Lovely feature re. plaque unveiling for black activist George Padmore (Malcolm Nurse)
Born: 1902/3?
Place of birth: Trinidad
Died: 23rd September 1959, dysentery, UCH, London,
ashes interred: Christianborg Castle, Ghana
The news item featured black actress Nina Baden-Semper (best known for her role in Love Thy Neighbour), who, apparently, was related to George Padmore.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Constantine Learie feature: The One Show Mon 27th June 2011
Lovely feature on Constantine Learie feature: The One Show Mon 27th June 2011
Cricketer
Broadcaster
Barrister
High Commissioner
1st black British Peer
Good on you BBC!
Cricketer
Broadcaster
Barrister
High Commissioner
1st black British Peer
Good on you BBC!
BBC Hidden Histories: East
BBC Hidden Histories: East
I watched (on BBC iplayer) the programme presented by Meera Syal.
In it she states that art collector Frederick Victor Duleep Singh (1868–1926)
never married. Is this correct?
My notes on him stated that "He and his wife lived at Blo Norton, Norfolk. He also purchased a house on White Hart Street, Thetford, for use as the town's museum."
Can anyone confirm?
I watched (on BBC iplayer) the programme presented by Meera Syal.
In it she states that art collector Frederick Victor Duleep Singh (1868–1926)
never married. Is this correct?
My notes on him stated that "He and his wife lived at Blo Norton, Norfolk. He also purchased a house on White Hart Street, Thetford, for use as the town's museum."
Can anyone confirm?
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
BBC OneShow Barbara Dickson Feature 21st June 2011 - old school photo
BBC OneShow Barbara Dickson Feature 21st June 2011 - old school photo
Was I imagining the face of a black female student amid the students in Barbara Dickson's old school photo [of Woodmill High? in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland?] which was shown on BBC 1's The OneShow - 21st June 2011?
It made me wonder how many black students would have been in British secondary schools during the early 1960s
Was I imagining the face of a black female student amid the students in Barbara Dickson's old school photo [of Woodmill High? in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland?] which was shown on BBC 1's The OneShow - 21st June 2011?
It made me wonder how many black students would have been in British secondary schools during the early 1960s
Monday, June 13, 2011
Scawdi / History Detectives Part 2
Got a real blasting from director of SCAWDI re. my earlier comments. And yet I feel no regret about my comments.
I was accused of having "an underlying vitriol in the tone of writing"
I was accused of being "scornful" of the work that SCAWDI do.
However, my ONLY criticism (and this is a point I made to the organisation a year ago) is with the repeated claim to be THE FIRST to bring such histories to light.
In making such a claim I feel that SCAWDI do an injustice to those who, for decades, have been bringing local black history to light. Evidence of this work can be found in the archives of local history collections, in published works, and on the internet.
I was accused of feeling "sour grapes" merely for seeking factual accuracy.
Over the last 20 years I have read most of the material produced on the early black presence and I have attended many events related to this field - including events and material produced by Scawdi - and so I know what exists and how far back it goes.
For SCAWDI to repeatedly claim to be THE FIRST to bring such histories to light is an inaccurate assertion. I feel that 'History Detectives' do themselves a disservice by promoting such an inaccuracy.
If they are serious about wanting to "push back the barriers that continue to exclude groups", surely a good starting point would be to NOT exclude the groups of the past that have been involved in the SAME goal - bringing to light what had been hidden/overlooked.
I was accused trying to "shoot [SCAWDI] down" just because I feel it's important recognise the work of the past which is ignored when each new group comes along and claims to be "the first" to be doing this kind of work.
The result is that each new group repeats what has already been done and the move forward that could have occured, if the past work had been acknowledged, fails to take place.
But I remain hopeful.
I was accused of having "an underlying vitriol in the tone of writing"
I was accused of being "scornful" of the work that SCAWDI do.
However, my ONLY criticism (and this is a point I made to the organisation a year ago) is with the repeated claim to be THE FIRST to bring such histories to light.
In making such a claim I feel that SCAWDI do an injustice to those who, for decades, have been bringing local black history to light. Evidence of this work can be found in the archives of local history collections, in published works, and on the internet.
I was accused of feeling "sour grapes" merely for seeking factual accuracy.
Over the last 20 years I have read most of the material produced on the early black presence and I have attended many events related to this field - including events and material produced by Scawdi - and so I know what exists and how far back it goes.
For SCAWDI to repeatedly claim to be THE FIRST to bring such histories to light is an inaccurate assertion. I feel that 'History Detectives' do themselves a disservice by promoting such an inaccuracy.
If they are serious about wanting to "push back the barriers that continue to exclude groups", surely a good starting point would be to NOT exclude the groups of the past that have been involved in the SAME goal - bringing to light what had been hidden/overlooked.
I was accused trying to "shoot [SCAWDI] down" just because I feel it's important recognise the work of the past which is ignored when each new group comes along and claims to be "the first" to be doing this kind of work.
The result is that each new group repeats what has already been done and the move forward that could have occured, if the past work had been acknowledged, fails to take place.
But I remain hopeful.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Scawdi / History Detectives on Carl Chinn's History Prog BBCWM
While I was pleased to hear a black ppresence on Carl Chinn's weekly programme, I was disappointed to hear, once again, Scawdi / History Detectives peddaling the view that they are the first to bring to light local black history.
Does this assertion stem from an ignorance of all the work that has been done in the past, or is it a deliberate slight against (or direspect for) this work?
Would it really hurt the self-promotion of Scawdi / History Detectives to acknowledge the LONG presence of historians/archivists who have been toiling to bring local black history to light?
Does this assertion stem from an ignorance of all the work that has been done in the past, or is it a deliberate slight against (or direspect for) this work?
Would it really hurt the self-promotion of Scawdi / History Detectives to acknowledge the LONG presence of historians/archivists who have been toiling to bring local black history to light?
Thursday, June 9, 2011
St John's House, Warwick - Warwickshire Regiment
Excellent visit to the museum at St John's House, Warwick - which is also the home of the museum for the Royal Warwickshire Regiment (later The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers).
The lower floor is devoted to a history of St John's House and features a Victorian schoolroom, Victorian fashion and Victorian toys. It brought back my own early school day memories of when my class went there on a school trip, way back in the 1970s. We dressed as Victorian school children in the clothing that the museum provided and we experienced a Victorian school lesson with a very strict teacher! The walls were adorned with photographs going as far back as 1899 which showed images of children from local schools who had visited the schoolroom.
Not much acknowledgement of a Black British presence, despite the colonial involvement dating back to the 1700s. There was also a missed opportunity re. the WWI experiences of the black Caribbean father of black British boxer, Randolph Turpin.
Nevertheless the musuem is well organised, informative, well presented. You need to give yourself at least one and a half hours in the regiment museum alone.
The museum assistant, David Baynham was brilliant!
The lower floor is devoted to a history of St John's House and features a Victorian schoolroom, Victorian fashion and Victorian toys. It brought back my own early school day memories of when my class went there on a school trip, way back in the 1970s. We dressed as Victorian school children in the clothing that the museum provided and we experienced a Victorian school lesson with a very strict teacher! The walls were adorned with photographs going as far back as 1899 which showed images of children from local schools who had visited the schoolroom.
Not much acknowledgement of a Black British presence, despite the colonial involvement dating back to the 1700s. There was also a missed opportunity re. the WWI experiences of the black Caribbean father of black British boxer, Randolph Turpin.
Nevertheless the musuem is well organised, informative, well presented. You need to give yourself at least one and a half hours in the regiment museum alone.
The museum assistant, David Baynham was brilliant!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Muhammed Ali at South Shields Mosque: 1977
A recent episode of BBC's Countrytracks brought the following piece of hisory to my attention: The mosque at Laygate, South Shields, UK including the Yemeni School, was visited by Muhammed Ali in 1977. He had his recent marriage blessed at the Al-Ahzar Mosque, the first purpose-built in the UK. This story is covered in a documentary film, The King of South Shields. Throughout April and early May 2008, the BALTIC Arts Centre in Gateshead chronicled the Yemeni community of South Shields, including interviews with the last remaining survivors of the first Yemeni generation. The exhibition showcased the high-profile 1977 visit by Muhammed Ali. In 2008, South Shields resident and filmmaker Tina Gharavi unveiled plans for a plaque to mark Ali's visit.
All this made me wonder whic, if any UK mosques were visited by Malcolm X and any other key members of the African diaspora eg. Did Martin Luther King ever visit a mosque on US or any other soil?
All this made me wonder whic, if any UK mosques were visited by Malcolm X and any other key members of the African diaspora eg. Did Martin Luther King ever visit a mosque on US or any other soil?
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