Print

Print
Just finished reading Sean Creighton's useful newsletter HSAP BRITISH BLACK HISTORY DIGEST Feb. 2013. 

What particularly caught my interest was the BASA in Freefall? It went on to highlight the BASA resources at the Black Cultural Archive (BCA). At the BASA meeting at the BCA,  BASA's profile was questioned. Whatever the issues within the organisation, I believe the wider issues and strategic alliances we talked about as a consequence of the curriculum leak, have the potential to improve BASA's profile and also highlight one of many reasons for an organisation like BASA to exist.

The Digest also mentioned my feedback blog A Lot Of Noise About "Black History" But How Serious Are We Really About African History? (copied below), which re-reading today I believe sets the scene to move from. In terms of moving forward, Patrick Vernon circulated a Runnymede paper, which can be built upon regarding what ought to be done as a collective response.

Kwaku
BBM/BMC




Planning For BBMM2013 (British Black Music Month 2013). Potential Partners Sought
British Black Music Month (BBMM) is a BritishBlackMusic.com/Black Music Congress (BBM/BMC) initiative started in 2006. It takes place throughout June into mid-July. BBMM offers an opportunity to celebrate domestic black music, discuss issues, better understand the music industry & copyright issues, and network. It uses a wide range of platforms, from debates, music industry courses, radio specials, live gigs, club nights, film nights, fairs, networking events, and Talking Copyright seminars. It’s not aimed exclusively at Africans nor at just those in the music industry. BBM/BMC works with partners to deliver its programmes. If you're a potential partner or would like to deliver a programme under the BBMM2013 banner, do get in touch. Cick to see BBMM2012 events and previous BBMM events.




BTWSC NARM African British Histories Roll On With NARM Paul Stephenson & Bristol Bus Boycott @ 50 And NARM John Archer London's First African Mayor @ 100 
Sometimes the way we carry on, it's so easy to think there isn't much of an African history in Britain! John Archer and Paul Stephenson are NARM role models and the focus of BTWSC/African Histories Revisited’s 2013 African British history presentations. They can be dealt with separately or together in one programme. The presentation can be adapted for youths, adults and inter-generational audiences. We are on the look out for bookings – it can be presented in any venue suitable for Powerpoint presentation. We’ve got March bookings with Harrow and Wandsworth libraries. By the way, it will be 100 years since John Archer became London's first African mayor, and 50 years since Paul Stephenson successfully led the Bristol Bus Boycott. For more information regarding creating or delivering an African British civil rights history programme around these 2 NARM role models: [log in to unmask].

Friday, 18 January 2013

A Lot Of Noise About "Black History" But How Serious Are We Really About African History?

A Lot Of Noise About "Black History", But How Serious Are We Really About African British History?
By Kwaku
 TAOBQ co-ordinator
It may be cold in January, but Education Secretary Michael Gove has got many people hot and bothered - Africans, non-Africans, historians, politicians, community leaders, unionists, left-wingers, multi-culturalists, feminists, race and diversity experts, and a number of other groupings that don't immediately spring to mind, are in a tizzle as he has them dancing on the head of a pin.
Why the fuss? Because a leaked document alleges that among the historic personalities being dropped from a Gove-ordered revision of the schools' history curriculum, are the only two African British personalities - the 19th century Jamaican-born nurse and entrepreneur Mary Seacole and the 18th century African born (in present day Nigeria) abolitionist and entrepreneur Olaudah Equiano. 
Not surprisingly, there were emails flying about regarding the matter, some pointing to the OBV (Operation Black Vote) led petition to oppose the removal of Seacole from the national curriculum.
My online search for the petition initially brought me to an OBV blog entitled 'Michael Gove Dumps Mary Seacole'. It was a piece that excellently made the case for Seacole's place in the curriculum. 
So even though I was later to sign the petition, I thought the issues were wider than Seacole or indeed Equiano, who I was the first to introduce into the discussions in my comments entitled Also Expunged Is Olaudah Equiano. Way Forward (also copied below). Thankfully whilst the petition is focused on Seacole, Equiano was added in an open letter by the petition organisers and their supporters. 
Then on the BASA (Black and Asian Studies Association)  e-ring for historians and teachers, I suggested instead of just focusing on the national curriculum, and who’s in or out, that the network could set up a complementary African history curriculum, which would provide a wider list and sources for anyone interested in African history. A meeting has been called to move this forward.
So TAOBQ has done its bit cutting through the noise and offering some useful suggestions. All that’s left to say is that how many of the people making noise, signing petitions and feverishly forwarding emails on the matter, really care about African history – be it what’s taught in the schools, or during Black History Month (BHM)?
Indeed, some people are not particularly interested. They just want things to be there. I'm reminded  of the time London Mayor Boris Johnson slashed the mayoralty's Black History Month budget. There was the expected hue and cry. Though I believe the majority of those making the noise had not even attended one of the Mayor's BHM events.
Over in Harrow, I know that the year the Council "forgot" to mark BHM, a number of individuals made enquiries and noise. However, when BHM was belatedly re-introduced, did these supposedly interested fans of BHM turn up? Nope.
If you’re interested in African history, then look beyond what’s on the national curriculum. Simply because it can not offer anything near passable or adequate coverage of our history. There are a whole range of resources and programmes that cover the breadth of our history. That’s something Gove can not control!

Throughout 2013, TAOBQ, BTWSC and African Histories Revisted will be delivering a number of African British history programmes highlighting NARM role models John Archer and Paul Stephenson. It will be 100 years since Archer became London's first mayor, and 50 years since Stephenson successfully led the Bristol Bus Boycott. For more information regarding creating or delivering an African British civil rights history programme around these 2 NARM role models: email: [log in to unmask].

Also Expunged Is Olaudah Equiano. Way Forward
Submitted by Kwaku (not verified) on Thu, 03/01/2013 - 21:59.

I came by this excellent article because I heard OBV has a campaign to pressure Education Minister Michael Gove from going ahead with his plans to remove Mary Seacole from the new History curriculum.

 Whilst I am not against such a campaign, I would like to highlight the fact that the African abolitionist Olaudah Equiano has also been moved out, or should I say, expunged, from the new curriculum. So my question is that would a joint petition for the two African British historic personalities be better than two separate petitions?

 As it is, we are responding to a leaked draft, so there may a small window for the likes of Seacole and Equiano to be "re-instated" in the new history curriculum.

 Abolition of chattel enslavement and immigration are said to be left in the new curriculum - not sure what's happened to American civil rights. The old curriculum allows for topics such as resistance against enslavement, but how many teachers would know, let alone teach about about Nzinga, Sharpe, Bussa, Kofi, L’Ouverture, Nana (Nanny) etc?

 Immigration, for example, should not just be about "new" or "different" peoples coming to Britain, or the change of the cultural landscape. What about the impact on the social and political landscape, as a consequence of activism which brought in race relations laws, which begat the other equality laws.

 The way forward? I don't think the school history curriculum can satisfy everyone. So I've suggested to BASA (Black And Asian Studies Association) historians and history teachers that politicians will always play yo-yo with the history curriculum, and that the way forward ought to include producing a complementary curriculum which those who are interested in African British history can refer to.

 If people are interested in African British history, then as much as they should fight for maintaining or re-instating Seacole and Equiano, they should also look at the complementary curriculum from which they can improve theirs and their children's knowledge of African history whether through self-study, Saturday schools, community projects, or other informal learning routes.

 Some of us are not waiting on the schools to do it all for us. I run African history projects through TAOBQ (The African Or Black Questions), Akoben Awards and BTWSC. Other community organisations doing the same include the likes of Black History Walks, Nu Beyond, Ligali, etc.