Putting the Black in the Union Jack? Black British History in Education
This event explored how we can incorporate the stories of African men, women and children and their descendant into the study of British history. It was held on Saturday 8 November 2014, Bloomsbury Theatre UCL.
What makes a nation? What is national history? Who belongs in the story? Why does it matter? Stuart Hall once wrote that those that do not see themselves reflected in national heritage are excluded from it. The black presence in Britain has a long and rich history and yet black British history has often been marginalised and considered to be a post-Windrush phenomenon.
Common conceptions of British national history are often condensed into the familiar stories, such as those of the Tudors, Abolitionists, and the two World Wars. These are some of the cornerstones of how we have come to understand ourselves as a nation. Focusing on areas which are part of the national curriculum, this event explored how we can incorporate the stories of African men, women and children and their descendants.
The event also showcased some of the best of black British culture including readings by Andrea Stuart and S. I. Martin, as well as performances from Hackney students alongside their mentors Akala and Anthony Anaxagorou.
This was followed by an interactive debate on the role of national, global, and diasporic histories within education.
Hackney’s Hidden Stories of Enslavement, African History Season
This event was formed of presentations by Kate Donington and Kristy Warren, Research Associates for the Legacies of British Slave-ownership Project at University College London and Mike Watson, Research Intern for Local Roots / Global Routes. It was held on Tuesday 21st October 2014, Hackney Archive, Dalston CLR James Library, Dalston Square, London E8 3BQ6
Researchers Kate Donington and Kristy Warren introduced the Legacies of British Slave-ownership project and offered an interactive demonstration of how to use the Encyclopaedia of British Slave-ownership for local and family history. They discussed how this research is being used by the Local Roots / Global Routes project to develop a new educational resource. Research Intern Mike Watson shared local stories of slave-ownership, abolition and the historic black presence in Hackney.
Hackney Archive Workshop, Adult Learners Week
This event was entitled Local Roots / Global Routes: The Legacies of British Slave-ownership Archive and its links to Hackney. It included talks by Nick Draper, the Director of the Legacies of British Slave-ownership Project at University College London and Mike Watson, Research Intern for Local Roots / Global Routes. It was held on Wednesday 18th June 2014 at Hackney Archives, Dalston CLR James Library, Dalston Square, London E8 3BQ
Nick discussed the process by which £20m in compensation was paid to British slave-owners upon the abolition of transatlantic slavery, including how the LBS team tracked these individuals and their money in order to create a new database of slave-owners at the end of slavery in the Caribbean. The database sheds light on the connections between enslavement and the formation of modern Britain in the nineteenth century and is a new tool for local and family historians, teachers, and interested people.
Participants had the opportunity to explore the database to examine Hackney’s connections to enslavement. In addition Mike Watson the project research intern presented his findings linked to Hackney.