Dig Where You Stand
“The whole thing started when I was a child, when the history being taught at school was not the same history that was taught at home. I learnt to manoeuvre through the gaps.”
Read MoreBorn On Sunday, Silent Short Film
“…my name is Kai, do not get it wrong or twist it in your mouth..”
Read MoreSalute 21 October Leeds
A part of one of the most iconic moments in sport and race history, silver medallist Peter Norman, from Australia stood beside John Carlos and Tommie Smith as they gave the gloved Black Power Salute during the national anthem. As gestures of silent protests is being reconfigured as signifying attacks on the military and dangerous to state The Racial Justice Network team alongside Leeds Black Film Club, with guests will be hosting the screening of the documentary Salute about Peter Norman followed by discussion and Q and...
Read MoreBlack Writers Conference, 13 October, Manchester
Cultureword’s 9th National Black Writers Conference will take place on Saturday, 13th October 2018. The Conference is for writers and publishers who identify as Black/Asian/BAME/POC. The conference will be covering: digital literature, afro-futurism, mental health, crime, developing audiences, self publishing and the Black Cultural Economy. Over Here Zine Fest, a festival of zines that showcase the work of creatives who identify as Black/Asian/BAME/POC, will also be taking place as part of the Conference. Desiree will be taking part in two events. Writer Journeys Every writer has a story to tell, rarely do they tell their own. What got them into writing, what kept them going and how, eventually, they achieved success. Panellists: Keisha Thompson, Hirohisa Fukuda, chaired by Desiree Reynolds And Mad How is our sense of self and our mental health affected by the stories a racialised society projects onto people of colour? Is a significant cause of mental illness among black communities an internalisation of such stories? Is mad a sick alternative to bad? What stories do writers of colour choose to tell that address (or transverse) mental health and why? How do we all maintain our mental well-being as writers and artists? Panellists: Kei Miller, Desiree Reynolds and Col Bashir https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/black-writers-conference-2018-tickets-46224769530...
Read MoreDesiree talks to Afua Hirsch on Race and belonging, 18th October
In collaboration with Our Mel, Festival of Debate, BAME Staff Network – The University of Sheffield and Sheffield Students’ Union as part of MelaninFest – Sheffield’s Black History Month Festival. Join Afua Hirsch for a discussion on her Sunday Times Bestseller, Brit(ish). Brit(ish) is about a search for identity. It is about the everyday racism that plagues British society. It is about our awkward, troubled relationship with our history. It is about why liberal attempts to be ‘colour-blind’ have caused more problems than they have solved. It is about why we continue to avoid talking about race. In this personal and provocative investigation, Afua Hirsch explores a very British crisis of identity. We are a nation in denial about our past and our present. We believe we are the nation of abolition, but forget we are the nation of slavery. We are convinced that fairness is one of our values, but that immigration is one of our problems. Brit(ish) is the story of how and why this came to be, and an urgent call for change. This event will be chaired by Desiree Reynolds – journalist, author and a trustee of The Racial Justice Network. This event will take place in Lecture Theatre 4 in The Diamond at The University of Sheffield. Tickets: Free...
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