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Ligali
Newsletter
October
2008
www.ligali.org |
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"I
have ceased a long time ago to exist as an individual.
The ideals, the political goals that I stand for,
those are the ideals and goals of the people in this
country… Whatever they do to me, they do to
the people in this country… When they send me
into exile, it’s not me as an individual they
are sending. They think that with me they can also
ban the political ideas. But that is a historical
impossibility.” |
| Nomzamo
Winifred Madikizela |
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Greetings Family,
Welcome to this month's newsletter.
This October we have the usual range of eclectic and revolutionary features including details of some of the many events being organised for African History Month. It’s also a double edition to include news of some of the incidents that took place during the months of August and September.
The tone of this newsletter, whilst in places seemingly bleak is not meant to be depressing but reflective of the times we are living in. We have now all seen first hand how western nations can immediately gain access to hundreds of billions of pounds to bail out banks and other corrupt financial institutions, but somehow remain unable to find the few billion needed to eradicate so called debt from African nations across the world. At least the hypocrisy of Geldof, Blair and Brown has been exposed and the fancy Make Poverty History campaign launched a few years back revealed as the total sham it was.
Ironically this month is the anniversary of one of capitalism's first major crisis of confidence, the Wall Street crash of 1929. Sadly due to peoples ignorance of how the exploitative system works it was patched up and allowed to remain in place. Today the decisions of yesteryear has allowed a situation to exist today where people like Richard Fuld, the boss of the bankrupt bank Lehman Brothers can ‘legitimately’ walk away with his annual salary of $80 million whilst the peoples whose money he managed and gambled with is lost leaving millions in debt. He is not alone, this pattern of corporate greed and corruption is endemic across europe with a special home within the UK financial sector. We have included an article covering questions related to the so called ‘Credit Crunch’ and its impact on African people.
Word Power, Film Power, Real Power
Yet, as much as the media encourages us to take a pessimistic outlook on life, we must always retain an optimistic and positive focus. It is essential we take steps to recognise and harness the power within ourselves. We can start by refusing to investing our future in exploitative stocks and shares and instead learn from our successes's and mistakes documented in our own records. This month, Word Power, the annual international African literature festival and book fair provides a unique opportunity for those seeking tools of empowerment to locate them through a wealth of workshops, performance poetry, lectures and most important of all – African centred books. There really is no reason not to attend if you are serious about self-development.
Authors Onyeka and Robin Walker have also released powerful tomes of information not only seeking to educate, but also liberate our minds. Nadia Denton director of the bfm International Film Festival has led the annual celebration of African world cinema to its tenth anniversary with a rich programme and a special homage at the BFI Southbank recognising the cinematic genius of the late, great film maker Ousmane Sembene. Forget Hollywood and its cartoon caricatures of real life - this is the real deal.
However tough we think it is now, it is nothing in comparison to what many of family back home are experiencing and the hardship millions of our Ancestors endured for centuries throughout the Maafa. They knew real suffering and yet in spite of the seemingly overwhelming odds they had many victories and we survived, not only to live or simply exist but to fight for freedom on another day.
May the Ancestors continue to guide and protect us.
Toyin Agbetu
Editor
Ligali - in service to our family, with the spirit of our Ancestors.
www.africanhistorymonth.org
www.2007retrospective.org
www.ligali.org
Ligali is a Pan African, human rights organisation founded by Toyin Agbetu in early 2000, it was named in remembrance of his beloved late father Ligali Ayinde Agbetu who taught him to take pride in his African heritage and challenge those opposed to universal human rights. The Ligali and African History Month websites were subsequently co-developed by former Ligali member emma pierre for our community, to be used by our community. It is maintained and funded entirely
by the Ligali organisation but we do need your help to
keep it running.
You can support us by making
a single or regular donation online or volunteering to help at www.ligali.org/aboutus/supporting.htm. |
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"We
must liberate ourselves from depending on other
people and reestablish ourselves in the world
as a sovereign and self-governing people by any
means necessary" |
| Malcolm X |
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Supporting
Ligali
Ligali
Organisation Updates
Despite our consistent stance on African community
affairs over the last eight years some people still
remain confused as to what Ligali stands for. Let
us set the record straight. Whilst we are well known
for our authoritative work in challenging anti-African
material in the British media, the best way to view
Ligali is as a grass roots Pan African Human Rights
organisation.
We
are not just a think tank, we are not pacifists, we
don’t just write letters, and we certainly don’t
subscribe to ideology that seeks to promote top down class of leadership. Simply
put, and to paraphrase Martin Luther King, we are
“apostles of militant activism” seeking
unity, equality, justice and self determination for
all African people. To paraphrase Omowale Malcolm
X, we intend to reach our objectives “by any
means necessary”.
Remember,
Ligali is your organisation if you are an African
writer, journalist or organisation with community
news to share, then please don't email us, it helps us more if you can submit your Africentric
articles, press releases, events or business directory
listings for publication by going to www.ligali.org/submit/.
You can also support us by making
a single or regular donation online or volunteering to help at www.ligali.org/aboutus/supporting.htm.
Remember,
we can’t continue to be successful without your
ongoing support.
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Maafa Legacy DVD
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Donations: Community Resources
Maafa Legacy
Testimony: "Greeting Ligali
I attended the screening of the second documentary Maafa The Legacy yesterday. I want to thank everyone involved in both this and the first Maafa Truth for continuing to acknowledge our holocaust, our struggles but more importantly our survival. Thank you for continuing to celebrate our ancestors so that they may pleased that they continue to communicate with us and their messages are being delivered as we move forward with a vision of restoration.
I watched Maafa Truth last year and felt angry, today I wept. I didn't get a chance to make my contribution during the brainstorm for the Maafa solutions, so want to suggest that a solution would be to find a way to deal with the grief that surrounds our holocaust and to re-inforce that the Maafa is also about our strength and ultimately our survival. Our loss in profound and the grief just as profound and deep. Perhaps the reason many of us want to forget is that to face the loss is too great and too much to bear. I'm sure we can all relate to the responses we feel when we suddenly lose someone close to us and for some of us the easiest way to deal with that is to pretend that person is still here or not to deal with feelings that surround our loss.
The problem with that is the need to express our grief outwardly turns inwards and makes us ill physically, psychologically, spiritually.
Because of the Maafa we were unable to lay those Ancestors to rest in the traditional way, (our wakes, our nine night, our 40 day celebrations) for in such a process there is an acceptance and realisation that our Ancestors have passed on to a spiritual realm, so there is completion of the physical process and we are all able to grieve in a shared and open union and enable our Ancestors to pass peacefully. Millions of our Ancestors were denied that process. We celebrate our Ancestors but maybe too afraid to cry openly for we too have been taught not to grieve, not to cry, the 'stiff upper british lip'.
So I would like to offer to Maafa solutions that we remind ourselves of the tradition of laying our Ancestors to rest and that acknowledgment of Ancestral passing and our expression of grief is a significant part of our healing and development.
I wept yesterday and was aware that others sitting behind me were weeping also. Perhaps we need to share this better. Calling all our healers.
We give thanks and acknowledge our grief and our survival
Grace Nartey”
Maafa Legacy exposes the euro-academic view that British slavery was just ‘trade’ as a lie and reveals why the crimes both past and present that continue to be committed against Mama Africa and her children stand as the most heinous ever in World history.
You can help support Ligali by clicking here to make an online donation and ordering a copy.
www.ligali.org/aboutus/donations |
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African Freedom Fighters: Nat Turner,
Harriet Tubman, Samuel Sharpe,
(likeness of) Olaudah Equiano,
Queen Nana of the Maroons |
Retrospective: August 2008
August: Month of African Resistance
August has traditionally been the month of resistance for African people. It has taken many forms from armed conflict in response to oppression and injustice to cultural expression through celebratory acts such as carnival. All are valid.
This year the British government and its agents have excelled in their efforts to eradicate any growing spirit of pride, self worth and independence within our community. From the introduction of its compulsory slave ‘trade’ lessons where the best form of African resistance is framed as that embodied by Oladauh Equiano in assisting William Wilberforce ‘free’ our poor enslaved Ancestors, to the announcement of plans to introduce a ‘Britishness’ day next Bank Holiday August, a day that for several decades has been firmly associated with Carnival and now following community plans to institute a three minutes silence for our Ancestors is once again under threat.
On carnival day itself over a hundred of our young people were held hostage by armed police in Oval as Ligali founder, Toyin Agbetu was assaulted by BBC staff and once again arrested by police despite having done nothing wrong. You can read more about these incredible incidents below.
News in Brief: The first ‘Standards for the Clinical Care of Adults with Sickle Cell Disease’, was launched by John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, at the House of Commons in July 2008, Government pulls funding from “Don’t Trigger” anti-gun crime project run by Urban Concepts, Music artist Michael “Mr Midas” Whittaker, 25 assaulted by police, Sean Rigg died in police custody, former superintendent Chris Pretty of the West Midlands police force is demoted after referring to BMW vehicles as “black man wheels” during an event at West Midlands Police force’s Tally Ho! Training centre, British police forces criticised over vindictive usage of taser weapons after voice newspaper exposes their use as a tool to ‘terrorising someone into compliance’, Rapper MC Harvey is arrested for alleged knife offence, homeless charity Shelter publish report revealing African people most at risk of getting behind on housing payments and being made homeless, national newspaper New Nation is first to back call for annual 3 minutes silence for our Ancestors on 23 August, African American artists Isaac Hayes,65 and Bernie Mac, 50 both crossed to meet the Ancestors.
The British government introduce compulsory slavery and abolition lessons in schools, 6 year old twins Peter and Paula Imafidon set world record after passing their GSCE Maths, ex police officer assisted by former colleagues after assaulting driving instructor Abiodun Adeleye, 48 in a road rage incident, a study by the Select Committee on Public Accounts the employment gap between African and Britain’s ethnic majority has remained static over last 20 years, a study of the National Health Service (NHS) reveals African staff experience higher levels of bullying, disciplinary action than non-African colleagues and face career crippling discrimination, a report into the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) led by Herman Ouseley has revealed African law practitioners face a ‘culture of bias’ leading to a ‘disparity in treatment evident in African and Caribbean firms being six times more likely to be closed down’, Mathieu, 23 , Kio, 16 and Shani, 35 successfully complete 131 mile, 4 day sponsored walk from London to Birmingham as part of the project named STAR (Steps to Atonement and Redemption) seeking to raise £200,000 for three grass roots charities.
Claudia Jones, the mother of the Notting Hill Carnival, has been honoured with two commemorative plaques in London, Mayor of London supports £1.5m campaign for unwanted memorial depicting enslaved Africans, a european woman sentenced to 1 year in prison after fabricating her ‘rape by black man in blue car’ in order to “make her family feel bad after an argument” – innocent Oladepo Otesile was detained, held for 22 hours and forced to give samples of his DNA and undergo forensic examination before being released under caution; Niels Tobiasen, a 65 year old Danish managing director of Wilshire firm escapes prison after pleading guilt to paying £80,000 bribes to the Ugandan presidential advisor, Ananias Tumukunde, 31, for contracts to CBRN Team worth £500,000
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Pan African Olympic Results - Beijing 2008
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Pan African Olympic Results (Beijing 2008)
Shelly Ann Fraser, 21, wins gold in the women’s 100m, Veronica Campbell-Brown wins gold in the women’s 200m and Usain Bolt,22, wins and sets new men’s world at records 100m, 200m and 4x100m (alongside Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter and Michael Frater), Kiprop Kipruto,23 wins a gold in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, Melaine Walker,25 wins gold in 400m and sets new world record, Dayron Robles wins gold in 100m hurdles, Pamela Jelimo wins 800m, Kenenisa Bekele wins 10,000m and sets new world record, Rashid Ramzi wins 1500m, Turinesh Dibaba, 22, wins 5,000m and 10,000m, Benjamin Boukpeti wins bronze medal for Togo.
Africans competing on behalf of western imperial powers
Christine Ohuruogo, Phillip Idowu (silver), Natasha Danvers-Smith (bronze) and Germaine Mason (silver) all running for Britain acquire medals in track and field.
Dawn Harper wins 110m hurdles, Cullen Jones wins 4x100m freestyle swimming both for America. |
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The trial of Toyin Agbetu
11 – 12 August 2008
Court 6, Stratford Magistrates Court, 389-397 High Street, Stratford E15 4SB
Toyin Agbetu was cleared of all charges after an intense two day trial where the District Judge led an aggressive prosecution, switched venue mid trial, ejected a community supporter and made spurious references to Nigerian heritage and African spirituality. It was in January 2008 when Toyin on stopping to observe a gang of police officers using excessive force on a young African male in Hackney was arrested, held in custody and falsely charged with assaulting police, resisting arrest and obstructing police in the execution of their duty.
Represented by Dalston practitioners Debridge solicitors and defended by barrister Matthew Ryder, the case exposed the savagery of the incident Toyin observed when arresting officer PC Earnshaw admitted using torture based “pain compliance” techniques for a duration longer than that recommended by Police guidelines on a teenager who it was later found incapable of complying to her request. Earnshaw who later threatened Toyin with a taser before attempting to ram his head into the back of a closed police van door whilst handcuffed later admitted she was “desperate”.
Dismissing the case Judge Cummings ruled that Toyin’s actions did not constitute obstructing an officer but she simultaneously added that she was satisfied that uniformed police officers do not use excessive force in the execution of their duties. The court temporarily erupted with laughter at the absurdity of her inane comments.
Toyin gives thanks to the many friends and family whose dignified presence and messages of solidarity gave him both physical and spiritual support as they tolerated the repugnant actions of the state in its attempts to criminalise and potentially imprison me. He shares the view of many in our community in extending a special thanks to Matthew Ryder for the superb indefatigable manner in which he brought Truth and integrity into a court of law intent on making a mockery of justice. Over a thousand cases a year are reviewed for suspected ‘miscarriages of justice’, of the cases referred back by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, 65% of convictions were quashed.
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Community Solutions: Stop and Search
On Monday 27 October, Toyin Agbetu will be joining a panel taking part in a Community Solutions forum on Stop on Search at;
Venue: 44 – 46 Offley Road, SW9 0LS
(off Brixton Road – near Oval Tube)
Time: 6 to 9pm
Buses: 3, 36, 59, 133, 155, 159, 185, 355, 415, 436
For Further info: 07940 005 907
/ Listen to Galaxy 99.5fm |
A few months later the police force would repeat
their actions and forcibly arrest, respected community
activist, Elder Bro Minkah Adofo, holding him in custody
for several hours after he stopped to observe
a police ‘stop and search’ incident targeting African people. |
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Retrospective: September 2008
City of London unveil memorial to enslaved Africans; 800 police officers across England and Wales arrested in past two years for assault, drunk-driving, rape, “paedophilia (child rape/abuse), fraud, drug charges and child cruelty; Toyin Agbetu assaulted and then arrested; Government advisor Dr Derrick Campbell admits government actions are responsible for killing young Africans; Gun merchant Grant Wilkinson sentenced to 11 years in prison for illegally converting and selling guns, government makes teaching of abolition and “slave trade” mandatory in British schools; a mother locates a bag labelled “hazardous waste” in her sons MacDonald’s “happy meal”.
British media ignores over 100 deaths and billions in damage and destruction caused by Hurricane Gustav in the Caribbean; government criticised after release of its guide to gangs for parents; Lenny Henry rewarded with BBC children’s show after criticising the anti-African corporation; walkers from the Steps to Atonement and Redemption (STAR) project continue working to raise funds for community organisation after 131 mile walk; British media appoints Lee Jasper and Tony Sewell as community leaders on ‘black’ school debate; a report from Independent Police Complaints Commission reveal police cells are being used to detail Africans requiring help from mental health services, BBC drug user - DJ Raymond “Grooverider” Bingham is released from jail in the United Arab Emirates after being sentenced for possession of narcotics, an African American mother - China Arnold is jailed for life after murdering her one month old baby by placing her in a microwave in 2005.
Dawn Butler becomes the first British African MP to become a government minister – she will serve in the so called “whips” office, BBC genealogy programme reveals African betrayal and slaving history in Ainsley Harriott Ancestral family, church and community members “march against knife and gun crime”, Alistair Soyode - head of BEN TV calls for BBC media tax (license fee) to be shared after OBE struggles to get back on air following non-payment of bills to SKY TV, the African British farmer David Mwanaka investigated by police after racist complaints, Sean “P Diddy” Combs exposed as fraud after making lies about owning a private jet, community churches launch peace conference “against gun and knife crime”, stop and search complaints increase against police; a Nigerian consortium fronted by Chris Nathaniel of NVA management seeks to by football club, Newcastle United for over £200 million whilst their peoples remain impoverished.
Deaths/Murdered (August – September 2008)
24.08.08 - Dimitri Foskin (Age 24), Birmingham, Dimitri was shot three or four times in an alleyway before he climbed over a wall and into a garden. He later died in hospital.
06.08.08 - Ryan Bravo (Age 18), Brixton South London, Ryan died in a shooting incident in Walworth, south-east London where it appears he was an innocent bystander.
21.08.08 – Sean Rigg (Age 40), Sean tragically lost his life in police custody in August.
30.08.08 - Reece Robinson-Webber (Age 15), Reece lost his life on a street in West Norwood after a police chase. The young student died after falling from his moped.
30.08.08 - Shaquille Smith (Age 15) - Shaquille was knifed in the stomach in Hackney, East London
15.09.08 - Oliver King-Onzila (Age 19) – Oliver died after being found with stab wounds outside the E Bar in Croydon on Saturday. Two men, both aged 18, have been arrested.
Deaths/Murdered: (Clockwise top left to right) Dimitri Foskin,
Ryan Bravo, Sean Rigg, Reece Robinson-Webber, Shaquille Smith, Oliver King-Onzila
Update:
24.08.08 - Charles Junior “CJ” Hendricks, 18, stabbed and found near a bus garage in Walthamstow, east London, in a pool of blood by police on a routine patrol at around 1.40am.
25.09.08 Jermaine Dowe Stephenson, 50 – stabbed and found dead in a flat in Luton by police. A 44 year old man has been charged with his murder.
Deaths/Murdered: Charles Junior "CJ" Hendricks, Jermaine Dowe Stephenson
If you have any additions to make to the listing of news or events that occurred in September/August 2008, this can include the passing of a loved one to a mass community event. Please email the details to us at retrospective@ligali.org. |
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The Ligali Forums
The online world just became a little more Pan African
If you are looking for a protected space on the internet where you can share ideas, hopes and aspirations without forever having to speak in whispers in fear of being labelled an ‘extremist’ then the Ligali forums are for you.
When you go to www.ligali.org/forums and register for an account you will be welcomed to a world where Pan Africanism is the lifeblood of the family and you need never apologise for prioritising the fight for justice and the human rights of African people.
Join debates and conversation on topics such as politics, culture, relationships, parenting, technology, education, African spirituality, body and skin care, poetry, books and much more. |
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Police Force: Anti-African Stop and Search |
Community News
Remembrance
David ‘Rocky' Bennett, 38, sadly lost his life on 30 October 1998 while detained on a secure unit after a team of up to five nurses restrained him face down for almost half an hour.
Appeals
Support
Do you know of any organisations that support families and friends of those who have lost loved ones due to a death in custody? The support we are calling for is both political and emotional. If so please get in touch with Ligali by email to share contact details.
Solutions Call out
The majority of assaults against Africans always seems to happen after the victim has been handcuffed and forcibly placed in police custody. If there are any Africans serving in the police force that can assist in outlining the correct protocol for officers to conduct themselves when handling ‘suspects’ in custody we would appreciate it. We can publish their advice and guarantee to keep their identity anonymous if requested.
Potential Witnesses
Witnesses are needed to help convict the killer of David Idowu was stabbed nearly four months ago, 17 June, at around 5pm on Great Dover Street, near the junction with Tabard Street, SE1. If you know any of the young people in the CCTV footage below, please contact Homicide and Serious Crime Command (HSCC) based at Lewisham. A 16-year-old youth has appeared at Camberwell Youth Court accused of murder on 16 July.
CCTV: Potential witnesses to David Idowu's murder
Haiti Relief Effort
"Officials say 61 people were killed by Hurricane Hanna, which also just struck Haiti. Twenty one of those dead were found in Gonaives alone."
http://www.haitianalysis.com/2008/9/9/gonaives-four-years-after-hurricane-jeanne-what-can-the-victims-hope
A few like minded people will be meeting up on Saturday 11 October 2008, at 4:00 pm at 44 – 46 Offley Road, SW9 0LS (off Brixton Road – near Oval Tube) to discuss the crisis in Haiti and consider what we may be able to do in an effort to help. All are welcomed.
Haiti Gonaive: Appeal
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Awards
Educational Alliance Africa has been given a reward in recognition of the work Yvonne Robinson Smith and her team do in supporting sufferers of Lupus and helping to raise awareness of the issue. Lupus is a condition that causes the body to attack its own cells and tissues and affects over 30,000 people in the UK especially African women.
Elizabeth Nurse, Dommy Chisamba and Francis Njuakon Nchii were also honoured for their work in the fields of nursing and caring at an award ceremony for care workers and services.
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V For Vendetta: A prophetic film by directors of The Matrix |
Media
Last week the Office for Communication (Ofcom) published phase two of its review on public service broadcasting. Inside the document, the government’s media regulator approved plans to cut regional news services across the ITV network slashing 500 jobs alongside an independent take on local news. Once the change is implemented this decision leaves the BBC which is still funded by a mandatory state media tax (license fee) the UK’s primary source of regional news.
The decision introduces a mirror of a scenario in the satirical prophetic graphic novel/film “V for Vendetta” where the government manipulates all national media output as a means of controlling it citizens. The anti-African broadcaster BSkyB also has to sell its 17.9% share in ITV after its rival Virgin Media won a partial victory at a Competition Appeal Tribunal. In reality this all means that there will be no serious challenge to the nationwide regional news output of the state broadcaster that is already dubbed by many within the Pan African community as the BPB (British Propaganda Broadcaster).
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Lisa Ray: Racist child abuser
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Education Watch
Nurseries, Schools and the abuse of African Children
On the 6 October 2008, details of a horrendous story were published in a national newspaper. Lisa Ring, 37 was charged with racially aggravated harassment after making monkey noises at an 18-month old child as he played with a toy banana. The nursery supervisor blamed the infant for an itch she had on her foot, saying he had 'brought fleas over' from his country and asked him 'Did your black daddy teach you to steal things?'
A 15-year-old schoolgirl who was doing work experience at the nursery in Essex told police that the boy was the only African toddler in a room of eight children playing with plastic food toys when he approached Ring and gave her the banana. She said: 'Lisa gave it back to him and said, 'That's what you like to eat'. She started making monkey noises in his face and making monkey gestures. She was laughing. Ring also started hitting plastic food at the toddler with a wooden spoon and told the other children 'Ten points if you hit' the boy.
What is the Early Years and Foundation Stage (EFYS) programme and why is it important we understand it?
The Early Years and Foundation Stage (EYFS) programme is effectively a government curriculum for young children promoted under the guise of providing state controlled ‘play’.
In September 2008, the British government made EFYS a mandatory framework for all children from birth to five years old attending nurseries, playgroups, pre-schools or childminders who are registered with Ofsted as childcare providers.
The ability of children are assessed against 69 “milestones” set out in the EYFS that are designed to ensure pre-school children are conditioned for formal education.
Early years providers (EYP’s) are now required by law to develop, monitor, influence and report back the welfare and developmental state of individual children in their care. All children under the age of five years old are encouraged to become familiar with computers and core elements of British culture and language through phonics before they are able to write.
To ensure they do not deviate from the government EFYS programme EYP’s are regularly inspected by Ofsted. The programme is part of the governments ContactPoint child surveillance strategy where a £244m central database accessible by other 330,00 government agents will contain details of every child in England, storing their personal details as well as contact information for their GP, school, parents and other carers.
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PC Daviel Gaffney: Punched 12 year old boy in face whilst held in Police custody
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Police Watch
PC Daniel Gaffney, 30, of Greater Manchester Police, was jailed for punching a 12 year old boy in the face at Didsbury police station. The officer who initially lied about his assault, claimed the boy fell after a custody sergeant expressed concern that the boys nose had been broken. The boy, who is now 13, was taken to hospital with a suspected broken nose and was left with severe bruising to both his nose and left eye. Gaffney who later claimed the child intimidated him leading him to have "a sudden and momentary loss of temper" was jailed for 12 weeks.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has announced that the number of complaints made about "stop-and-search" incidents have risen by nearly a quarter. Police forces in England and Wales received over five hundred complaints about stop-and-search in the last financial year, experts analysing this area of policing state many thousands have gone unreported. Stop-and-search grievances made up 3% of complaints by African people, the IPCC report revealed. Earlier this year statistics showed the police had carried out 955,000 stop-and-searches in 2006/07, up 9%. African people are seven times more likely to be stopped as europeanse, Ministry of Justice statistics showed.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said there were 10,835 allegations of "incivility, impoliteness and intolerance" against police in England and Wales in 2007. Nearly half of all complaints against police last year were about rudeness or neglect of duty, official figures showed on Thursday. IPCC Chairman Nick Hardwick said there was "absolutely no excuse" for being rude to the public and that the figures showed a "very high level of dissatisfaction that the police service needs to take very seriously."
More than 800 police officers across England and Wales have been arrested in the past two years for a range of offences, including assault, drink-driving, rape, paedophilia, fraud, drugs charges and child cruelty.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/sep/28/police.ukcrime |
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Ligali's African Remembrance Day: 23 August 2008
We would like to thank all those that came to our African Remembrance Day event this year, those many organisations that organised similar events and those that supported them with their presence in respect, reverence and remembrance to our dear Ancestors, whom without their valiant resistance throughout the Maafa we would not be here today.
Click here to view more event photos
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More community news stories can be found at www.ligali.org |
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The Phoenix: Misrule in the land of Nod |
Cultural Media: Review
The Phoenix - Misrule in the Land of Nod
by Onyeka
This month saw the launch of the Phoenix in which author Onyeka has managed to expose a world most contemporary authors on the African experience in Britain seek to deny.
We are taken on an journey where we begin to think we recognise the familiar characteristics of our cast, but whereas most literature painting a similar cultural landscape has traditionally remained static in development by fleshing out this mediaeval urban ensemble using media stereotypes, Onyeka instead kicks open the door to the unsaid thoughts that haunt those we thought we knew.
It is this brutal yet uncompromising love of his subject that enables him to paint a stark honest if not bleak canvas which is also causally depressing as it is violently optimistic and spiritual.
This is one case where whilst the problems are on the page, the answers are definitely between the lines. The Phoenix is essential reading.
http://www.onyeka.co.uk/ |
Rassie Ai: Return to Life |
Rassie Ai - Return to Life
With a powerful music base centred around traditional African roots music, this album manages to fuse adistinctive reggae flavour with acoustic instruments in order to produce a sound that is fresh and as innovative as the lyrics are conscious.
From the opening salvo "Blue Steel World" which introduces us to Rassie Ai through his word power and sound challenge to culture bandits, to the powerful "Rise It Up" and its uncompromising Africa for Africans message, this is an album that is unafraid to tackle conscious themes.
Musically it’s hard to pigeonhole, from the sublime "Free to Breathe" to the acoustic dub of "She Still Waits" the superb production is the work of DKR's core production duo, Kudakwashe Musasiwa & Munyaradzi Nota.
In delivering "Return to Life" artist Rassie has delivered a powerful debut which not only places Africa at its musical and spiritual centre, but also radiates with African pride as he delivers themes and performances that are undoubtedly from his heart. |
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| Sable: Chinua Achebe |
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Chinua Achebe In London
Things Fall Apart 1958 - 2008
October 10-11, 2008, Brunei Gallery
SOAS/ Senate House, University of London
The publication of Chinua Achebe's first novel, Things Fall Apart, in 1958 marked the beginning of a new era in African writing in English. It was an inspiration for writers and readers not only on the African continent but throughout the world. Fifty years later, this conference seeks to revisit that novel and assess its significance then and now. Speakers will include those involved in publishing and republishing the novel, writers, readers, artists, and critics from Africa, Europe, the UK, and the United States. Among the writers and artists who have agreed to take part are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Elleke Boehmer, Abdulrazak Gurnah, and Obiora Udechukwu.
The SABLE Panel will be on Saturday morning, 11 October at 9.45am
It will be an exciting one, with Raimi Gbadamosi, Segun Lee-French, Freddy Macha and Susan Yearwood, presenting a mixture of visuals, music and song to create an exciting panel and discussion.
The conference will culminate with a dialogue between Chinua Achebe and the eminent Princeton scholar Simon Gikandi.
The Conference and Readings are open to all. The Readings on Friday, October 10, 6.15 are free, but tickets must be obtained in advance. For further information and registration forms for the conference please see the conference website: http://ies.sas.ac.uk/events/conferences/2008/Achebe/index.htm
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Concert: African History Month 2008:
The African British experience expressed through songs popularised by the likes of Lord Kitchner to Bashy
What: The Songs Of Life, Survival & Empowerment
Where: Bridge Park Complex, Brentfield (Harrow Road), Stonebridge, London NW10 0RG
When: November 7 2008, 7-10pm
Cost: Free. Must pre-book via info@btwsc.com or 020 8450 5987
Theme: A family-friendly edu-tainment concert marking Black History Month through live music with special guest singers and inter-linking sketch which tells the story of recent African British life, struggle and uplifting moments.
From the naively optimistic 'London Is The Place For Me', composed by calypsonian Lord Kitchener just before he arrived in England aboard the Empire Windrush in 1948, to current grime star Bashy's 'Black Boys', an uplifting ode to African British youths 60 years later, are some of the songs used to mark Black History Month 2008 by Roots To Branches' production of the family-friendly, edu-tainment entitled The Songs Of Life, Survival & Empowerment Concert.
Organised by voluntary organisation BTWSC in association with the Black Music Congress (BMC), the free event supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council England, will tell the story of the African British experience of struggle, joy, socio-political issues, love, and empowerment through a linking sketch, and songs covering R&B, soul, reggae, lovers rock, gospel, African, drum & bass, hip-hop and grime.
The sketch will be led by the BMC founder in his DJ Kwaku BBM persona and two 'young studio guests', whilst a band led by singer-songwriter Noel McKoy and singer/multi-instrumentalist Niles Hailstones, and guest artists including rapper Kof, will bring the music to life.
"Last year, we had a great response to an edu-tainment concert we organised to mark the bicentennial of the Abolition Of The Slave Trade Act," says BTWSC co-ordinator Ms Serwah. "This year, the Roots To Branches concert marked British Black Music Month in June, and we expect our programme marking Black History Month on November 7 to be even bigger!"
The concert at Bridge Park Complex in Stonebridge, north-west London, is aimed at all members of the community, especially families with youths. For more information or to book: 020 8450 5987, info@btwsc.com
Ms Serwah BTWSC co-ordinator
info@btwsc.com
www.btwsc.com |
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Claudia Jones:
Founder of Notting Hill Carnival
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Reclamation: Notting Hill Carnival Report
Remembering our Ancestors
“Fears that the traditions of carnival could be lost are completely unfounded. This year the Notting Hill Carnival is in fact deepening its roots… we invite everyone to enjoy europes biggest street party.”
Michael Williams, marketing director of Notting Hill Carnival Ltd
Commemorative plaques for Claudia Jones
Claudia Jones, the founder of the Notting Hill Carnival, has been honoured with two commemorative plaques in London. Fifty years ago she organised Britain's first event celebrating Caribbean culture. It grew into a street party which in 1964 became the Notting Hill carnival.
Ligali founder injured in attack by BBC 1xtra float security
On 25 August 2008, Bank Holiday Monday, the Ligali founder Toyin Agbetu was savagely attacked by security employees on the BBC 1xtra float at the Notting Hill carnival.
Toyin had been distributing flyers in support of a community campaign to institute a three minute silent tribute in remembrance of the original African Caribbean cultural vision of Claudia Jones for Notting Hill Carnival and the Ancestors of African people who fell as victims of racism throughout the Maafa.
Despite that fact that he was granted entrance onto the lead BBC 1xtra float he was subsequently assaulted sustaining several blows to head and chest from BBC security employees/agents. This vicious attack began immediately after he had handed the DJ the silent tribute campaign’s “peace through unity” flyer and begun to leave the float.
Defending its actions the BBC has told the New Nation newspaper; “A man boarded the 1xtra float without permission. When he was asked to leave by the security team as he did not have the necessary wristband to be there, he refused and became violent”.
Toyin was subjected to both verbal and physical abuse from several men acting as security for the BBC float. The attack was such that he was stripped of his upper body garment and sustained several injuries before being dragged by his feet from the float by officers of the police force who then arrested and proceeded to parade the 41 year old Pan African human rights activist, bare-chested and in handcuffs before thousands of Carnival goers for over an hour.
>> For more info and to hear an interview on Afiwestation (Galaxy FM)
African children held hostage by armed police in Oval
On 25 August, over 180 innocent African children were detained, searched and held in custody by police force officers armed with machine guns. This is the story the British media tried to hide.
On BBC1, at around 18:15, 25 August 2008, a BBC news reporter falsely claimed;
“A police operation is underway in south London tonight after a group of more than 100 youth started attacking officers. Police believe the group were on their way to the Notting Hill Carnival that has already seen 120 arrests”.
With this false announcement the BBC deliberately sought to protect an aggressive police operation involving London transport and the other media organisations that conspired to deceive the public. With the help of eyewitnesses and testimony given on the community websites and radio stations such as Afiwestation.com (Galaxy FM) Ligali has been able to piece together some of the truth on what happened that day.
Officers of the Metropolitan Police force boarded several buses in the Oval area of south London to remove and take into custody any young African who they determined fitted their distributed profile of looking likely to be a criminal. The oppressive police operation which started around 2pm on Bank Holiday Monday continued late into the evening leading to many innocent passerby’s being handcuffed, searched and detained on the basis of their ethnicity.
The area was sealed off by hundreds of police who set up a cordon around the area and used the pretext of “policing” in order to search and fingerprint every young African in the area.
Children were dropped to the floor, others held up against walls as they were searched and forcibly detained for several hours despite having committed no crime. A large mass of concerned parents and friends were forced to wait outside the cordon which was patrolled by officers with machine guns. Many parents were involved in heated discussions with police seeking to find out why and where their children were being held in custody. Of the almost two hundreds children taken into custody, seven were arrested for public order offences in response to the heavy handed tactics of the police. It is reported of that seven, some were in possession of pointed (pens, etc) or bladed items.
>> For more info and to hear an interview on Afiwestation (Galaxy FM)
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Ligali Founder: Toyin Agbetu
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Opinion: The Economic Con Trick
Toyin Agbetu shares his opinion on the so called “Credit Crunch” and its relevance to African people.
America and Britain, the two leading imperial nations that have historically preached to Africa and the world about adopting their western style capitalist economic policies have amassed so much debt that they are stealing taxpayer’s money to bail out private institutions. This is in fact not only immoral but also illegal. However due to the fact the general public whilst aware of the so called cutesy “credit crunch” are unaware of the enormous scale and political ramifications of the economic collapse of the capitalist system, none of the politicians in either the UK or US have been arrested as both Democrat and Republicans, Labour and Conservatives, rush through new “laws” to protect their own personal financial interests.
As a result there has been no public debate on the decision of these western leaders to use a socialist solution to save a capitalist problem. The people were not given a referendum granting them the option to replace an economic system that sees billions of people living in poverty with one that would bring dignity into the lives of billions by simply eradicating the ability of a minority to live lavish lifestyles fuelled by the hoarding of ill-gotten capital and an inhumane exploitation of others.
Instead, politicians have decided to preserve the system of “white” privilege with a corporate Robin da Hood strategy of taking from the poor to fed the rich.
The Wall Street crash of 1929 is not the only time the western economic system has failed. In 1973 there was also a crisis when America was unable to back its dollars with gold reserves and Arab nations increased the price of oil to exorbitant levels following a world shortage of the fuel. As a result in 1976, Britain had to borrow money from the International Monetary Fund. Capitalism was then kick started by use of ruthless policies and regulation supplied by a Tory government run by the amoral British PM Margaret Thatcher and the anti-African, US President Ronald Reagan.
Below are some of my responses to the questions I am most frequently asked;
The most powerful economy in the west is bankrupt, what does this mean?
In figures it supposedly means;
£641 Billion - UK national debt
£87 Billion - Northern Rock (cost to taxpayer)
£50 Billion - British Banks bail out
£41 Billion - Bradford and Bingley (cost to taxpayer for mortgage debts to the 8 Year old bank)
$9.8 Trillion - Gross debt of the Federal Government (up from $5.6 tn in 2000)
$726 Billion - Cost of military activities in Iraq and Afghanistan 2001-2008
$700 billion - Wall street bail out (cost to tax payer)
$590 Billion - Federal Budget Deficit in 2008
$40 million - Salary and bonus of Dick Fuld, the former chief executive officer and chairman of Lehman Brothers.
$2 billion – US church payout to victims of sexual child abuse by priests and ministers
Why is capitalism evil?
Capitalism like democracy are flawed and deliberately oppressive ideologies. It is an inherently evil system of enslavement (forced labour/trade/capital) and totally depends on the exploitation of a majority for the benefit of a minority. Confidence in these twin systems is the key to their persistence. The latter is a corrupt system of governance controlled through corporate media, the former the exploitation of labour by capital. This unfair distribution of wealth is achieved by an employer (owner or manager of productive capital) convincing the employee (worker not in possession of productive capital) that s/he needs to work (donate excess labour to typically create worthless capital) in order to live for the purpose of purchasing goods or services that s/he ultimately does not need (consumer of worthless capital).
A capitalist economy relies broadly on three basic principles to work. Firstly, that the employee agrees to an employment contract that grants him/her basic sustenance (low to no wages) whilst simultaneously denying him/her the (positive and negative) fruit of their labour. Secondly, that the employee agrees to the employer owning the product of his/her labour (capital/private property) without having really worked for it, thirdly, the employee has confidence in the worth of useless paper referred to as money and the perceived benefits of accepting his/her role as a consumer using the money to exchange for some essential (food, clothes, health, housing) but primarily useless goods and services. Once paper money is phased out and totally replaced with electronic currency the ability to “print money” without question will ensure the system will become impervious to most forms of attack.
Why should Africans reject capitalism?
The current economic prosperity of western nations is founded on the sweat and blood of our Ancestors. During the physical enslavement era of the Maafa, African people and their offspring born in captivity were used as the capital of the evil system. The forced labour of enslaved Africans and the produce of their labour became the excess capital used to unnaturally enrich the corrupt economic systems of europeans. During colonisation this inhumane process of labour exploitation was extended to include the natural mineral resources of Africa herself.
Where was the leadership, who betrayed the people?
Well on 3rd October 2008, both the warmongering Republicans and the Democrat “new hope” Barack Obama supported the $700 billion so called “Wall Street Bailout” that uses a socialist solution to patch a corrupt capitalist problem.
With universal support from western nations such as the Labour and Tory parties, America has managed to secure a vote that will rob the taxpayers, committing them to many decades of hard labour for little pay whilst a corrupt elite will sit tight on their newly topped up private stash of capital which days ago had been eradicated as the “free market” truly became free.
I thought the liberals were supposed to be our friends?
The people were sold out by the liberals. When push came to shove they didn’t and never will have the stomach for revolutionary change that will destroy the european supremacist system and strip them as well as their illiberal brethren of their ill-gotten “white” privilege.
So why did the racist Republicans come out so strong against the bailout?
In a supposed free market, state intervention is an ideological no-no. If the capitalists truly believed in their system as they preach to the people they oppress then they would have allowed what’s called market forces to determine the winner and losers and let the weak financial institutions go to the wall. The problem is they all know it’s a con trick, so the state had to add a $100bn in new tax breaks to bribe the Republican politicians so opposed to socialism that they would rather risk the entire system collapse (and be rebuilt again).
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So what does this mean for Africa?
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“This is the sale of the century. There are incredible bargains to be had [by exploiting Zimbabwe’s mining and resource sector]”.
David Coltart, Senator, Movement for Democratic Change, Zimbabwe
Source: The Times, 17 September 2008 - “Untaped resources promise new ‘scramble for Africa’ |
Western nations will redouble their efforts to exploit the human labour and natural resources of Africa, deliberately engaging in fuelling corruption with colluding neo-colonial leaders, and simultaneously maintaining economic policies designed to ensure African people are impoverished with little access to food and quality healthcare throughout the world. Western nations rapidly need cheap oil, cheap gold and an abundance of raw minerals to generate profit and “replace” the made up capital their phoney economic system ran out of.
What can African people do?
Global capitalism is simply an international pyramid scheme. The people at the top get all the money and those at the bottom become the losers. As with any pyramid scheme it relies totally on the willingness of others to invest confidence in the fake system, if you don’t want to be part of the pyramid then it is up to you to pull out. Right now you can stop playing the lottery, stop gambling in hope of being a millionaire, sell those shares and investments, and use what excess savings you have to produce products and services our community – your family needs, for which there will always be a demand.
How can we save our money if we don’t use banks?
Any good relationship is based on trust. Violate that trust and confidence in the relationship is destroyed. The government, banks, building societies, corporate investment institutions all have gambled with the money entrusted to it and recklessly lost it for the majority whilst enriching the minority. Until the collapse of the economic system the best alternative for us is to return to a cultural monetary savings system like ‘pardner’ (or Su-Su) where each investor is inside our circle of familiarity and better yet, committed to exchanging (barter) services with each another.
How can I survive in these desperate times especially if I have no money?
There are many ways to reduce household expenses but it all begins with you making a deliberate choice to make a shift in mindset. Destroy your credit cards and use debit cards instead. Do not spend money you do not have. At the moment it is illegal for the government to cut off your water supply even if you do not pay the bill, electricity and gas are different but remember most have (expensive) pre-payment meter schemes that can enable you to budget your finances more tightly. A one of payment to Freeview means that there is little need to pay a monthly subscription to cable and satellite providers such as BskyB.
If you have internet access you can use services like VOIP (sipgate.co.uk) or Skype to make free and very low cost phone calls. Most daily newspapers have online services making their paper editions redundant. Buying food in bulk and switching to a more traditional diet not only helps the health or yourself and family but can also reinvigorate the economy of our cultural food providers. The bottom line is that many of us need to engage with a lifestyle change if we are to successfully survive not only these challenging times but also rare moments of economically prosperity.
How can we help revolutionise the system?
The answer is going to sound corny, but the solution is to stop believing in the existing system, kind of like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, or Neo in the Matrix. Capitalism only exists because the majority of people allow it to exist. Some out of fear, some out of greed, others out of ignorance because they don’t know any other way. Once the people recognise that money is worthless, then they will act accordingly and work not to generate profit based on wants but to live a quality life producing essentials based on what is needed. Instead of depending on others, believe in self. Remember... there is no spoon.
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Julius Nyerere: Pan Africanist and former President of Tanzania
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Why is African Socialism a good alternative?
It is important to understand that African socialism is a tried and tested system that existed for centuries before the Maafa, it is not the opposite of capitalism. It shares elements with but is not Marxist socialism.
“In the individual, as in the society, it is an attitude of mind which distinguishes the socialist from the non-socialist. It has nothing to do with the possession or non-possession of wealth. Destitute people can be potential capitalists--exploiters of their fellow human beings. A millionaire can equally be a socialist; he may value his wealth only because it can be used in the service of his fellow men. But the man who uses wealth for the purpose of dominating any of his fellows is a capitalist. So is the man who would if he could!”
“Apart from the anti-social effects of the accumulation of personal wealth, the every desire to accumulate it must be interpreted as a vote of "no confidence" in the social system. For when a society is so organized that it cares about its individuals, then, provided he is willing to work, no individual within that society should worry about what will happen to him tomorrow if he does not hoard wealth today. Society itself should look after him, or his widow, or his orphans. This is exactly what traditional African society in doing. Both the "rich" and the "poor" individual were completely secure in African society.”
“Natural catastrophe brought famine, but it brought famine to everybody--"poor" or "rich." Nobody starved, either of food or of human dignity, because he lacked personal wealth; he could depend on the wealth possessed by the community of which he was a member. That was socialism. That is socialism. There can be no such thing as acquisitive socialism, for that would be another contradiction in terms. Socialism is essentially distributive. Its concern is to see that those who sow reap a fair share of what they sow.
The production of wealth, whether by primitive or modern methods, requires three things. First, land. God has given us the land, and it is from the land that we get the raw materials which we reshape to meet our needs. secondly, tools. We have found by simple experience that tools do help! So we make the hoe, the axe, or the modern factory or tractor, to help us to produce wealth--the good we need. And thirdly, human exertion--or labor. We don't need to read Karl Marx or Adam Smith to find out that neither the land nor the hoe actually produces wealth."
>> Click here to read the full text of Ujamaa - The Basis of African Socialism by Julius Kambarage Nyerere
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President Thomas Sankara |
African History Month: Thomas Sankara
Who killed the lion king?
There is actually no murder mystery:
When Thomas Sankara was killed after four years as President of Burkina Faso, it was at the orders – if not at the hands – of one of his oldest friends, now President Blaise Compaoré. Echoes of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar as much as Disney’s The Lion King. Why should we care about this particular African tragedy?
We should care because the revolution Sankara led between 1983 and 1987 was one of the most creative and radical that Africa has produced in the decades since independence. He started to blaze a trail that other African countries might follow, a genuine alternative to Western-style modernization – and, like other radical African leaders such as Patrice Lumumba and Amilcar Cabral, was shot down as a result. Whereas his murderer, still in power eight years later, has pursued self-enrichment and politics as usual – and has been fêted by the West for his compliance.
An incorruptible man
A major anti-corruption drive began in 1987. The tribunal showed Captain Thomas Sankara to have a salary of only $450 a month and his most valuable possessions to be a car, four bikes, three guitars, a fridge and a broken freezer. He was the world’s poorest president.
Sankara refused to use the air conditioning in his office on the grounds that such luxury was not available to anyone but a handful of Burkinabes.
When asked why he had let it be known that he did not want his portrait hung in public places, as is the norm for other African leaders (and as Blaise Compaoré does now), Sankara said ‘There are seven million Thomas Sankaras’.
Chronicle of a revolution
Feb 1984 Tribute payments to and obligatory labour for the traditional village chiefs are outlawed.
4 Aug 1984 All land and mineral wealth are nationalized. The country’s name is changed from the colonial Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, words from two different local languages meaning ‘Land of the Incorruptible’.
22 Sept 1984 A day of solidarity: men are encouraged to go to market and prepare meals to experience for themselves the conditions faced by women.
Oct 1984 The rural poll tax is abolished.
Nov 1984 ‘Vaccination Commando’. In 15 days 2.5 million children are immunized against meningitis, yellow fever and measles.
3 Dec 1984 Top civil servants and military officers are required to give one month’s pay and other civil servants to give half a month to help fund social development projects.
31 Dec 1984 All domestic rents are suspended for 1985 and a massive public housing construction program begins.
1 Jan 1985 Launch of a campaign to plant 10 million trees to slow the Sahara’s advance.
4 Aug 1985 An all-women parade marks the anniversary of the Revolution.
10 Sep 1985 The mounting hostility of the region’s conservative regimes is revealed at a meeting in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.
Feb-Apr 1986 ‘Alpha Commando’. A literacy campaign in nine indigenous languages involves 35,000 people.
End of 1986 A UN-assisted program brings river blindness under control.
15 Oct 1987 Sankara is assassinated in a coup d’état along with 12 aides. His body is unceremoniously dumped in a makeshift grave which quickly becomes a shrine as for days thousands of people file past it to pay their respects. Popular feeling forces the new regime to give Sankara a decent grave.
A villager’s assessment of Sankara
‘I wasn’t surprised when he was killed – the Revolution took me by surprise but that didn’t. He had bad men around him, people who just wanted to get fat and drive around in big cars. Many things changed in the Revolution. Not always in the best way. But because of the Revolution we know a little more about the type of politicians we need. It taught us to work by ourselves for ourselves. But Sankara wanted everything to happen too quickly – he expected too much.
‘If I were President myself I would do just as Sankara did and send my ministers out to the villages to learn what it’s like there and give the peasants help. Sankara’s very best idea was to teach us that it wasn’t enough to live with what we get in wages each month – we should get by with the minimum and give the rest to the development of the country instead of always asking for aid from overseas.’
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An eminently corruptible man
Captain Blaise Compaoré played a key part in the 1983 Revolution – he led the march on the capital that released Sankara from house arrest to become President. Compaoré himself served as Justice Minister and Sankara’s effective second-in-command.
Compaoré has garnered a considerable personal fortune from his position and allegations of corruption and nepotism under his regime now abound. One of his early acts was to buy a presidential plane to reflect his personal prestige.
Power from a major new hydro project has been diverted to electrify Compaoré’s home village, Ziniaré, while big towns have been ignored.
Chronicle of a ‘rectification’
15 Oct 1987 Blaise Compaoré assumes the Presidency, backed by Major Jean-Baptiste Lingani and Captain Henri Zongo.
Nov 1987 The Committees for the Defence of the Revolution, the local bodies which had replaced traditional élites, are abolished.
1988 Salaries of civil servants, reduced under Sankara, are increased and the special tax that forced them to contribute to health and education projects is scrapped.
Dec 1988 A World Bank report lauds the unusually high standards of financial management in Burkina Faso during the revolutionary years while noting the increasing incidence of corruption since Compaoré’s takeover.
Sept 1989 Lingani and Zongo attempt to oust Compaoré in a coup and are executed.
Dec 1989 31 Sankara supporters are detained without trial for over a year. Lecturer Guillaume Sessouma dies during torture.
Dec 1990 The draft constitution guarantees freedom of association and expression and property rights. It provides for an elected President and National Assembly.
Early 1991 A structural-adjustment package is agreed with the IMF, involving privatization and liberalization of the market.
May 1991 All political prisoners are released.
Dec 1991 Blaise Compaoré wins the presidential election. This is not surprising since he is the only candidate – 73 per cent of the electorate do not vote.
1993 The IMF lends Burkina $67m for 1993-5 on condition that it continues implementing free-market policies.
June 1993 An official presidential visit to Paris establishes Compaoré as France’s favourite ally in West Africa.
Jan 1994 The CFA franc is halved in value in relation to the French franc at the insistence of Paris and the IMF.
March 1994 Compaoré tightens his control, sacking the prime minister to install a loyalist.
A villager’s assessment of Compaoré
‘France gave Blaise money. I don’t know exactly how but they did. And when you have money in Africa you can do anything. The trade unions have been bought off, for example – the President gives them money so that they’ll shut their mouths. He’s our President, we agreed to that – but his policies come from France. Every order comes from France and he never asks the Assembly’s opinion.
‘There is no real opposition. Politics here means who will give money. People who want to become ministers or deputies look to develop themselves first and the country after – they all know the Western way of life, they want everything easy. Politics is just a means of becoming rich and giving you a big car. And Blaise gives money to opposition groups so they will divide and, voilà, no opposition. Another Sankara simply couldn’t arrive out of the current democratic landscape.’
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‘I would like to leave behind me the conviction that if we maintain a certain amount of caution and organization we deserve victory... You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness. In this case, it comes from nonconformity, the courage to turn your back on the old formulas, the courage to invent the future. It took the madmen of yesterday for us to be able to act with extreme clarity today. I want to be one of those madmen. We must dare to invent the future.’
Thomas Sankara, 1985
Source: http://www.mathaba.net/www/black/sankara.shtml |
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Claudia Jones |
African History Month: Claudia Jones
“A peoples art is the genesis if their freedom”
Many of the revellers attending Notting Hill Carnival on August bank holiday weekend will never have heard of Claudia Jones. More disturbingly, some of those organisations, artists and vendors that make a living of her legacy show little knowledge or respect to her. Today, many people refer to Claudia Jones as mother of Notting Hill Carnival, but she was much more. As a passionate community activist she was dedicated to her work that sought to achieve social-political justice for her community. Claudia campaigned tirelessly through her monthly newspaper the West Indian Gazette and was both a brilliant organiser and powerful speaker on the issue of equal rights.
Claudia Jones arrived in Britain after being deported from the US for being a member of the communist party. A firm believer in equality she established a contest promoting the beauty of African women and founded the monthly newspaper, the West Indian Gazette, the first ever unapologetically political African British newspaper in the UK.
Drawing on her Trinidadian heritage she brought the first carnival to St Pancras, Town Hall, London in 1959. Subsequently launched in several town halls and promoted with the help of Amy Ashwood Garvey it was intended to act as a socio-cultural institution designed to help heal the African Caribbean community following the uprisings that occurred in response to the racist murder of Kelso Cochrane and a stream of unprovoked racist attacks launched by Britain’s ethnic majority in Notting Hill, 1958.
Marika Sherwood, co-author of the book Claudia Jones: a life in exile writes;
“There were spasmodic racist attacks around the UK in the 1950s; they culminated in the riots of 1958, the worst of which were in Nottingham and Notting Hill. Kelso Cochrane, [an African with Antiguan heritage], was lynched in 1959. The police were told by witnesses who the murderers were. They were arrested, then released. Claudia organised massive protests about this, but the government said it trusted the police. This was, of course, the forerunner of the ‘investigation’ of the murder of Stephen Lawrence.”
Her ground breaking vision and slogan that read “a peoples art is the genesis of their freedom” set the foundations for an event that later became London’s largest annual public expression of African Caribbean culture and history – the Notting Hill carnival. Ever since then there has been never ending attempts to capitalise and ‘white’ wash the Africentric elements of Carnival though urbanisation and corporate sponsorship.
Furthur Reading: Sherwood/Prescod/Hinds, Claudia Jones: a life in exile, Lawrence & Wishart, 2000 |
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The Maafa: Truth 2007 DVD |
Donations: Community Resources
Maafa: Truth 2007
With the British government promoting an inaccurate revisionist version of the 1807 Abolition of the 'Slave Trade' Act many are determined to ensure that Truth prevails in 2007.
With contributions from community activists, project workers, teachers, historians and the business community, this documentary confronts the myths about British slavery, presents the true history of the Maafa and African resistance and examines the politics of the government's bicentenary celebrations.
On Screen Contributors:
Dr Abiola Ogunshola, emma pierre, Bro Hakim,
Dr Hakim Adi, Henry Bonsu, Ms Serwah,
Bro Omowale, Kwaku Bonsu, Kubara Zamani,
Dr Kimani Nehusi, Bro Ldr Mbandaka, Michael Eboda, Onyeka, shaka Marday, Stephen Henry, Teleica Kirkland and Dr William Lez Henry. |
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The Walk DVD
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The Walk
On 27 March 2007 a Pan Africanist named Toyin Agbetu challenged the British Government, Monarchy and Church as they gathered to hold a religious celebration for the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in Westminster Abbey, England. The ritual, which made no mention of the Haitian Revolution, the Middle Passage and the African freedom fighters that ended Britain’s system of transatlantic and colonial enslavement focused on the acts of parliamentarian William Wilberforce.
Toyin, who condemned the service as an insult and disgrace, halted the proceedings with words that gave a voice to the collective view of millions around the world. As Maafa truths were revealed he was demonised and misrepresented in the British media as a ‘lone madman’.
Watch the restored uncensored footage of what happened that day and afterwards when the African community in Britain stood beside him - from his arrest and incarceration to the eventual dropping of all criminal charges. Their journey took them from Westminster Abbey, outside Downing Street, the National Portrait Gallery, Africa House and eventually to the belongings of their Ancestors still illegally held captive in the British Museum.
This is the story of their walk…
Both DVD's were directed by Toyin Agbetu /
Produced by emma pierre
You can help support Ligali by clicking here to make an online donation and ordering a copy.
www.ligali.org/aboutus/donations |
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Rites of Passage / Healing |
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Akoben: Symbol of vigilance and wariness. Akoben is a horn used to sound a battle cry. |
Mashufaa Classes
Date: Every Week
Adm: 1st lesson is free. Thereafter, £4.50 per lesson. Members £2.50 per lesson
Mashufaa is a martial are created for the mental, physical and spiritual upliftment of a generation of people who have become detached from themselves! Mashufaa is about living a life with light through the sweat of training. Sweat lets you know you are alive.
Remember Mind, Body and Spirit are one. Train to live and live to train. Mashufaa Classes will take place from at The Albany Theatre (Plum Room) nearest Rail: Deptford or DLR Deptford Bridge.
Monday and Fridays
Time: 7-9:30pm
Venue: Lord Morrison Hall, Chestnut Grove( off Scales Rd), Tottenham, London N17 9ET
Travel: Tube: Seven Sisters (Victoria Line), Tottenham Hale / Rail: Bruce Grove / Buses: 243, 341, 149, 259,279
Wednesday
Time: 7-9:30pm
Venue: Boy Scouts Centre (Near Bruce Castle Park), All Hallows Road, London N17 7ADTube: Travel: Seven Sisters (Victoria Line), Tottenham Hale / Rail: Bruce Grove / Buses: 123, 243, W4
Thursdays
Time: 7:15-8:45pm
Venue: The Plum Room, The Albany Theatre/Centre, Douglas Way, Deptford, London SE8 4AG
Tube: New Cross / Rail: Deptford Station / Buses: 53, 453, 177
Email: info@mashufaa.co.uk
Website: http://www.mashufaa.co.uk
Tel: 07956 337391/ 07715 942734
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Ayekoo Chill Out Sessions @ Mission Dine Club
Date: Sat 24 May 2008 - Sat 27 December 2008 (First Sat of the Month only)
Time: 15:00
Venue: Mission Dine Club Centre
Address: Fry Road off Longstone Avenue, Harlesden, London, NW10 4BZ
Admission:£5 includes meal
Family-orientated sessions for individuals and families to chill, play games, listen to music, and occasionally story-telling, debates, film show, etc plus African style meal cooked on the premises by Dame Betty Asafu-Adjaye and staff for £5 per person. No need to book - let's make this the hub for African-interest networking, chilling and socialising in north/north-west London.
Email: info@btwsc.com
Website: www.btwsc.com
Tel: 020 8450 5987
Organised By: BTWSC
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Pan African Radio / TV |
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Bongo Tetteh
Date: Every Sunday
Time: 12:00 - 3 PM
Station: Afiwestation (Galaxy Radio)
Were: 99.5 FM (London) / www.afiwestation.com
Presenter Bongo Tetteh and summariser Bro Omowale hosts this topical interactive phone in that addresses current issues affecting African people.
Pan African Peoples Phone In
Date: Every Sunday
Time: 22:00 - Midnight
Station: Afiwestation (Galaxy Radio)
Were: 99.5 FM (London) / www.afiwestation.com
Presenter Bro Omowale hosts this topical interactive phone in that addresses current and historic socio-political issues from a Pan African perspective.
Business of Music
Date: Every Monday
Time: 2 PM - 4 PM
Station: Life FM
Were: 103.6 FM (London) / http://lifefm.org.uk
Presenter Kwaku features music and interviews artists and industry representatives for African artists based in the UK.
Afrika Speaks with Alkebu-Lan
Date: Every Monday
Time: 8 PM - 10 PM
Station: Voice of Africa Radio
Were: 94.3 FM (London) / www.voiceofafricaradio.com
Hear weekly discussions and lively debate on all issues affecting the Afrikan community, at home and abroad. We talk it straight and make it plain! Call in on: 020 8487 4643. E-mail: studio@voiceofafricaradio.com Or text us on: 07984 482 853
Email: arm6227@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.voiceofafricaradio.com
Tel: 020 8539 2154
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Pan African Media |
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Nyansapo - The Pan African Drum
When: Weekly
Where: The New Nation Newspaper
Cost: £0.75p
Lester Holloway is the editor of the African British newspaper that features a Pan African column written by Toyin Agbetu from the Ligali organisation.
New African Magazine
When: Monthly
Cost: £2.70
Editor Baffour Ankomah guides the UK's flagship Pan African publication with news from across the continent and contributions and analysis from Africans both in the UK, Africa and throughout the Diaspora.
Ligali Forum
Where: http://www.ligali.org/forums
Cost: Free
The Pan African online forum.
Blacknet Village Forum
Where: http://www.bnvillage.co.uk/
Cost: Free
The largest online forum for African people in Britain.
Pambazuka News
Where: http://www.pambazuka.org/
Cost: Free
The authoritative electronic weekly newsletter and platform for social justice in Africa
If you host a pan African programme or produce Pan African media and would like inclusion in this list please email full details to mail@ligali.org subject “Pan African Media”.
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Event Listings - Exhibitions |
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Brent African Music History Photographic Exhibition
Date: Mon 26 November 2007 - Tue 25 November 2008
Time: 11:00
Venue: Community Gallery @ Brent Museum
Address: Willesden Green Library Centre,, 95 High Road, London, NW10 2SF
Admission:Free
Photographs by Patrick Friday and Kwaku used in BTWSC's Heritage Lottery Funded Brent Black Music History Project (BBMHP) form part of a year-long exhibition in the Community Gallery @ Brent Museum in Willesden Green. Access to the exhibition is free, 7 days a week, 11am-9pm. Over the year there will be special events held to draw attention to the exhibition. Special open days are on March 27, June 26, Oct. 30 2008, 11am-8pm. These will feature new photographs, local music history talks by BBMHP leader Kwaku, networking, open mic, and performances by the likes of Noel McKoy.
Email: info@btwsc.com
Website: http://www.btwsc.com/?sec=NEWS&action=display&cat=3&vid=53&News
Tel: 020 8450 5987
Organised By: BTWSC
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Keep Smiling Through: African Londoners on the Home front 1939 to 1945
Date: Tue 1 April 2008 - Sat 1 November 2008 (Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat only)
Time: 10.00am
Venue: The Cuming Museum
Address: The Old Town Hall, 151 Walworth Road, London, London, SE17 1RY
Admission:
Keep Smiling Through: Black Londoners on the Home Front 1939-1945 April 1 to November 1 2008 An exhibition exploring the contributions made by Black Londoners during the Second World War. From Air Raid Precaution wardens to popular entertainers, Black Londoners carried out a variety of tasks on the Home Front during the Second World War. This exhibition will uncover stories from South London and beyond, exploring both the positive and negative experiences of Black Londoners from 1939 to 1945 through rare photographs, music and film clips. The exhibition will reveal the voluntary roles on the Home Front of ordinary Black men and women. It will tell stories of wartime courage, hardship and service to the community. It will also show how bombing, evacuation and rationing affected Black people. Discover the story of community leaders such as Dr Harold Moody, a Peckham-based doctor, who became an ambassador for Britain's Black community and a founding member of the League of Coloured Peoples. Learn about the role musicians and singers like Adelaide Hall and Ken "Snakehips" Johnson played in keeping up London's morale during the Blitz. The exhibition will also reveal how Caribbean and African Commonwealth countries contributed to the war effort. For more information about the events that will be accompanying the exhibition please contact the Cuming Museum on Tel: 020 7525 2332. Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund
Email: cuming.museum@southwark.gov.uk
Website: ark.gov.uk/cumingmuseum
Tel: 020 7525 2332
Organised By: The Cuming Museum
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Exhibition: Living Under One Roof
Date: Tue 23 September 2008 - Sat 15 November 2008
Time:
Venue: Hackney Museum
Address: 1 Reading Lane, London, E8 1GQ
Admission:
Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Empire Windrush, the voyage from the Caribbean to Tilbury. Our exhibition will present the rooms and memories of the Windrush generation who first came to Hackney. In collaboration with Lorna Holder of Tuareg Productions.
Email: hmuseum@hackney.gov.uk
Website: http://www.hackney.gov.uk/cm-museum
Tel: 020 8356 3500
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Studio One Love
Date: Wed 1 October 2008 - Wed 29 October 2008
Time:
Venue: Swiss Cottage library
Address: , London, NW3 3HA
Admission:
An exhibition featuring photography by Ron Vester – the official photographer of the legendary Studio One. Also among Ron’s clients were the Jamaica Tourist Board and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust. The exhibition includes images of Coxsone Dodd, Lee Scratch Perry, Theo Beckford, King Stitt and The Silvertones.
Email:
Website: http://www.camden.gov.uk/blackhistory
Tel:
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Event Listings |
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Legacy In The Dust: The Four Aces Story
Date: Thu 9 October 2008
Time: 18:00
Venue: Hackney Museum
Address: 1 Reading Lane, London, E8 1GQ
Admission:
Beaquarr Productions presents The Four Aces Story. Founded in the 60s which for 33 years was the home to the most influential Black music and musicians to date. The preview of the documentary feature length film will be followed by a question and answer session with the film director and owner of the Four Aces Club.
Email: hmuseum@hackney.gov.uk
Website: http://www.hackney.gov.uk/cm-museum
Tel: 020 8356 3500
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100 Black Men of London Tommie Smith Tribute Dinner
Date: Thu 9 October 2008
Time: 7 pm
Venue: Caribbean Scene Royale Restaurant & Bar
Address: Excel Marina, 17 Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16
Admission: £40 adults, £25 children & £60 for couples.
Join us for a tribute to, and a talk from, one of the world famous icons of the American Civil Rights movement... Olympic athlete Tommie Smith. You will enjoy: · A delicious buffet meal (menu below) · Speech and Q and A with Tommie Smith · Presentations from 100BMOL Mentees · Classic tunes from the 60's · A great atmosphere · Prompt start at 7.00pm Cost of the event is £40 adults, £25 children & £60 for couples. Excluding drinks.
Proceeds go to fund the 100 Black Men's Mentoring and Education programmes. Please book in advance to avoid disappointment.
No need to dress up, just bring your friends, work colleagues, old school mates and help us practice economic development in the tradition of Garvey while supporting a charity which is working hard to combat the negativity we so often hear about.
Caribbean Scene Family Restaurant and Bar: Winner UK's best Caribbean restaurant 2006-07 & 2007/08 MENU 9th October 2008 Starters Jerk chicken niblets, saltfish accra, festivals & plantain drops Mains Succulent Honey roasted chicken with bbq sauce Red Snapper fillets stewed Sirloin beef strips Stir Fried Noodles Vegetable stew Rice and peas Dessert Caribbean Cake surprise / Ice cream ABOUT THE 100 BLACK MEN OF LONDON 100 Black Men of London was founded in April 2001.
Here are some of our vital statistics over the last 7 years:
10,000+ men, women and children have attended our Education Through Film events.
6,000+ and growing mailing list subscribers
300+ children attended and graduated through our community programmes
35 schools have been visited
100's of fathers have attended, with their children, our Quality Time events.
40+ Schools have participated in our Black History Competition. £0 in public funds.
Email: info@100bmol.org.uk
Website: www.caribbeanscene.co.uk
Tel: 0207 511 2023
Organised By: 100BMOL
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Word Power - Centerprise International Black literature festival and book fair
Date: Fri 10 October 2008 - Sun 12 October 2008
Time: 10am
Venue: The Emirates
Address: Arsenal Stadium Conference Hall, London, N7
Admission: £Free
The Leading Literary Festival for people of the African descent in the World Commemorating 60th Anniversary of Empire Windrush Lectures, debates, film shows, book launches. Meet and network with literary agents, authors, wholesalers, distributors, historians from Africa, Europe, America, the Caribbean and other parts of the world. Dozens of authors • thousands of books & readers • all under one roof!
Email:
Website: www.centerprisetrust.org.uk
Tel: 020 7254 9632
Organised By: Centerprise
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NUJ Claudia Jones Memorial Lecture
Date: Fri 10 October 2008
Time: 7:30 pm
Venue: City Hall
Address: Chamber, The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2AA
Admission: Free
Between Understanding and Misunderstanding - Global Media and Cultural Diversity This years annual lecture will be given by Doudou Diene, UN Rapporteur on Racism 2002-2008.
Email: blackhistoryseason@london.gov.uk
Website: http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/bhm/programme.jsp
Tel: 020 7983 6554
Organised By: Greater London Authority
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Children Special
Date: Fri 10 October 2008
Time: 12.00pm
Venue: The Emirates
Address: Arsenal Stadium Conference Hall, London, N7
Admission: FREE
Pre Booking is required - see contact info
Readings and book signing with Verna Wilkins. A fantastic opportunity for children to meet and interview a writer and publisher with over 20 years of success in publishing for all children. Verna Wilkins is founder of Tamarind,a publishing company specializing in multicultural children’s books. She is also the author of 30 picture books and seven biographies for young people including Dave and the Tooth Fairy, awarded Book of the Year status, The Life of Stephen Lawrence and the biographies of Benjamin ephaniah and Chinwe Roy.
Email: wordpower@centerprisetrust.org.uk
Website: www.word-power.org.uk
Tel: 020 7254 9632
Organised By: WORD POWER: International Black Literature Festival & Book Fair
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The Student Hour
Date: Fri 10 October 2008
Time: 3.30pm
Venue: The Emirates
Address: Arsenal Stadium Conference Hall, London, N7
Admission: FREE
In celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Africa World Press, Word Power 2008 will host reading for students by top academics, published by the press. Today there will be reading by Dr Gaim Kibreab, author of Critical Reflection on the Eritrean and Muhammed Umar, author of Amina. Hosted by: Dr Wanguiwa Goro. Sponsored by Africa World Press, NJ, USA
Email: wordpower@centerprisetrust.org.uk
Website: www.word-power.org.uk
Tel: 020 7254 9632
Organised By: WORD POWER: International Black Literature Festival & Book Fair
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CITIZENS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS LONDON
Date: Fri 10 October 2008
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: The Church of Scientology
Address: Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4BY
Admission:
CITIZENS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS LONDON present a ’World Mental Health Day Conference: Making Mental Health A Global Priority’. Looking at creating a compassionate mental health system, using a holistic approach to address mental health, improving a person’s mental heath and returning them to society.
Email: london@cchr.org.uk
Website:
Tel:
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Hyenas
Date: Sat 11 October 2008
Time: 13:50
Venue: BFI Southbank
Address: Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XT
Admission: £5
Hyenas from Djibril Diop Mambéty was made in 1992, drips with vitriol and is super-savvy about consumerism and greed in its tale of a jilted rich woman who helps a poor village... But at what cost? Its rarely seen and is an example of great film making by an African director. It's a stunning piece of cinema as well as a parable about the enslavement of wealth in post-colonial Africa. Hyènes The story of love and revenge parallels a critique of neocolonialism and African consumerism. Mambéty once said, "We have sold our souls too cheaply. We are done for if we have traded our souls for money". Although its characters are distinct, Mambéty considered Hyènes to be a continuation of Touki Bouki and a further exploration of its themes of power and insanity. Wasis Diop, younger brother of Djibril Diop Mambéty, is responsible for the film's soundtrack. Colin Prescod will lead post screening discussion
Email:
Website: http://www.bfi.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7928 3232
Organised By: BFI
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Faisal Abdullah
Date: Sat 11 October 2008 - Sun 7 December 2008
Time:
Venue: Swiss Cottage Gallery
Address: , London, NW3 3HA
Admission:
An installation by acclaimed artist Faisal Abdullah, the work is personal homage to the invaluable space provided by a library for personal development. Faisal's work is informed by his ongoing dialogues with many of the leading artists, critics and theorists who have shaped the cultural politics of Britain since 1968. The installation will include contributions by Stuart Hall, Bonnie Greer and Keith Piper.
Email:
Website: http://www.camden.gov.uk/blackhistory
Tel:
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Black Butterfly
Date: Sat 11 October 2008
Time: 8 pm
Venue: Conway Hall
Address: , London, WC1R 4RL
Admission: £12.50-£15
A Jamboree of performance, education and networking, this event will encompass a creative journey through black culture. You will have the opportunity to enjoy an exciting mix of music, cultural dance, comedy, drama sketches, poetry and a number of fashion designers on show as well as a ‘Stars in Their Eyes’ style contest.
Email:
Website: http://www.camden.gov.uk/blackhistory
Tel: 0790 4281038
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African and Caribbean Headwraps
Date: Sat 11 October 2008 (Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat only)
Time: 14:00
Venue: Clapton Library
Address: Northwold Road, London, E5 8RA
Admission:
Have you ever wondered how to create an African or Caribbean headwrap for that special occasion? Well, join Christie and friends and learn how! There will also be a cultural fashion show and food and drink. An event for all of the family. Please contact the library to book in advance.
Email: info@hackney.gov.uk
Website:
Tel: 020 8356 1620
Organised By: Clapton Library
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Women Poetry Hour
Date: Sat 11 October 2008
Time: 12.00pm
Venue: The Emirates
Address: Arsenal Stadium Conference Hall, London, N7
Admission: FREE
Performance poetry by women who contributed to the anthology “Temba Tupu”(Walking Naked) -Africana Women’s Poetic Self Portrait,edited by Dr Nagueyalti Warren as well as Yvonne Weekes and others. Hostedby Carol-Ann Edwards aka Cezanne.
Email: wordpower@centerprisetrust.org.uk
Website: www.word-power.org.uk
Tel: 020 7254 9632
Organised By: WORD POWER: International Black Literature Festival & Book Fair
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The Manley Memoirs
Date: Sat 11 October 2008
Time: 1.00pm
Venue: The Emirates
Address: Arsenal Stadium Conference Hall, London, N7
Admission: FREE
As a young girl, starved of her mother’s love because she was darker than her siblings and forced to do housework while her sisters relaxed, Beverley was a modern-day Cinderella. Told incessantly that she was good for nothing, she defied her mother’s prophecy by becoming a household name in local radio, television and on stage. It was her path at the then JBC that lead her to Michael Manley and the Jamaica House. Marriage to Michael also leads to her political awakening. Not content with being the docile wife, Beverley assumed an activist role in the governing Peoples National Party (PNP),becoming embroiled in the ideological politics of the 1970s that would eventually lead to her estrangement from Michael, the destruction of their marriage, her flight into the arms of a rival lover and finally to a self-imposed exile in the US. Join Beverley Manley as she reads from and sign copies of her explosive tell-all biography!
Email: wordpower@centerprisetrust.org.uk
Website: www.word-power.org.uk
Tel: 020 7254 9632
Organised By: WORD POWER: International Black Literature Festival & Book Fair
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Brothers on A Vibe
Date: Sat 11 October 2008
Time: 3.00pm
Venue: The Emirates
Address: Arsenal Stadium Conference Hall, London, N7
Admission: FREE
Performance poetry by three top male Poets: Prof. M.K.Asante, Jr., Victor Richards and Kwame McPherson.
Email: wordpower@centerprisetrust.org.uk
Website: www.word-power.org.uk
Tel: 020 7254 9632
Organised By: WORD POWER: International Black Literature Festival & Book Fair
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The Student Hour
Date: Sat 11 October 2008
Time: 4.00pm
Venue: The Emirates
Address: Arsenal Stadium Conference Hall, London, N7
Admission: FREE
Join Dr Edgar J. Ridley,author of Symbolism Revisited and The Golden Apple, as he discusses Black peoples’negative attitude towards creating wealth for children and ourselves. Also, Prof Chege Githoria discusses his work, Afro Mexican which reveals the conditions of arrival and establishment of Africans in Mexico within the context of Spanish colonialism and the race-based socioeconomic hierarchy known as sistema de castas.
Email: wordpower@centerprisetrust.org.uk
Website: www.word-power.org.uk
Tel: 020 7254 9632
Organised By: WORD POWER: International Black Literature Festival & Book Fair
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An Audience with Jacob Ross
Date: Sat 11 October 2008
Time: 6pm
Venue: The Emirates
Address: Arsenal Stadium Conference Hall, London, N7
Admission: FREE
Jacob Ross will be in conversation with Bernardine Evaristo as he launches his first novel: Pynter Bender. This extraordinary novel, traces the life of a boy (Pynter),born blind but whose eyes are eventually healed. Pynter’s father leaves him to be brought up by the Bender women, a close– knit group of aunts and cousins, and Pynter’s early life is shaped by these women. The novel also charts the painful awakening of a rural population, essentially organized around serfdom, into a raw and uncertain future that can only be achieved through fighting, a civil war.
Email: wordpower@centerprisetrust.org.uk
Website: www.word-power.org.uk
Tel: 020 7254 9632
Organised By: WORD POWER: International Black Literature Festival & Book Fair
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Images of Self / Unravelling Identity
Date: Sat 11 October 2008 - Sun 12 October 2008
Time: 10.00am
Venue: The Emirates
Address: Arsenal Stadium Conference Hall, London, N7
Admission: Various (see below)
Pre Booking is required - see contact info
This two day conference brings together some of the most influential minds of the Afrikan Diaspora, on the subject of cultural identity and consciousness, spiritual transformation and personal empowerment. The conference aims to be a catalyst for Afrikan centred resocialization by refocusing our vision to see the world in terms of our own reality. The keynote lectures will focus on analysis and deconstruction of self within a reconstructive paradigm which will leave participants with a clear understanding of how to opposed the perceived materialism and individualism of the majority UK communities.
Day 1 - Images of Self
This conference will focus on the impact, the disconnection from our cultural origins. With host, Toyin Agbetu from the Ligali organisation, keynote lectures will by Marimba Ani, Paul Ifayomi Grant and Wayne B Chandler who will examine how to find a way back to a culturally appropriate image of self that a strong sense of cultural roots naturally imparts. There will also be a special showing of the African British made documentary – The Black Image by Black History Walk. A very revealing film which shows how our images have been deliberately altered.
Day 2 – Unravelling Identity
This conference will focus on the shaping of our aspirations and if not our imperatives. Keynote lectures by Caroline Shola Arewa, Yasus Afari and Anthony T Browder will unravel our personal identity to weave together again cultural selves with empowered consciousness. There will also be a special presentation on Reparation by Prof. Hilary Beckles and the showing of a documentary by author and filmmaker, Prof. M.K. Asante, Jr.
Conference fee: Institutions - Both Days: £110/ Each day: £75 Charities - Both Days: £90/ Each day: £60 Individuals - Both Days: £75/ Each day: £45 To register your space: www.word-power.org.uk. Conference spaces may be purchased on the day, where space permits, as well as individual lectures (£15).
Email: wordpower@centerprisetrust.org.uk
Website: www.word-power.org.uk
Tel: 020 7254 9632
Organised By: WORD POWER: International Black Literature Festival & Book Fair
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Days of Glory (Indigenes) film screening and discussion
Date: Sun 12 October 2008
Time: 11 am
Venue: Renoir Cinema
Address: , London, WC1N 1AW
Admission: Contact cinema direct for ticket costs
A complex film showing the poor treatment of four North African soldiers enrolled in the French Army when sent to the frontline during World War II. Each soldier has a different personal purpose as they fight their way through the Italian campaign and on to liberate France from the Nazi occupation. One soldier seeks booty; one has joined up to escape poverty; another wants to marry and settle in France; while the fourth - by joining in the fighting - hopes for equality and recognition of the rights of the colonised Algerians. The film looks at the discrimination these soldiers encounter in the army, and depicts an organisation prejudiced in favour of the European French; a wartime injustice which relates directly to continuing modern tensions. Following the screening a discussion will be led by Kunle Olulode, Chair Camden Black History Month Forum.
Email:
Website: http://www.camden.gov.uk/blackhistory
Tel: 0871 7033 991
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Health Empowerment
Date: Sun 12 October 2008
Time: 12.00pm
Venue: The Emirates
Address: Arsenal Stadium Conference Hall, London, N7
Admission: £10
Pre Booking is required - see contact info
Dr Suzar Epps, author of Drugs Masquerading as Foods will give a lecture on health and wellbeing. Buy your tickets at www.word-power.org.uk.
Email: wordpower@centerprisetrust.org.uk
Website: www.word-power.org.uk
Tel: 020 7254 9632
Organised By: WORD POWER: International Black Literature Festival & Book Fair
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An Audience with Ra Un Nefer Amen
Date: Sun 12 October 2008
Time: 3.00pm
Venue: The Emirates
Address: Arsenal Stadium Conference Hall, London, N7
Admission: £10.00
The spiritual leader of the Ausar Auset society will be at Word Power 2008, as part of his tour marking the 5th anniversary of Ausar Auset society. He will also be launching his latest work,Metu Neter Volume 3. Buy your ticket at the Word Power 2008.
Email: wordpower@centerprisetrust.org.uk
Website: www.word-power.org.uk
Tel: www.word-power.org.uk
Organised By: WORD POWER: International Black Literature Festival & Book Fair
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An evening of Jamaican Dub Poetry
Date: Sun 12 October 2008
Time: 6pm
Venue: The Emirates
Address: Arsenal Stadium Conference Hall, London, N7
Admission: £10
Pre Booking is required - see contact info
The closing event of Word Power 2008 will feature a poetry performance by the Jamaica born internationally recognised, African conscious poet and reggae artist, Mutabaruka. This event will give you the opportunity to enjoy a special performance.Host: Douglas Williams
Email: wordpower@centerprisetrust.org.uk
Website: www.word-power.org.uk
Tel: 020 7254 9632
Organised By: WORD POWER: International Black Literature Festival & Book Fair
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Martin Luther King: Dream or Nightmare?
Date: Sun 12 October 2008
Time: 2pm
Venue: Swiss Cottage Library
Address: , London, NW3
Admission:
EDUCATION THROUGH FILM present ‘Martin Luther King: Dream or Nightmare?’2008 marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Although revered as a saint now, mainstream white America saw him as a troublemaker especially when he criticised the Vietnam War. It will examine the US situation and compare it to what was happening to race relations in the UK, South Africa and Australia we will feature Enoch Powell, Michael X, Kenya, Uganda, Black Panthers, Urban Renewal and more.
Email: etf@100bmol.org.uk
Website: www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk
Tel:
Organised By: 100bmol
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AFRICA AT THE PICTURES present ‘Ezra’
Date: Sun 12 October 2008
Time: 6pm
Venue: Rich Mix
Address: 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA
Admission: £7.00/ £5.50
Email: www.africaatthepictures.co.uk
Website: www.africaatthepictures.co.uk
Tel: 020 7613 7498
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Chi Creations Griots Come again
Date: Sun 12 October 2008
Time: 3pm
Venue: St Ethelburgers Centre of peace and reconciliation
Address: 78 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4AG
Admission:
Ndeewu Griots, story lovers and storytellers
The last gathering we had 7th September 2008 was small yet beautiful and dynamic.
We had a reasoning around the individual contribution to life and the lessons we learn or dont as the case may be on more occasions than I would like to remember. Within that reasoning stories were told to develop a point or illustrate a theme. It is the African way to sit around and reason and within the reasoning to share stories. Beautiful, magical and very simple. Please come along to the next gathering. Chi Creation Stories CIC are working toward building a storytelling retreat in West Africa. So will need a lot of energy from you, protection and guidance from the ancestors and money from those that have it.
We will be asking for donations of between £3 and £5 to cover the costs of the space and begin the process of raising money for the retreat. Chi Creation Stories CIC is a community interest company which means all our profits (when we start making any) gets put back into the company to run community projects. In order to fundraise successfully we need to build up a membership base. So some of the gathering will be looking at membership and how we want to develop the idea. Of course within in any reasoning no matter what the subject there is always space for a story. If you have a story, poem, song etc about community, family, belonging to a vision bring it come. Otherwise bring what you got.
Those of you that have been before and know the vibe share the experience with a friend or someone you want to become friends with and bring them along.
Daalu, story blessing and drum rhythms! Griot Chinyere
ps: Ndeewu = Greetings / Daalu = Thanks
Chinyere Nwobani (B'eng MA) Director Chi Creation Stories CIC
Email:
Website: www.chicreationsstories.co.uk
Tel: 07765 070042
Organised By: Chi Creation Stories CIC
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Island In The Sun Display
Date: Sun 12 October 2008
Time: 5pm
Venue: Happy Peoples Restaurant
Address: 160 page Green Terrace, High Road, Tottenham, London, N15 4NU
Admission: Adm: £3 (Children 1 yrs and under go free)
Gold Onyx invites you to their fabulous Premiere Public Viewing of the “Island In The Sun Display” A collection of over 300 past and present items associated with more than 35 countries (African and Caribbean). Youngsters gain an understanding of items used in the past whilst elders particulary benefit as it rekindles early memories.
Email: gold.onyx@yahoo.co.uk
Website:
Tel: 07946 670 949
Organised By: Gold Onyx
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Deciphering the European Matrix from an Afrikan View Point
Date: Mon 13 October 2008
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Yemanja A Window to Afrika
Address: 446 Birchfield Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham, Birmingham, B20 3JG
Admission: £12.00
Pre Booking is required - see contact info
This Black History month Yemanja A Window to Afrikan brings you one of our visionary Afrikan scholars and teachers. On Monday 13th Ocotber 2008, 6.30pm come and hear from Queen Mama, Prof. Marimba Ani, author of Yurugu , Let the Circle be Unbroken and To be An Afrikan and share in her wisdom on ‘Deciphering the European Matrix from an Afrikan view point’. A rare opportunity to experience Professor Ani's expertise on culture and spirituality applied to our situation.
Email: info@yemanjaonline.com
Website: www.yemanjaonline.com
Tel: 0121 344 3744
Organised By: Yemanja A Window to Afrika
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ROBIN WALKER BOOK LAUNCH on ‘Before The Slave Trade'
Date: Mon 13 October 2008
Time: 6.45pm
Venue: PCS HeadQuarters
Address: 160 Falcon Road, Clapham Junction, London, SW11 2LN
Admission: £4
BLACK HISTORY STUDIES PRESENT ROBIN WALKER BOOK LAUNCH on ‘Before The Slave Trade’ a visually stunning presentation that addresses one key question: What history do Afrikan people have before the slave trade started? The lecture discusses the Empire of Mali, the Yoruba Kingdoms, Medieval Sudan, Medieval Ethiopia and the East Afrikan Coast. This evidence includes wonderful artefacts, illuminated manuscripts, and impressive architecture. Refreshments provided.
Email: www.beforetheslavetrade.com
Website: www.beforetheslavetrade.com
Tel: 07951 234 233
Organised By: www.beforetheslavetrade.com
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An evening with Chinua Achebe
Date: Mon 13 October 2008
Time: 6pm
Venue: The Gallery
Address: Foyles Bookshop, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0EB
Admission: £10.00/ £8.00 concs.
Pre Booking is required - see contact info
THE ROYAL AFRICAN SOCIETY AND FOYLES invite you to an evening with Chinua Achebe ‘the father of modern Afrikan literature’. Fifty years after the publication of ‘Things Fall Apart’, a novel which turned the west’s perception of Africa on its head, the Man Booker international prize winner has an evening of reading and discussion. Ticket price includes a glass of wine during the reception. Booking essential.
Email: www.foyles.co.uk
Website: www.foyles.co.uk
Tel: 0845 074 3822
Organised By: The Royal African Society and Foyles
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Roots To Routes: British Black Music history, legacy and possibilities (part I)
Date: Wed 15 October 2008
Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: City Hall
Address: Chamber, The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2AA
Admission: Free
The real story of Black British music featuring a distinguished panel of music industry representatives including people who have been documenting, talking about and performing music in Britain from the arrival of the SS Windrush to the present day.
Email: blackhistoryseason@london.gov.uk
Website: http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/bhm/programme.jsp
Tel: 020 7983 6554
Organised By: Greater London Authority
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Pictured but Unknown? Black Sitters in UCL Art Collections
Date: Wed 15 October 2008
Time: 5:30 pm
Venue: University College London (UCL)
Address: South Cloisters, Strang Print Room, London
Admission:
Dr Gemma Romain presents the results of preliminary research into race and representation in UCL’s art collection.
Email:
Website: http://www.camden.gov.uk/blackhistory
Tel:
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Imhotep and the Roots of Medicine
Date: Wed 15 October 2008
Time: 7pm
Venue: Dana Centre
Address: Science Museum, London, SW7
Admission: Free
THE DANA CENTRE presents ‘Imhotep and the Roots of Medicine. Who was Imhotep and how much does modern science owe to him? Did ancient African knowledge influence Hippocrates and the evolution of medicine?
Email: tickets@danacentre.org.uk
Website:
Tel: 020 7942 4040
Organised By: Dana Centre
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Inside outsider: the London novels of Colin Macinnes
Date: Thu 16 October 2008
Time: 7 pm
Venue: City Hall
Address: , The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2AA
Admission: £3 (redeemable from the purchase of a book)
The Sohemian Society presents…Notting Hill Nights: ‘The Black Experience in 1950s London’ Best-known for the novels ‘City of Spades’ (1957) and ‘Absolute Beginners’ (1957), Colin MacInnes was the first writer to evoke not only the city¹s burgeoning youth culture but also the lives of its black immigrants. Tony Gould, author of ’Inside Outsider’, the acclaimed biography of MacInnes, will be talking about him and about the world he so vividly depicted: a world of coffee bars, jazz clubs, drugs, and drink. London is the real hero of these books with its capacity to absorb all species of humanity, from bent coppers to bus conductors, from delinquents to debs, from bigots to libertines. The talk will be punctuated by readings from ‘Inside Outsider’ as well as dramatised readings from MacInnes’ novels.
Email: blackhistoryseason@london.gov.uk
Website: http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/bhm/programme.jsp
Tel: 020 7983 6554
Organised By: Greater London Authority
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The Great Black History Month Quiz 2008
Date: Thu 16 October 2008
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: Hackney Museum
Address: Technology & Learning Centre, 1 Reading Lane, London, E8 1GQ
Admission:
THE ORAL HISTORY PROJECT presents ‘The Great Black History Month Quiz 2008’. Learn, have fun and win great prizes.
Email: oralstory@yahoo.co.uk
Website:
Tel: 07768 276 398
Organised By: Oral History Project
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The Psychological Attack on the Afrikan Mind Through The Media".
Date: Fri 17 October 2008
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Yemanja A Window to Afrika
Address: 446 Birchfield Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham, Birmingham, B20 3JG
Admission: £10.00
Pre Booking is required - see contact info
This Afrikan History Month, Yemanja A Window Afrika brings you our very own Anthonty T Browder. On Friday 17th October 2008 Anthony T Browder, founder and director of the Institute of Karmic Guidance and author of; From the Browder File, Surivial Strategies, and Egypt on the Potomac, will analyse the effects of television and films on the thought and behaviour of Afrikan Youth and adults in his presentation entitled the "Psychological attack on the Afrikan mind through the media". A topic relevant to us all. Don't Miss it!
Email: info@yemanjaonline.com
Website: www.yemanjaonline.com
Tel: 0121 344 3744
Organised By: Yemanja A Window to Afrika
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Researching African Caribbean Family History
Date: Fri 17 October 2008
Time: 6.00pm
Venue: The Cuming Museum
Address: The Old Town Hall 151 Walworth Road, London, SE17 1RY
Admission:
Researching Caribbean Family History Illustrated talk by Patrick Vernon, founder of Every Generation Find out how to research African Caribbean family history. The talk will look at the practical issues around using records at libraries and archive centers. It will also explore using oral history, photographic images and recent breakthroughs in DNA technology. This evening talk will also include an interactive debate on the issues and challenges for the African Caribbean community in tracing their family tree from the impact of slavery and colonisation.
Email: cuming.museum@southwark.gov.uk
Website: www.southwark.gov.uk/cumingmuseum
Tel: 020 7525 2332
Organised By: The Cuming Museum
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"Black History: Part of the Journey" by Nelissa Mendy
Date: Fri 17 October 2008
Time: 7pm
Venue: St John
Address: St John, Lord, London, NW8 7NE
Admission:
THE CRYPT YOUTH CLUB POETRY BOOK LAUNCH "Black History: Part of the Journey" by Nelissa Mendy, a vivacious poet and a creative force exploring the world through written and performance poetry. Her work addresses themes such as identity, culture, community, spirituality, bereavement, faith and self-discovery (or as she describes it ‘self recovery’). Book available from Maarifa Books, 6 Bradbury Street, Dalston, London, E8. RSVP: 07949 554 316. Web:www.dv8digital.co.uk/nelissa
Email: www.dv8digital.co.uk/nelissa
Website: www.dv8digital.co.uk/nelissa
Tel: 07949 554 316
Organised By: www.dv8digital.co.uk/nelissa
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The Lonely Londoners
Date: Mon 20 October 2008
Time: 7 pm
Venue: City Hall
Address: , The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2AA
Admission: £3 (redeemable from the purchase of a book)
The Sohemian Society presents…Notting Hill Nights: ‘The Black Experience in 1950s London’ Recently reissued in the Penguin Classic series, Sam Selvon’s The Lonely Londoners (1956) has been hailed as the definitive novel of the ‘Windrush Generation’ (BBC Radio 4’s Open Book). In often amusing, slang-filled 1950s Caribbean patois, it portrays the lives of a group of West Indian immigrants in what were then the down-at-heel districts of Notting Hill and Bayswater, where they trade stories, chase women and look for work. Dramatised extracts from Selvon’s work will be accompany a talk by Sukhdev Sandhu, Chief Film Critic of The Daily Telegraph and author of the controversial, much- praised ‘London Calling: How Black and Asian Writers Imagined a City’. He will offer an insight into Selvon’s life and the 1950s immigrant experience.
Email: blackhistoryseason@london.gov.uk
Website: http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/bhm/programme.jsp
Tel: 020 7983 6554
Organised By: Greater London Authority
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Black as Ink
Date: Tue 21 October 2008
Time: 6 PM
Venue: British Library
Address: Room 66, London
Admission:
A documentary detailing migration of African-American writers to France at the end of World War II, followed by a discussion on leading black writers in modern day Britain.
More Details >>
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Dream and Achieve
Date: Tue 21 October 2008
Time: 18:30
Venue: Clapton Library
Address: Northwold Road, London, E5 8RA
Admission:
Listen to Kola speak and be encouraged to ‘discover and express your passions in your lifetime’. Kola will have copies of his book 'Dream and Achieve' available to purchase on the day. Please contact the library to book in advance
Email: info@hackney.gov.uk
Website:
Tel: 020 8356 1620
Organised By: Clapton Library
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Roots To Routes: British Black Music history, legacy and possibilities (part II)
Date: Wed 22 October 2008
Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: City Hall
Address: Chamber, The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2AA
Admission: Free
The continuing story of Black British music featuring a distinguished panel of music industry representatives including people who have been documenting, talking about and performing music in Britain from the arrival of the SS Windrush to the present day.
Email: blackhistoryseason@london.gov.uk
Website: http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/bhm/programme.jsp
Tel: 020 7983 6554
Organised By: Greater London Authority
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The Great African Scandal
Date: Wed 22 October 2008
Time: 8:00 pm
Venue: Camden Town Hall
Address: Council Chamber, London, WC1H 9JE
Admission: Tickets are limited
Camden Fairtrade Network presents the Channel 4 film ‘The Great African Scandal’, a challenging and thought-provoking documentary about the hidden costs of rice, chocolate and gold. There are limited tickets to this event, if you would like to come
Email: penny.abraham@camden.gov.uk
Website: http://www.camden.gov.uk/blackhistory
Tel: 020 7284 9853
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A night with Lenea Heru & Friends!
Date: Thu 23 October 2008 (Thu only)
Time: 7pm
Venue: Inn on the Green
Address: 3-5 Thorpe Close, Ladbroke Grove, London, W10 5XL
Admission: £7 before 8pm - £9 after
Brown Rootz Introduces..... Lenea Heru aka Ma'at!! *For 1 Night Only* Showcasing a brand new set with her new band - The Frequency Catchers! A night of live music and featuring a line up of the hottest & most lyrically radical upcoming acts from London. Soul,Reggae,Jazz, Poetry & Hip Hop and all forms of Black Music! Line up to be announced soon! Wheelchair access available.
Email: leneaheru@hotmail.com
Website: www.myspace.com/leneaheru
Tel: 07985506216
Organised By: Brown Rootz Productions
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Michael X: A Life in Black and White
Date: Thu 23 October 2008
Time: 7 pm
Venue: City Hall
Address: , The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2AA
Admission: £3 (redeemable from the purchase of a book)
The Sohemian Society presents…Notting Hill Nights: ‘The Black Experience in 1950s London’ John Williams, the crime novelist and author of the classic ‘Into The Badlands’, will be discussing his newly released biography of Trinidadian migrant Michael X. Also known as Michael de Freitas and Michael Abdul Malik, Michael X was a small-time criminal, pimp, drug dealer and Black Power activist who ended up being convicted of a murder for which he was executed. Described by The Times as an absorbing book that frequently casts as much light on the times its subject lived through as it does on the person, Williams offers the definitive picture of an elusive personality who achieved fame during the aftermath of the 1958 Notting Hill riots, fame that persisted into the Swinging Sixties when he was feted by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Email: blackhistoryseason@london.gov.uk
Website: http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/bhm/programme.jsp
Tel: 020 7983 6554
Organised By: Greater London Authority
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Calypsos and Wiener Schnitzel; refugees from Nazism in the Caribbean during WW2
Date: Thu 23 October 2008
Time: 7 pm
Venue: Swiss Cottage Library
Address: , London, NW3 3HA
Admission:
To mark Black History Season, Dr Joanna Newman, British Library, discusses a little known episode in Caribbean history when refugees from Nazism sought shelter in West Indian Islands. Their arrival resulted in surprising alliances during the second World War and their presence has contributed to the unique mix of culture and ethnicity that make up West Indian Jewish identity today. This is the story of watch makers, tailors, diamond cutters, doctors and dentists who escaped from Europe to a new, completely different world. A partnership project with the Jewish Museum.
Email:
Website: http://www.camden.gov.uk/blackhistory
Tel:
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African Civilisations of the Nile Valley
Date: Thu 23 October 2008
Time: 6 pm
Venue: Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
Address: University College London (UCL), London
Admission:
Young African British filmmaker Louis Buckley presents his new film on ancient Sudan, archaeology and African heritage
Email:
Website: http://www.camden.gov.uk/blackhistory
Tel:
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Is Windrush still relevant to Young People?
Date: Fri 24 October 2008
Time: 11 am
Venue: City Hall
Address: Chamber, The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2AA
Admission: Free
A panel discussion for schools groups featuring some of todays most outspoken youth commentators and young people.
Email: blackhistoryseason@london.gov.uk
Website: http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/bhm/programme.jsp
Tel: 020 7983 6554
Organised By: Greater London Authority
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African History Film Day: 1968
Date: Sat 25 October 2008
Time: 2 pm
Venue: British Museum
Address: University College London (UCL), London, WC1B 3DG
Admission: Admission free, booking required
2pm - Chisholm ‘72 Unbought and Unbossed’ Inspiring and uplifting, a film about the first black person to run for president – a woman of Guyanese and Barbadian parentage – Shirley Chisholm. The film will be followed by a discussion that will reflect upon the impact of Chisholm and the significance on this year’s presidential race and its media coverage.
5.30pm -‘Baldwin’s [N Word]’ A screening of Horace Ové’s film ‘Baldwin’s Nigger’, a striking portrait of the writer Baldwin at his sharp-witted best, addressing a group of radical West Indian students in 1960s London. Accompanied by comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory, Baldwin discusses Black experience and identity in both Britain and America. Passionate and entertaining, this is a fascinating snapshot of one of America's most powerful novelists. Prior to this screening will be a discussion with archivist and historian Tony Warner. He will look at clips of civil rights campaigner James Baldwin in action, including footage showing race relations in London, America and South Africa at that time.
Email:
Website: http://www.camden.gov.uk/blackhistory
Tel: 020 7323 8181
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Verna Wilkins - The Journey of the book
Date: Tue 28 October 2008
Time: 2:30
Venue: Southfields Library
Address: 300 Wimbledon Park Road, London, SW19 6NL
Admission:
Verna Wilkins is the founder of Tamarind, a children’s book publishing company. She is the author of 30 picture books and seven biographies for young people. All her books offer positive role models for success and feature on the National Curriculum Key Stage 1 and 2 reading. Verna will lead an exciting workshop on how a book is born and becomes the book you can read. Free – For children and adults booking essential (020) 8871 6388
Email:
Website:
Tel: (020) 8871 6388
Organised By: Southfields Library
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Telling Tales with Sandra Agard
Date: Tue 28 October 2008
Time: 11:00 am
Venue: Clapton Library
Address: Northwold Road, London, E5 8RA
Admission: Please contact the library to book in advance.
Stories from Africa and the Caribbean. A family event with Sandra Agard. Sandra Agard was born in Hackney to Guyanese parents and is a writer and storyteller. Her repertoire includes stories from all over the world. She runs regular storytelling, creative writing and reading development sessions in the community. Her poetry and short stories have been published in 'A Girl's Best Friend' and 'Watchers and Seekers: tales, myths and legends'. She has also written plays. She has a particular love for tales from an African, African-American and Caribbean background as well as African British oral history projects. She still lives in East London and works as a Literature Development Officer in South London at Peckham and New Cross Libraries.
Email:
Website:
Tel: 020 8356 1620
Organised By: Clapton Library
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Local Histories: Windrush London
Date: Wed 29 October 2008
Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: City Hall
Address: Committee rooms 4 and 5, The Queen’s Walk, London, SE1 2AA
Admission: Free
What was London life like just before and following the arrival at Tilbury Docks of the SS Empire Windrush? This evening will be a mixture of historical fact and first-hand reminiscence from leading historians, people of the generation and the Windrush Foundation.
Email: blackhistoryseason@london.gov.uk
Website: http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/bhm/programme.jsp
Tel: 020 7983 6554
Organised By: Greater London Authority
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Wall of Words
Date: Wed 29 October 2008
Time: 12 pm
Venue: Swiss Cottage Library
Address: , London, NW3 3HA
Admission:
Contribute your words, phrases, or sentences on 1968 on the wall. The artist Beyonder will look at the wall at regular intervals during the two days and create a poem using it as inspiration.
More Details >> |
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A Place Of Rage |
Screening: A place of rage/ At the river I stand
Date: Thu 30 October 2008
Time: 7 pm
Venue: West Green Learning Centre
Address: Park View Academy, Park View Academy, London, N15 3RB
Admission: £3 waged / £2 low/unwaged
A PLACE OF RAGE (Pratibha Parmar, UK ,1991, 52 mins)
This exuberant celebration of African American women and their achievements features interviews with Angela Davis, June Jordan and Alice Walker. Within the context of the Civil Rights, Black Power and Feminist movements, the trio reassess how women such as Rosa Parks and Fannie Lou Hamer revolutionised American society. Angela Davis, at one time the FBI's most wanted woman, recounts her involvement with the Black Panthers and the US Communist Party. Her rarely seen 1970 prison interview, civil rights footage and archival photos are interwoven with June Jordan's powerful poetry, linking issues of homophobia, racism, U.S. imperialism and liberation struggles world-wide. The insights of acclaimed writer Alice Walker (The Color Purple) and filmmaker Trinh T. Minh-ha enrich this engrossing portrait of African American feminism. Followed by a discussion with the director, Pratibha Parmar
AT THE RIVER I STAND (D.Appleby, A.Graham, S.Ross, USA 1993, 53 mins)
'HOW MANY RIVERS DO WE HAVE TO CROSS, BEFORE WE GET TO MEET THE BOSS' Bob Marley Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I have been to the mountaintop" speech was delivered on 3 April 1968 in Memphis, the day before he was assassinated. "At The River I Stand" reminds us that, although King went to Memphis as part of his Poor People's Campaign, he also went there because 1,300 sanitation workers had been on strike for higher wages and recognition of their union branch. The sanitation workers remained steadfast in their determination to prove, as their most famous picket sign indicated, that they were 'men'. Their signs read "I Am A Man", and they were often photographed by the national media with the tanks of the National Guard rolling menacingly down the Memphis streets behind their picket lines. The film is a persuasive and moving argument for the position that the Memphis sanitation strike was the culmination of the civil rights struggle in the Southern States. At The River I Stand should be shown in every school and every workplace.
Email: tonia@padeap.net
Website: www.padeap.net
Tel:
Organised By: HIC / PADEAP
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Wall of Words
Date: Thu 30 October 2008
Time: 4 pm
Venue: Swiss Cottage Library
Address: , London, NW3 3HA
Admission:
Contribute your words, phrases, or sentences on 1968 on the wall. The artist Beyonder will look at the wall at regular intervals during the two days and create a poem using it as inspiration.
More Details >> |
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When We Ruled: Angelina Osborne and Robin Walker in Conversation
Date: Thu 30 October 2008
Time: 6 pm
Venue: University College London (UCL)
Address: Roberts Building, GO6 Sir Ambrose Fleming Lecture Theatre, London
Admission:
Contribute your words, phrases, or sentences on 1968 on the wall. The artist Beyonder will look at the wall at regular intervals during the two days and create a poem using it as inspiration.
More Details >> |
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Living in the 1960s
Date: Thu 30 October 2008
Time: 14:00
Venue: Hackney Museum
Address: 1 Reading Lane, London, 1GQ
Admission:
Try on outfits from the 1960s and settle down in our 1960s front room. Hear people’s amazing tales of leaving the Caribbean and making a new home in England. This will be your chance to ask questions and find out what happens next in this interactive performance.
Email: hmuseum@hackney.gov.uk
Website:
Tel: 020 8356 3500
Organised By: Hackney Museum
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National service on Mental Health
Date: Thu 30 October 2008
Time: 6 pm
Venue: The Emmanuel Centre
Address: 9-23 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 3DW
Admission: Free but requires registration to book
Black Mental Health UK's (BMH UK) national service is being held in a month which also marks the 10th anniversary of the death of David 'Rocky' Bennett. Bennett is considered to be the Stephen Laurence of the mental health world. Since his death, the most recent Count Me In Census report shows that detention rates of people from African Caribbean communities continues to increase. People from this ethnic group experience lower recovery rates and longer stays in care than their white counterparts. They are also over represented in the most secure parts of the system. A report by the Forum for Preventing Death's in Custody revealed a 40% increase in the deaths of those detained under the Mental Health Act in 2007. This is the only national event, organised this year, which is open the general public and professionals working in this sector, on the issue mental health within African Caribbean communities. With detention rates under the Mental Health Act, at an all time high among Africans in Britain, experts indicate this issue now touches the lives of every African family living in the UK.
Who will benefit: Health professionals, practitioners, managers, commissioners, church leaders, church members,journalists, researchers, academics, students, service users, carers and family members, students, social activist, community leaders, members of the public interested in learning more about this issue. Those wanting to learn how to more effectively engage with statutory services or assist in the community. Educational objective: This national service is part of BMH UK's public education programme, designed to provide accessible information on this issue to all key stakeholder groups, with a focus on targetting those previously excluded from the decision making process, in order to see a quantifiable improvement in the exerpience of service users from African Caribbean communities and their families. This event is part of BMH UK's awareness raising strategy to address stigma associated with mental illness and to provide easliy accessible information about this issue.
Speakers: Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey - House of Lords Pastor Ade Omooba - co-founder Cohesive and Choerent Voice Alicia Spence - Director of Services, ACCI (African Caribbean Community Iniative) Rev Paul Grey - Pastor of New Testament Church of God, author, publisher and former service user. Prof. Suman Fernando - Consultant psyciatrist, academic, author and Bennett inquiry wittness. Bishop Wayne Malcolm - head of Christian City Life (CLC), minister, author, radio and TV prodcuer. Dr Richard Stone - David Bennett Inquiry panel member, Stephen Laurence Inquiry panel member. Prof Sashi Sahidharan -Consultant psyciatrist, former Government advisor and Bennett Inquiry panel member. Helen Shaw- co-director of Inquest and Bennett Inquiry panel wittness. Matilda MacAttram - director of Black Mental Health UK
Music for the the evening John Fisher and the IDMC gospel choir
Please go to Black Mental Health UK events page if you cannot register via the links on this email. Feel free to invite a friend or colleague who you think might be interested in learning more about this issue.
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday 30th October
Best wishes
BMH UK Events Team Black Mental Health UK
Email: admin@blackmentalhealth.org.uk
Website: www.blackmentalhealth.org.uk
Tel:
Organised By: BHM UK
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Back to the Rootz Pride Pageant
Date: Thu 30 October 2008
Time: 6pm
Venue: Bridge Park Complex
Address: Brentfield, Harrow Road, London, NW10 0RG
Admission: £free
To counter the negative stick young people are getting and to Celebrate African (Black) History Month I wanted to invite you to get involved with this up and coming event. Strength in Numbers Youth Committee (16 to 25) is planning an event for African History Month. This unique and powerful pageant will give young people the opportunity to remember, reconnect and represent their African or Caribbean roots, instead of representing their postcode or estate, and the “glorified” lifestyle that accompanies it. Strength in Numbers Youth Committee are concerned about the local stabbings, shootings and gang/knife incidents. They believe that there needs to be a local solution, for a local problem. The emphasis of this event will be Traditional African and Caribbean Values and standards, merged with modern day practices. The committee feels passionate about how they are portrayed by the media so this is also a chance for them to reverse the negativity by showcasing their unity and heritage and the lifestyles that accompanies it. This event is planned and created by young people for their community At the end of the Pageant they will crown a Mr. and Ms Brent who will be symbolic of Brent’s diversity and take a stand against post code rivalries and who will stand up for forgotten values, hope and self/community love. Your support will have an enormous impact on young people and would really help promote the message behind their pageant. They would be grateful if you could attend and assist them in making this day a success.
Email:
Website: http://www.brava.org.uk/index.php?nuc=content&id=115&PHPSESSID=9398db954d5e119bac6b7e8de638650f
Tel:
Organised By: Strength in Numbers - Youth Commitee
More Details >> |
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