Thanks Arthur, that was an interesting read. I was speaking to Brycchan Carey a week or two ago: he's releasing a book on Equiano soon, he said.

Equiano seems more covered by English lit academics than Historians. He's a hugely important figure (and a fantastic writer) that should be more widely celebrated.

We have some adequate resources on him for our secondary schools, and he is often used in the Atlantic Slave Trade course; not sure how it is in England at the moment. A graphic novel of his life, or parts of it, would be a welcome addition to the resources already available, engaging new audiences.

Kind regards,

Nelson

--
Nelson Chris Mundell
PhD Candidate and Research Assistant
History, School of Humanities
University of Glasgow
'Runaway Slaves in Britain: Bondage, Race and Freedom in the Eighteenth Century'
Twitter: @NelsonHistory
Personal blog: www.peculiaritiesinthepress.wordpress.com/
--

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From: The Black and Asian Studies Association [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of arthur torrington [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 31 July 2018 18:17
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: SEARCHING FOR OLAUDAH EQUIANO

SEARCHING FOR OLAUDAH EQUIANO

It was in 1995 that the late Sam King and I began to know about the life and times of Gustavus Vassa, The African, known as Olaudah Equiano. Both of us realised then that only a few of our colleagues had heard of Equiano, and they would tell us he was a ‘political leader’ in 18th- century Britain. There was a colourful print of a painting at the CRE (Commission of Racial Equality) in the then Sir Herman Ouseley’s office. We found out in 1997 that the painting was not of Equiano, but of someone else.

Sam and I started a community project called The Equiano Society in 1995, organised a commemorative event in March 1997 at St Martin in the Field (Trafalgar Square). Equiano died on 31 March 1797. It was in 1995 that Professor Vincent Carretta (University of Maryland, USA) published a Penguin Classic: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: or, Gustavus Vassa, the African. The edition also featured selected letters and correspondence of ‘The African’.

Equiano was known to scholars long before 1995. Professor Eric Williams mentioned him in his book ‘Capitalism and Slavery’ (1944). Williams found out about Gustavus Vassa in Birmingham. The later Professor Paul Edwards (Edinburgh University) is credited with bringing the life and times of The African to a wider audience (mainly students) in the 1960s. Then followed other scholars, Professor James Walvin (University of York), Professor Wilfred Samuels (University of Utah, USA), Distinguished Professor Paul Lovejoy (York University, Canada) who have written thousands of pages on Equiano. The Equiano Society continues to work with the above individuals and many others.

The service for the community from 1995 was effective. Carretta’s Penguin 1995 Classic became a best-seller. The many books from other researchers / editors that followed are numerous. The community’s knowledge increased in 2007 when The Equiano Society and Birmingham Museum received £653,000 for The Equiano Exhibition which was held at the latter’s Gas Hall, attracting 30,000 visitors. Birmingham City Council gave £80,000. The exhibition was the first of its kind for African. Many other great events were held for Equiano, for example, a plaque on 9 February 2009 in his memory at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey, where he was baptised on 9 February 1759. Funding such events has always been helpful, but over 95% of the work/service has been voluntary since 1995.

After very many years of searching for the grave-side of Olaudah Equiano, Gustavus Vassa, The African, the site has been found at Whitfield Gardens: corner of Tottenham Court Road and Tottenham Street - less than half a mile from where he wrote his best-selling book, The Interesting Narrative. I have already circulated this information, and it is only a matter of time that a memorial will be unveiled for him.

But the story does not end there. The Interesting Narrative is 225 years old this year and has been so since 2014 (nine editions printed: 1789 to 1794). Three applications submitted for funding to commemorate and celebrate the publication of Equiano’s book has so far been rejected three times (one this year, a huge disappointment for the Black Community). All kind of reasons have been given, like: there wasn’t enough money for distribution on the occasion; the project received a ‘medium’ investment score; outcomes for heritage: medium.

UNESCO’s International Decade for People of African Descent started in 2015 / ends in 2025. Key African heritage projects shouldn’t to be seen as ‘medium’ (the case for investment-funding) or ‘medium’ in assessing heritage 'outcomes'. Equiano, a former enslaved African and, later, a best-selling author, is held in the 'highest' regard in communities, no different from any other British heroes.

Arthur


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