University | Society

20 Oct 09

Speakers at events across Oxford, including this one at the Museum of Natural History, have commemorated the past, present and future of the black community in Oxford and beyond.

The experiences of black students at Oxford, from the 1870s until today, will be discussed at an event this evening at New College as part of Black History Month.

Black Oxford: Students Past and Present will see a panel of current and former students talk about the contributions of black students at Oxford, their experiences while here, and the key roles many went on to play in the UK and overseas.

Event organiser, Dr Zoe Norridge from New College, said: ‘We're very lucky to have such a great panel of speakers discussing black students’ experiences at Oxford. The talk includes figures from history, a short story reading and personal reminiscences.’

Keon West, a founding member of the Black Association of Rhodes Scholars, will give an overview of the history of black students in Oxford. This will be followed by a reading of Oxford, Black Oxford by Dambudzo Marechera, a former New College student. Patricia Daley, a University Lecturer in Human Geography will recount memories from the eighties, and Lewis Iwu, the first black president of OUSU will talk about at student politics and current black identities in Oxford.

The University has hosted a series of events for Black History Month. At various venues throughout October, events, lectures, meetings and celebrations have commemorated the past, present and future of the black community in Oxford and beyond.

These have included:

• A discussion of why we need to celebrate black history at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History
• A talk by visual artist Ingrid Pollard
• An exploration of African and African diaspora cultures through poetry and storytelling performances at the Playhouse
• An exhibition of African arms and armour and a talk on the histories and meanings of the African objects on display at the Pitt Rivers Museum
• A screening of the film Sisters in Law, winner of the Prix Art et Essai at the Cannes Film Festival, with a talk from the director Kim Longinotto

Later this week, the Race Equality Network will be officially launched at Wadham College on Thursday 29 October. The network is the result of a consultation which found a desire to have a space where people can chat, blog and share ideas. An online forum has now been created to provide that space for exchanging ideas and publicising information.

Black History Month is held every October in Britain, and aims to promote knowledge of black history and raise awareness of black contributions to British society. Its origins in the UK go back to the 1980s, when events were first organised in London. It has grown since with over 6,000 events organised across the UK in October 2007.