It seems to me this discussion raises questions regarding:
a) how much can solitary researchers can do;
b) the ignorance of many teachers
c) lack of publications on the multi-faceted history of Black peoples in the
UK.
I have certainly found when working on all my publications that if I were to
do thorough research on the background, I would need another 6 months or so
and the publication would probably become an unmanageable size.
Hopefully the new BASA Education Committee will attempt to look at (b) and
maybe (c).
Marika
I
-----Original Message-----
From: The Black and Asian Studies Association [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Angela Allison
Sent: 05 March 2009 19:40
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Timeline of Black Film Actors
I appreciate your timeline and I agree that British Black History needs
to be promoted but accurate contextualisation is essential, which is
why, though your timeline relates to cinema - establishing the context
of black actors in theatre is important - especially as black theatre
was crucial in developing the skills of many who went on to have
careers in cinema
It is also important that figures such as MLK should be set in the
context of those who came before eg. Marcus Garvey & Harold Moody.
Youngsters need to understand that such figures didn't come out of
nowhere - but that there has been a continuous line of
resistance/rebellion since the enslavement of Africans began
as a secondary school teacher I know how easily students get the wrong
impression if the information they access is not contextualised.
Angela
On 5 Mar 2009, at 13:42, STEPHEN BOURNE wrote:
> Dear Angela Allison
>
> Thank you for your comments.
>
> In relation to Dr. Harold Moody I agree that my use of the word
> "answer" to Dr. Martin Luther King may suggest that they lived at the
> same time, and may mislead some people who are not aware of the
> periods in which they lived. I apologise for that. However, all I was
> trying to do was help raise the profile of the ignored Dr. Moody by
> drawing comparisons to someone who is better known, and documented.
> For the record, this comparison was first made by Edward Scobie in his
> book Black Britannia in 1972. And as far as I am concerned, Dr. Moody
> impacted greatly on this country, and has never been given the
> recognition he deserves. Dr. King is included in the British school
> curriculum, Dr. Moody is not. In the library where I work, during
> Black History Month school children are encouraged by their teachers
> to enquire about Dr. King, not Dr. Moody. In the children's section of
> thelibrary where I work we have about 3 or 4 books abour Dr. King,
> but only one about Dr. Moody, written by me, which I had published by
> my local authority (Southwark Council) last year, but only after
> several educational publishers turned it down (including Heinemann).
>
> Re: Edric Connor. I said he was the first black British actor to play
> a Shakespearean role [on the professional stage]. As yet, no evidence
> has come to light to suggest an earlier name, though I am aware of a
> few non-professional appearances, including Rudy Evans in scenes from
> Othello for the Negro Theatre Company in 1948. For the record, before
> Edric's historic appearance, Robert Adams played the first
> Shakespearean role on British (BBC) television in 1947, followed by
> Gordon Heath in 1955.
>
> I only mentioned The Wandering Negro Minstrels (the title of a film)
> because it was seen so early - in the Victorian era (1896). For more
> detail see my book Black in the British Frame.
>
> Ira Aldridge's acting career pre-dated cinema. He died in 1867 and the
> birth of cinema is popularly accepted as 1896.
>
> The Timeline spans from 1896 (in the Victorian era) to 2009.
>
> Best wishes, Stephen Bourne
>
>
>
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