Media

Jazz singer tops bill at Black History Month in Oxford

6 October 2010

Jazz singer Sandi Russell will be among the stars of Black History Month in Oxford. The nationwide event is a series of films, talks and shows sponsored in the city by Oxford University and others.

Her one-woman show of music and verse, Render Me My Song, will provide an insight into African-American music, history, literature and folklore, including slavery, civil rights and women's liberation.

The University is also hosting films, talks and exhibitions as part of Black History Month. Leyla Okhai, Equality Advisor at Oxford's Equality and Diversity Unit, who is organising events for Black History Month at the University, said: "We're proud and excited that Sandi is including Oxford as part of her UK tour.

"The University has been involved in Black History Month for three years now. It's a fantastic way to celebrate the achievements of the black community at large."

Black History Month runs annually throughout October. As part of celebrations, the University will host the first showing of the film Kingdom of Ethiopia, in the Ashmolean Museum on 28 October; an exhibition of photographs by the explorer Wilfred Thesiger at the Pitt Rivers Museum on 16 October and, at Wadham College on 26 October, a talk on slavery and its abolition, by alumnus Franklin Smith.

Sandi Russell will perform at Corpus Christie College on 19 October. Her show is based on her book, Render Me My Song: African American Writers from Slavery to the Present and incorporates jazz, blues, spiritual and freedom songs. She will also recite the work of authors Alice Walker, who wrote The Colour Purple, Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou.

Russell was born in Harlem, New York but lives in Durham, UK, where she coaches jazz singing at the city's university. She performs regularly at many of London's popular jazz venues including Ronnie Scott's and Pizza on the Park.

For information on Sandi Russell visit http://www.sandirussell.co.uk/ To arrange an interview with Sandi contact her agent, Diana Collecott, on 01833 631 261/ 07801 854 868 or artemisa@btinternet.com

For information on Oxford University's Black History Month events contact Leyla Okhai at race.equality@admin.ox.ac.uk 

Notes for editors

  • Kingdom of Ethiopia examines the reign of Haile Selassie, King of Ethiopia until 1974, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Director, Dr Gus Caseley-Hayford, an art historian and presenter of BBC 4's Lost Kindgoms of Africa will take questions from the audience after the film.
  • Franklin Smith will be signing his book, Madness of Angels, after his talk at Wadham College.
  • Black history month is held every October in Britain and in February in the USA and Canada. It was launched in the US in 1926 to mark the achievements of people of African descent and was first staged in the UK in 1987. The event was established in Britain by Akyaaba Addai Sebbo who worked with Ken Livingstone at the Greater London Council. It is held in October to coincide with the new academic year and because this month is regarded as a time of tolerance and reconciliation in Africa. More details at http://www.black-history-month.co.uk/sitea/

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