the first black director of education in the UK, having been deputy director of education (post school) in the Inner London Education Authority. He has recently published The Case for a Learner’s Charter for Schools.

5.30pm — 7.30pm, Free, blackhistorymonth@salford. ac.uk or call 0161 295 9003

Wednesday 20 October Manchester Literature Festival Performance: Peter Kalu, John Lyons, Grace Nichols & Seni Seneviratne Guyana-born Grace Nichols has published several collections including I is a Long Memoried Woman, which won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize, and most recently I Have Crossed an Ocean: Selected Poems. Peter Kalu is well known on the local and national writing scene as a poet, novelist, editor, activist

Tuesday 5 October Lecture by Linton Kwesi Johnson In 2002 Linton Kwesi Johnson www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

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L istings

and playwright. His latest book is Little Jack Horner.

Trinidad-born John Lyons is the author of three collections of poetry and Cook-up in a Trini Kitchen, combining poems, recipes, and artwork.

Seni Seneviratne’s collection Wild Cinnamon and Winter Skin has been described as ‘a virtual master class between covers’.

The Green Room, 8pm, £6/4

Wednesday 27 October UNISON North West – Black Leadership Event A one-day event aimed at discovering more about ‘Black Leaders’ and looking at what leadership means today. A variety of speakers from political, community and other organisations will be speaking, including Lee Jasper.

The event is aimed at UNISON members but will also be open to a wider audience on a first come, first served basis.

Manchester Town Hall, 9.30am–4.00pm, Free, Email: s.whitaker@unison.co.uk or call 0161 661 6748

Friday 29 October Living History performance: No Bed of Roses – From the Caribbean to Manchester Celebrate Black History Month by following our Living History character Gabrielle on her lifechanging journey to Britain in the 1950s.

1.15pm – 1.45pm, Family Friendly activity. Suitable for 92 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

over 7s-adults. No booking required. Free

Friday 29 October Oxjam Students perform live music and Capoeira as part of this national music festival to mark the finale of Black History Month. All proceeds will be donated to Oxfam. Child friendly between 4.00pm8.00pm. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

University House, University of Salford, off The Crescent, M5 4WT, 4.00pm-11.59pm Entry by donation, blackhistorymonth@salford. ac.uk or call 0161 295 9003

Liverpool Wednesday 5 October Black Film Club Talk: From Servitude to Super Hero Chase Johnston-Lynch from Square One Pictures, teaches on icons of Black film such as Sidney Poitier and Will Smith, whilst applying Donald Bogles thought provoking theories on black stereotypes and characterisations.

12 - 1pm, Black Film Club screenings. All films shown 12 – 2pm in the Anthony Walker Education Centre

Tuesday 12 October Akeela and the Bee Directed by Doug Atchison, Akeela and the Bee tells the

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

story of Akeelah Anderson, played by Keke Palmer, an 11-year-old girl who takes part in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Tuesday 19 October To Sir With Love To Sir, With Love stars Sidney Poitier and deals with social and racial issues in an inner city school. Based on the semi-autobiographical novel E. R. Braithwaite, James Clavell both directed and wrote the film’s screenplay.

Tuesday 26 October The Pursuit of Happyness Starring Will Smith the film follows the true story of Chris Gardner an on-and-offhomeless salesman-turned stockbroker.

Booking required e-mail learning@liverpoolmuseums. org.uk or call 0151 478 4543

Saturday 16 October Banyan Wari Games Workshop An ancient and modern number, thinking, and strategy game. Through forced migration, enslaved Africans took Wari to the Americas.

It is played in the USA and some Caribbean countries especially Antigua, Barbuda and Barbados. If you want to know more come along and learn how to play Wari.

11.30 - 12.30 pm , 1.30 – 2.30pm. Booking required e-mail learning@

liverpoolmuseums.org.uk or call 0151 478 4543

Monday 4 October Project Launch; Following Equiano - Recalling the Past & Reforming the Future Students from the four UNESCO schools in Liverpool followed the geographical journey of Olaudah Equiano which they captured in a film documentary.

4th Floor Lecture Theatre , 6.30 – 7.30pm , Booking required e-mail learning@ liverpoolmuseums.org.uk or call 0151 478 4543

Thursday 7 October Spotlight on Collections: A Hidden History This gallery talk will highlight some of the factors which led to Liverpool’s dominance of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. It will also look at how one object’s previously hidden history reflects the aims of the International Slavery Museum.

1pm

Saturday 9 October Nigeria’s 50th Year of Independence Anniversary An afternoon of talks, celebration, and learning from the Liverpool’s own Nigerian community and special guests from the Nigerian High Commission, based in London.

12.30pm Booking required e-mail learning@ liverpoolmuseums.org.uk or

more than just a month

call 0151 478 4543

Wednesday 20 October Not just Rosa Parks...

A short talk which looks at the work of some lesser known female activists of the Civil Rights Movement, including Septima Clarke and Ella Baker. Find out about their vital work behind high profile and male dominated campaigns during the struggle for freedom. (BSL sign interpreted) 2- 2.30pm & 3-3.30pm

Thursday 21 October The Legacies of Transatlantic Slavery Join Richard Benjamin, Head of the International Slavery Museum, as he discusses some of the legacies of Transatlantic Slavery.

1pm

Thursday 28 October Black Presence Collector Leslie Braine Ikomi talks about the presence of black people in Britain during the 18th and 19th Centuries through his compelling and thought provoking collection of rare images depicting the cultural, social and political life of black people during the era of Transatlantic Slavery. (Go to reception desk on the day for room directions).

2pm Spotlight on Collections: The Objects of Women Curator Angela Robinson will give a brief tour highlighting the representation of women in the Museum. The tour will look at areas of the museum which are about women and some of the objects they used.

1pm

Sunday 3, Sunday 17, Tuesday 26 October Handling collection Join our demonstrator to learn about life in West Africa before Transatlantic Slavery.

1 – 4pm

Sunday 10, Sunday 24, Wednesday 27 October Storytelling: Tales from Africa Immerse yourself in African

tales in this interactive storytelling session.

1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm Merseyside Maritime Museum

Tuesday 12 October An evening with… award winning media presenter, writer and broadcaster Henry Bonsu Henry will talk on ‘the Personal to the Political’ and explore challenges and identify ways forward in forging black identities in today’s society.

Networking and food starts at 5.30pm. Talk starts 6.30pm.

(BSL sign interpreted), 5.308.00pm Booking required e-mail learning@liverpoolmuseums. org.uk or call 0151 478 4543

documentary directed by Owen ‘Alik Shahadah. A highly acclaimed, award winning documentary it looks at the history and system of the enslavement of African people who continue to fight for the most essential human right - freedom.

500 Years Later will be shown 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, and 20 of October in the Treasure House Theatre (collect a free ticket from the welcome desk).

Walker Art Gallery

Saturday 9 October A bitter sweet history between Liverpool and sugar A talk that looks at links between Liverpool and sugar delivered by local lecturer Ron Noon.

2pm, Booking required e-mail learning@liverpoolmuseums. org.uk or call 0151 478 4543

Saturday 16 October Explore the African collections in the World Cultures gallery An on gallery talk from World Museum Curator of African Collections Zachery Kingdon who will look at contributors to World Museum’s collections.

3pm , *Booking required e-mail learning@ liverpoolmuseums.org.uk or call 0151 478 4543

Tuesday 5, Wednesday 6, Tuesday 12, Wednesday 13, Tuesday 19, Wednesday 20 October Film Screening 500 Years Later 500 Years Later is an epic multi-award winning

Sunday September 26-Sunday 31 October

Hidden Art Histories: The Black Presence A talk on gallery from Walker Art Gallery Curator on exploring Black presence in art (Collect a free ticket from the welcome desk), 1pm

Course: The Struggle for Black Rights (1600 - 2009) This five-week accredited course exploring the social development of Black people in diaspora (outside Africa), will cover issues such as forced migration, abolition and emancipation as well as Black Nationalism, cultural shifts and civil rights today.

National Waterfront Museum, Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter, Swansea, SA13RD 2pm - 4:30pm T: +44 (0) 1792 638950, www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/ enquiries

Wales

Friday 1–Sunday 31 October

Friday 29 October

Tuesday 19 October A Lecture for the Sierra Leone Society Gallery talk from Curator of African Collections Zachery Kingdon, 3pm, Booking required e-mail learning@liverpoolmuseums. org.uk or call 0151 478 4543

8p. T: +44 (0) 29 2039 1391, E: boxoffice@rwcmd.ac.uk www.rwcmd.ac.uk

Thursday May 22–Saturday 16 October Exhibition: The Junkyard Museum of Awkward Things by ‘Junkman from Africa’ Presenting the un-presentable; valuing the worthless; appreciating the depreciated; taking the outcasts inside; embracing the untouchable: this is the Junkyard Museum of Awkward Things as described by its creator, the self-styled ‘Junkman From Afrika’.

Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pmOriel Mostyn Gallery, 12 Vaughan Street, Llandudno, LL30 1AT: +44(0) 1492 879 201, E: post@mostyn.org, www.mostyn.org .

Wednesday September 15–Saturday 2 October Play: Speechless Co-produced by Shared Experience and Sherman Cymru, Speechless tells the extraordinary story of identical twins June and Jennifer Gibbons. Refusing to speak to adults, the twins’ only relationship is their intense and turbulent bond with each other.

Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Castle Grounds, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3ER www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Workshops: All Wales Black History Month Workshops At selected venues across the whole of Wales including Bangor, Holyhead, Wrexham, Hay-on-Wye, Carmarthenshire, Aberdare, Cardiff, Newport and Swansea take part in arts & crafts, music, dance, creative writing, mc’ ing, lectures & talks and much more.

Various times. T: +44(0) 2920 450068, E: info@bvsnw.org. uk, www.bvsnw.org.uk

Friday 1 – 31 October Events and Workshops: Shared Histories – North Wales Black History Month Yasus Afari, Performance Poet, Philosopher and Author will be launching our “Shared Histories” Black History Month celebrations in North Wales with a programme of workshops in schools as well performing in our Reggae Social event and more.

Various times. Learning Links International, M: +44(0) 7711 569 489, lizmillman@yahoo. co.uk

Friday 1 October Launch of Black History Month Wales ‘Telling Our Own Stories’ Featuring special guest

| BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 93

L istings speakers and musical performances including AbuBakr Madden Al-Shabazz - Black History Lecturer for Cardiff University, Mark Taylor - Chief Executive of the Wales Millennium Centre and Catherine Wright - Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Graduate as seen on Sky’s 1 Must be the Music.

11am -12pm. T: +44(0) 2920 450068, E: info@bvsnw.org. uk, www.bvsnw.org.uk

Friday 1 October Traditional Gambian Party Authentic West African music, dance, food and craft reflecting the life, history and culture of peoples of the Gambia.

Coleg Glan Hafren, 27 The Parade Hall, Cardiff, CF24 3AD 6pm - 12am T: +44(0) 2920 259 374, E: pamodou@ gambianarts.com, www. gambianarts.com

Friday 1–Saturday 2 October Dance: Awakenings 2010 Awakenings is a beautiful piece of dance full of high emotion, energy and drama with 22 of the world’s finest dancers and incredible live music. Two further dance works, brand new to Llandudno audiences, will also be performed: Christopher Bruce’s uplifting Hush and the sensational, samba-inspired A Linha Curva by Itzik Galili.

Venue Cymru, The Promenade, Llandudno, Conwy, LL30 1BB 7:30pm. Tel: 01492 872000, www.venuecymru.co.uk

Saturday 2–Saturday 30 October Festival: Black History Month Newport A month long programme of exhibitions, events, activities and celebrations for everyone taking place at various venues in Newport including Launch, Children’s Black History Festival, MC’s & Poets, Writers Corner, Storytelling, Lectures, Finale and more.

Various times. Tel: 01633 250 006, roy.grant@sewrec.org.uk, www.sewrec.org.uk

94 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

South West Saturday 2 October Theatre West presents Children of Salt by Edson Burton Across the country on the same night they struck; The Children of Salt. For thirty days they shot, hacked or beat anyone they could find. Now, years later, Kgosi and Abena have found new life in each other. But when son Ogun returns and starts to question Kgosi’s motives, doubt and paranoia begin to poison their relationship. When you have witnessed genocide, can you ever truly find peace?

Alma Tavern & Theatre, 1820 Alma Vale Road, Clifton Bristol. BS8 2HY, 8.30pm, £9/£7 Concessions, www. almataverntheatre.co.uk Concert with Fidelis Mherembi - master of Mbira & Marimba Music For All empowers the children of Zimbabwe by making music part of their lives. A night of music, film, poetry and dance - proceeds go to Matirige School to buy instruments for the children.

Pierian Centre, 27 Portland Square, St. Paul’s. Bristol BS2 8SA, 7.30pm. There will be a charge please contact Pierian on 0117 924 4512.

Call 07814 294509 or mbiramusic@yahoo.co.uk AFRIfest – Festival of Culture & Heritage of Africa Fun for all the family: Live performances, Food and drinks from Africa, Fashion Show, workshops, Stalls selling traditional African Clothing and Artifacts, bouncy castle and lots more.

Malcolm X Centre, 141 City Road. Bristol BS2 8YH, 10am until late, Free

Monday 4 October Black & Minority Ethnic Voluntary & Community Service Fair The event is specifically aimed at agencies that have a specific remit to work with and advocate on behalf of Black and minority ethnic individuals. The event is an www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

opportunity for agencies both statutory and non-statutory voluntary and private to share their wealth of knowledge on issues that impact on Black and minority ethnic communities in Bristol. Stall holders from a range of providers of services will be in attendance all of whom will be offered an opportunity to talk about their current and future plans. The evening offers an opportunity to meet some local performers playing music that has inspired the world.

Bristol City Council, College Green. Bristol BS1 5TR, 3pm until 9pm, Free Simon. nelson@bristol.gov.uk or call 0117 922 2358

Thursday 7 October (and every Thursday for 10 weeks) 10 week free IT Course Supporting individuals to research & document their family and the varied communities for whom St Paul’s is home, using different IT techniques. Why not make a calendar for example and learn some research skills along the way! The event supported by the Family Learning Centre in the heart of St Paul’s.

St Paul’s Learning Centre, 94 Grosvenor Road, Bristol BS2 8XJ, 1pm – 3.30pm Free, Vandana Sharma on 0117 914 5477 Wednesday 13 October Bristol & South Glos People First - Black History month celebration/information day.

An information day for adults with learning difficulties and their carers. People will have a chance to find out about other cultures through art, food, music, talks and workshops.

Vassall Centre, Gill Avenue, Bristol. Avon BS16 2QQ, 10am – 2pm, Free – please bring own food. Tel: 0117 941 5842

Thursday 14 October Verbalized – An evening of exceptional poetry To celebrate Black History Month, the inaugural event for Word of Mouth at the Bristol Old Vic is Verbalized, an

evening of performance by an astounding 13 poets from the UK and South Africa taking to the Studio stage for the first time together.

Bristol Old Vic, King Street, Bristol BS1 4ED, 8pm, £10/£7 concessions, Bertel Martin Tel: 0117 376 3174 www. citychameleon.co.uk Bay Lit Festival Part of Academi’s series of literature events and preBayLit Festival event Red poets from across the country (London, Manchester, Brighton, and Leeds) meet in Wales at one of their premier venues. Daljit Nagra - Forward Prize winning author of Look We Have Coming to Dover!

Maya Chowdhry, author of The Seamstress and The Global Garment. Simon Murray author of Kill Myself Now: The True Confessions of an Advertising Genius.

Monika-Akila Richards whose prize winning work appears in the Decibel Penguin Anthology - The Map of Me. Venue: Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, 7.45pm Friday 15 October Afrodisiac Sound Affairs presents an innovative new music and visual art production exploring ritual and magic in African and African diaspora cultures.

University Concert Hall, Cardiff, 7.30pm, £10 / £7/ £3.50 students, www. ticketsource.co.uk TEACHINGS IN DUB – with ABA SHANTI-I feat KEETY ROOTS Teachings in Dub is a Bristolbased roots and culture promotion. The unification of its’ primary carriers came to life in early 2007 when roots radio presenter, DJ Stryda, met a group of youths from Bristol’s Universities who were members of The Bristol Reggae Society. A common levitation to the strength that resides in roots music and sound-system culture, and a shared view that roots music should consistently have the platform that it deserves to empower the people, destined

more than just a month

that the hopes of both groups were materialised and hence, ‘Teachings in Dub’ came forth.

Trinity Centre, Trinity Road Bristol BS2 0NW, 10pm – 6am, £12 , Tel: 0117 907 4372

Sunday 17 October Film - Fair Play – Sporting Isolation This summer’s World Cup held in South Africa was in stark contrast to the years of sporting isolation faced by that country as millions of people around the world opposed sporting links with the apartheid regime. Connie Field’s film details the history of the sporting boycott against South Africa and how that was linked to the wider anti-racist struggle. Fair Play is put on jointly by the Pierian Centre and Bristol ACTSA (Action for Southern Africa), the successor organisation to the Anti-Apartheid Movement.

The evening will feature music from Southern Africa and personal observations from this year’s World Cup. Pierian Centre, 27 Portland Square, St. Paul’s. Bristol BS2 8SA, 7.30pm, Tickets cost £5 (concessions available), Booking strongly recommended on 0117 924 4512 or info@pieriancentre. com Meal for Mozambique The Meal for Mozambique is both celebrating 20 years of twinning between Bristol and Beira and also a fundraiser to support the work of the Bristol Link with Beira and projects in Mozambique that include school linking, work with women, on disability, with children, and environmental projects. The event is a 2 course sit down meal plus entertainment from Celso Paco the Mozambican musician and storyteller. The lunch is open to all.

Rose Green Centre, 65 Gordon Road, Bristol BS5 7DR, 12noon - 3pm, Adult £12, Children £6, Dave Spurgeon on 0117 935 0404 or davespurgeon@blueyonder. co.uk

Tuesday 19 & Thursday

21 October Textiles Workshop – African Batiks Two free workshops that will give you the skills to create your textile designs using the Batik cloth that has been important in Africa for nearly two thousand years. Batik is a method of applying pattern to fabric. The sessions are led

by Barbara Disney who has been instrumental in providing these sessions as part of St Paul’s Carnival.

St Paul’s Learning Centre, 94 Grosvenor Road, Bristol BS2 8XJ, 9.30am – 12.30pm, Free contact Learning Centre on 0117 9145470

Wednesday 20 October Afrodisiac Sound Affairs presents an innovative new music and visual art production exploring ritual and magic in African and African diaspora cultures.

Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold 7.45pm, £11 / £9, www. clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk, Tel: 0845 330 35 65 Blonde Roots – by Bernardine Evaristo - Book launch Imagine if the Transatlantic Slave Trade was reversed.

Imagine Africans the master and Europeans their slaves....

Now meet young Doris, Living in a sleepy English cottage and one day she is kidnapped and put aboard a slave ship bound for the New World. Then as personal assistant to Bwana, Chief Kaga Konata Katamba I, she sees the horrors of the sugarcane fields.

Bristol Central Library, College Green. Bristol. BS1 5TR, 6.30pm Tickets are £3 and £2 for reading group members.

Enquiry Desk at Central Library on 0119 9037250

Saturday 23 October Breathing Fire – Bristol’s Black Women’s Playback Theatre Company Breathing Fire are a group of Black women of Afrikan / Caribbean descent who are committed to the empowerment of those who have historically been denied a voice. They use a unique form

of interactive theatre enabling audiences to tell their stories.

“For our communities this is significant; by sharing our individual and collective stories we tap into the griot (Afrikan story telling) that is grounded in our ancestral heritage”.

Gasworks Studio, 27 Narroways Road. St Werburghs, Bristol, BS2 9XB, 2.30pm – 4pm £6/£3 concessions – Free for Children. Breathingfire@ hotmail.com or 07795 091269

Thursday 28 October Peeping Through the Reeds.

Author talk with June BamHutchison Peeping Through the Reeds is a fictionalised historical novel about growing up classed as ‘Cape Coloured’ under South Africa’s apartheid regime. The story recounts the experiences of the author and others in trying to survive mentally and in terms of human relations under oppression and the campaign battles for liberty. www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Bristol Central Library, College Green. Bristol BS1 5TR, 6 -7 pm, £3 (£2 Reading Group members). Bristol Central Library, Enquiries 0117 9037250

Thursday 28–Sunday 31 October Afrika Eye Film Festival – 28th31st October, Watershed Afrika Eye Film Festival showcases films that tell stories told by African and diaspora voices. Bringing together local African and Afro-Caribbean communities with international figures in film, music, and dance, Africa Eye aims to offer an insight into African culture both on and beyond the screen.

Watershed, Harbourside, 1 Canon’s Road, Bristol BS1 5TX. Booking Office for timings/ price on 0117 927 5100

Saturday 30 October Oxjam Bristol Gospel artists are hitting up the city of Bristol for Oxjam’s | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 95

L istings groups have used photography, film and personal mementos to encapsulate experiences.

Exhibits include a video installation from international students at Heriot-Watt University, photography and mementos about caring and journeys, through to photography and artwork from BME men, examining stress, isolation and racism.

Out of the Blue, Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh, Free, 10.00am-5.00pm Monday - Friday

Thursday 7 October

premiere gospel event ‘TOTAL PRAISE’. The night will include music performances from some of the UK’s finest gospel artists such as new direction Crew, TRF, Ejiro, Shekinah Gospel Choir and a live 8 piece reggae band with Mr. Conscious.

St James Hall, Cannon Street, Bristol. BS1 3LP, 6.30pm, £5 Adults £2.50 under 18s – Ticket purchase visit www. bristolticketshop.co.uk Call 07792 925316 or 07792 690739

Saturday 30 October Jamaica Night Come celebrate music that has influenced the world and taste the delights of Caribbean cuisine. The night is a musical feast provided by Bristol’s own Invasion Sound who regular feature as part of the music line-up at St Paul’s annual Carnival.

Malcolm X Centre, 141 City Road. Bristol BS2 8YH, 9pm till late, £3 children, £4 O.A.P, £7 adults available on the door.

Malcolm X Centre on 0117 955 4497 Event: Black History Month Wales Extravaganza ‘Telling Our Own Stories’ A colourful programme of exhibitions, workshops, performances and activities for everyone taking place across two venues in Cardiff 96 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

Bay, including music, dance, storytelling, film screenings, arts & crafts, Black History talks, special guests and more.

The Wales Millennium Centre, Bute Place, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5AL. The Pier Head Building, c/o National Assembly Wales, Cardiff Bay, CF99 1NA, 12pm – 6pm 02920 450068 E: info@bvsnw. org.uk, www.bvsnw.org.uk

Sunday 31 October Film - Beyond Labels – Being Black and Gay in the UK What does it mean to be Black and gay in the UK? Jaime Sylla’s new film explores the life experiences of a group of men who all too often have been rendered invisible in history and stigmatised by their own communities because of their sexuality and race. Focusing on a range of Black gay men of different ages and cultural backgrounds, Beyond labels looks at how racism and homophobia can impact upon the construction of a healthy Black and gay identity.

The 60min documentary will be followed by a Q/A session.

Pierian Centre, 27 Portland Square, St. Paul’s. Bristol BS2 8SA, 7pm – 9.30pm, Free, Jaime Sylla on Tel: 020 7738 6872

Monday 8 & Wednesday 10 November Getting that Interview – www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Getting that Job – Skills Training Workshop The University of West of England & Bristol City Council are hosting this 1 1/2 day training event to assist members of Black and minority ethnic communities in Bristol who are often underrepresented at similar events on how to complete and improve on a job application forms and how to prepare for an interview & interviewing techniques.

St Paul’s Learning Centre, 94 Grosvenor Road, Bristol BS2 8XJ, 10am – 2pmFree Places limited to 30 to register email simon.nelson@bristol. gov.uk or call Tel: 0117 922 2358

Edinburgh and Lothian

Friday 1-Sunday 24 October Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival With nearly 200 events taking place in venues across Scotland, check out what’s on and look through the events calendar or request a copy of the brochure in the post Tel: 0141 572 0125

Friday 1-Saturday 16 October Equally Connected Visual Art Black and minority ethnic (BME)

Faith in Older People – Debate “Is there a Difference between Spiritual Care and Good Person Centred Care?”

A debate with Malcolm Goldsmith, founder of Faith in Older People and Professor Mary Marshall, Professor Emeritus, University of Stirling.

Moderated by Professor Frank Clark, OBE, Chair of the Care Commission. This event takes place at Stockbridge House, Cheyne Street, Edinburgh, 5pm7.30pm - refreshments provided. Contact info@fiop. org.uk or 0131 346 7981 for further information and to book a place.

Friday 8 October LCIL Annual Lecture The Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living (LCiL) is hosting its first ever Annual Lecture on 8th October. The main speakers for the event will be Dr Kevin Woods, the Chief Executive of NHS Scotland and James Barbour, Chief Executive of NHS Lothian.

Wednesday 13 October Edinburgh & Lothians Racial Equality Council Seminar ELREC, in association with Direct Approach, are hosting this event to present the findings of “Your Marriage Your Rights”.

Business Centre, City Chambers, Edinburgh, 9.30am to 3.00pm. Tel: 0131 556 0441 or email admin@elrec. org.uk. ELREC’s annual general meeting will follow later that day in the City Chambers from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

more than just a month

Wednesday 13 October Saheliya Black History Month Event “The Mental Health Legacy of Colonialism” event aims to explore the effects of the legacy of colonialism with its lasting impacts on people, race, society, finance, faith and history on mental health, ethnic minorities, women and our unwritten history. You are invited to come and explore this and commemorate and celebrate Black History Month with Saheliya Sisters! The event will hold workshops and open discussions on the mental health legacy of colonialism, particularly for women.

Morning session will be for women only.

Contact 0131 556 9302 or email info@saheliya.co.uk for more information and to book a place.

Saturday 16-17 October Edinburgh World Justice Festival The EWJF will take place during the weekend. This year’s theme is ‘A World in Crisis: What is the alternative?’

Saturday 16 October Scottish Women’s Convention Conference for Older Women The Scottish Women’s Convention is hosting this conference in Dunoon on the 16th October. See the website to register or call 0141 248 8186 or contact mary.kerr@ scottishwomensconvention.org

Thursday 21 OctoberFriday 5 November Africa in Motion Africa in Motion (AiM) is an annual African film festival based at the Edinburgh Filmhouse. AIM is devoted to celebrations of 50 years of independence of 17 African countries. Film screenings will be accompanied by events such as workshops, seminars, children’s afternoons, poetry readings, music and dance.

Edinburgh Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9BZ, Tel: 0131 228 2688 CHESHIRE

Wednesday 6 October

Tales from the Black History of Cheshire Storytelling event for Primary Schools Gainsborough Primary School, Crewe 9.00am to 3.00pm FREE The Journey Man info@ thejourneyman.org.uk 01829260680

Thursday 21 October Tales from the Black History of Cheshire Storytelling event for Primary Schools Buglawton Primary School, Congleton 1.00pm to 3.00pm FREE The Journey Man info@ thejourneyman.org.uk 01829260680

Saturday 2 October African Cartooning Workshop Join cartoonist and illustrator Tayo Fatunla for a cartooning workshop.

Central Library, Centre for the Child, Ground Floor 10.30am -12noon (suitable for 7-11 year olds), 12.30pm -2pm (suitable for 12-16 year olds) Admission Free, but places must be booked.

Phone 0121 303 2421 to reserve a place

Saturday 2 October African Mask Making Create your own African mask at our drop-in craft session.

Suitable for all the family.

Central Library, Centre for the Child, Ground Floor 10am-2pm and 2.45pm-4pm 0121 303 2421

Saturday 2 October Nigerian Folk Tales Family folk story session celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Nigerian Independence.

Central Library, Centre for the Child, Ground Floor 2pm-2.45pm Free, no booking required 0121 303 2421 Monday 11 October Connected Histories The contribution of Muslim communities to WW2. Free talk

with film and photographs.

Northfield Library 11am-12 noon 0121 464 1007

Monday 11 October “Coming To Birmingham” An introduction to archives, looking at migration and settlement in Birmingham.

Community Outreach officer Izzy Mohammed gives an informal introduction to resources in Birmingham Archives and Heritage.

Central Library, Floor 6, 2pm3.30pm Phone 0121 464 1607 to reserve a place.

Tuesday 12 October Race, Empire and the Birmingham Civic Gospel A lunchtime lecture by Dr Andy Green.

Central Library, Library Theatre, 1pm-2pm, Admission free, no booking required. 0121 303 4511

Wednesday 20 October Roots Rock Reggae An evening of music and dance with Captain Boogie for all the family Handsworth Library, 7pm10pm, tel: 0121 464 1185

An introduction to archives looking at migration and settlement in Birmingham.

Community Outreach officer Izzy Mohammed gives an informal introduction to resources in Birmingham Archives and Heritage.

Central Library, Floor 6, 2pm3.30pm, Phone 0121 464 1607 to reserve a place.

Saturday 30 October Launch of a book by Robert Lalljie “Walter Rodney - His Last Days and Campaigns” Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Walter Rodney’s assassination, a talk will be given by the author.

Central Library, Library Theatre, 6.30pm-8pm, Free-no booking required, Tel: 0121 303 4511 Exhibitions and Displays

27 Sept -18 October Union Black Film Festival A small exhibition of posters and stills from the upcoming Union Black Film Festival together with a display of books on Black film and cinema.

Central Library, Floor 3, tel: 0121 303 4511

Saturday 23 October

Monday 4-Saturday 16 October

Black History Month Family Fun Day Including Rebecca Hemmings telling exciting stories to young children and their parents, a library based quiz with a prize for the winner, face painting for young children, mehndi decoration for all ages and hand puppet crafts for children.

Small Heath Library, 11am3.30pm, tel: 0121 464 6155

Birmingham is Our Home A display about a positive campaign that demonstrates that migration into Birmingham has been part of “everyday life” in our city since the 1950s (and before). Sponsored by Birmingham Social Housing Partnership in co-operation with Birmingham City Council.

Quinton Library, Tel: 0121 464 7400

Saturday 23 October

Monday 4-Friday 29 October

Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia session Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals will be offering advice, guidance and also testing for Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia.

Central Library, Health Exchange, Floor 5, Times to be confirmed, tel: 0121 607 0110

Monday 25th October “Coming To Birmingham” www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Marcus Garvey An exhibition on the life and times of the great Jamaican National Hero and PanAfricanist.

Central Library, Floor 5, Tel: 0121 303 4511

Tuesday 5-Saturday 23 October Keisha Thompson An exhibition of photographs | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 | 97

L istings taken by the photographer on her recent visit to India.

Ward End Library, tel:0121 464 0366

Wednesday 6-Wednesdsay 27 October Islamic Seals This exhibition from the British Library explores the world of Islamic seals, looking at their calligraphy and decoration, what they are made of and how they are used, and showcasing some masterpieces of Islamic art and design.

Central Library, Floor 4, Tel: 0121 303 4511

October Connected Histories The Muslim contribution to World War 2 - from the “Connected Histories” project which worked with young people in Birmingham to look at the contribution made

by Muslim service personnel during World War 2.

Central Library, The Gallery, Floor 1, Tel: 0121 303 4511

October The Refugee experience in Birmingham Central Library, Floor 6, Tel: 0121 303 4511

October MOBO-Music of Black Origin: Display of music and books Bartley Green Library, Tel: 0121 464 4473 Discover Your Roots Find out more about your Ancestors - A colourful and attractive display on finding out more about your Ancestors.

Ladywood Neighbourhood Library & Summerfield Neighbourhood Library 0121 464 7422

Tuesday 5-Sunday 31 October Black singers and bands Display on famous black singers and bands since 1930’s includes display of pictures, books and cd’s Erdington Library, Tel: 0121 464 0798

98 | BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2010 |

Monday 4 Oct-Saturday 16 October Black Pioneers display Frankley Library Tel: 0121 464 7676

Brighton Throughout October Black History Exhibition Brighton Dome Foyer, Founders Room, Brighton Dome Free

Friday 1 October African Night Fever launches Black History Month Featuring Ghanaian percussion legend Nana Tsiboe and The Supa Hi-Life band, plus special guests from the Legacy programme including poets, musicians and much more Brighton Dome 8pm £10 www.brightondome.org www.africannightfever.com

Tuesday 12 October Injustice (2001) Black History month special film screening. This documentary chronicles the struggles for justice of the families of people killed by the police. The Director of the film, Ken Fero, will introduce the screening.

University of Sussex 6pm Free For more details contact communications@ussu.sussex. ac.uk

Saturday 16 October Black History month street party celebration Legacy celebration event.

Come and celebrate at Black History’s own family street party. New Road and the Unitarian Church will be buzzing with a fantastic line up of live performance, hot DJ vibes, music, spoken word, children’s activities and tasty multi-cultural food!!!

New Road and the Unitarian Church 1-5 pm Free

India Memorial Gateway special

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

events Letter reading and film screening + Black History debate Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Education room 2-5pm Free

Nigerian Golden jubilee Independence celebration Traditional Nigerian fashion show, history talks, music and dance Citygate church, 84-86 London Road. Bn1 4JF 5pm-12am £5 Contact Thomas Onyimba (Faze Q Entertainment) 07766241010.

Tuesday 19 October Bus 174 (2002) Black History month film screening. This documentary depicts what happened on June 12th 2000, when a bus full of passengers was taken hostage in Rio de Janeiro in broad daylight. Dolores Tierney, Lecturer in Media and Film Studies, will give an introductory talk to the film.

University of Sussex 6pm Free Contact communications@ ussu.sussex.ac.uk

Thursday 21 October Legacy Spoken Word event An evening with the UK’s best black and ethnic minority

writers: Woodrow Phoenix, Monika Akila and 5 others.

Redroaster Coffee House 8-10.30pm £6 Publish your own writing and thoughts about “Legacy”: http://writingourlegacy.tumblr. com/

Friday 22-Sunday 24 October Legacy Film Festival A unique and exciting selection of contemporary African, Caribbean and UK Film and animation. Post film discussions with guest speakers and more. www.legacyfilmfestival.org.uk <http://www.legacyfilmfestival. org.uk> £Varies

Sunday 24 October Positive HAIRitage Day (PHD) A celebration of AfroCaribbean hair, style and culture with historical talks, exhibition, readings and HAIRstories. There will also be a photo shoot for our forthcoming PHD coffee table book and refreshments will be available (1-5pm) FREE. All welcome to drop in. We are also celebrating the 11th anniversary of Shae Shae Creations with a Hair raising after party (by invite only) Shae shae creations.

50 Queens Rd, Brighton All welcome to drop in between 1-5pm FREE www.positivehairday.org.uk

Lotus Productions presents:

more than just a month

I Cover The Waterfront The Spirit of

Billie Holiday

A play by:

Troy Andrew Fairclough Starring:

Yasmin Kadi Musical Director:

Renato D’Aiello www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk | BLACK | 99 At ‘Rich Mix’ - Venue 1 @ 7.30pm on Fri 29th - Sat 30th October 2010 BOXHISTORY OFFICEMONTH - 0202010 7613 7498 (2pm Sat matinee) 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA www.richmix.org.uk

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 |

www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk