Tag: Black history month

Hidden Architectural Voices

Oonagh Monaghan / / decolonisation, Display, Uncategorized

Decolonising@Lincoln summer project 2023

Chiji Amaechi (Graduate – Bachelor of Architecture 2023) 

Kuro Krukrubo (Graduate – Bachelor of Architecture 2023) 

Leslie Mfonow Tochukwu (3rd Year Student – Bachelor of Architecture 2023) 

(Mentor: Mark Olweny, Senior Lecturer in Architecture) 

Photo of Leslie Mfonow Tochukwu (3rd Year Student – Bachelor of Architecture 2023) in front of the display in the university library.
Leslie Mfonow Tochukwu (3rd Year Student – Bachelor of Architecture 2023) with the display in the university library (photo by Alexander White)

Architectural education embarks on a journey of exploration, utilising various architects and their projects to foster an understanding of the development of architectural ideas. Yet, a conspicuous absence becomes apparent – the lack of architects of colour and architectural projects designed by individuals of colour in formal lectures, tutorials, and architectural publications. This absence in the established canon poses a challenge, particularly for us as students of colour who may come to believe that architects of colour are non-existent. 

Recognising the importance of providing students with access to diverse histories within architectural education, we initiated a project that culminated with this exhibition. A pivotal question arose: ‘Where are the hidden voices in architecture?’ As Craig Wilkins suggests in his book “Diversity Among Architects,” we must exercise caution not to equate invisibility with absence. Undoubtedly, architects from minority groups have existed in the past, and their lack of immediate visibility does not negate their existence. This realisation propelled us to delve into the archives to uncover some of these individuals and their individual stories. This was bolstered by the election of Muyiwa Oki as the first black president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 2022. 

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Six Remarkable Black Women Who Shaped British History

Oonagh Monaghan / / decolonisation, Uncategorized

 

The focus for this year’s Black History Month is the theme ‘Saluting Our Sisters and the #WEMATTER movement.   

Black women have played an important role in British life for centuries, but we don’t know much about them.  Their stories are not told in schools and rarely told in higher education.  It’s time to celebrate their achievements and introduce as many people as possible to the many black women who have not be recognised for so long. 

The Black Lives Matter movement has shone a light on black history in the UK and the Decolonising initiatives that have happened in the education sectors, including the University of Lincoln are beginning to uncover uncomfortable truths as well as campaigning for a change in the narrative more widely.  This is crucial to dismantling systemic racism. 

1948 saw the arrival of the Windrush generation but black women were already in the UK from as early as the 1700s.  What do we know about these women?  We should learn from them and be inspired by their courageous and resilient lives. 

The University of Lincoln libraries provide many resources to research these amazing black women. 

Black history month display pictures.
Images of displays in the main library and the Ross library

Continue reading “Six Remarkable Black Women Who Shaped British History”

The History of Black History Month

Oonagh Monaghan / / Uncategorized

Jamie Markham (History and Heritage student and The School of Humanities and Heritage’s SEDIC (Student EDI Committee) 

Black History Month entails rich, cultural history in which’s paves a bright and diverse future for people of colour. It is vital to recognise the extent of racism and discrimination in which have targeted black people for centuries, alongside celebrating the significant contributes of black people to culture, science, politics, sports, and many other fields. However, the history of how Black History Month came to fruition is significantly undermined and underrepresented. Thus, we begin on this journey back in time and seek to build a relationship with Black History Month and it’s past.

Black History Month begins with one man and his determination to represent the resilience of black people and the discrimination in which they faced on a daily basis. Carter. G. Woodson established ‘Negro History Week’ in 1926, in a conscious effort to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the emancipation. Known as the ‘“Father of Black History” he founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) to support this mission. During the week, was a celebration of experiences and accomplishments of African-Americans. Woodson seeked to deepen understanding and knowledge of black peoples and their powerful influences on the rest of the world. Therefore, the second week of February became an opportunity to celebrate black liberation.

With this,Negro History Week gained a vast amount of interest and gradually gained popularity and expanded to become Black History Month in 1976. The reason behind it, to expand and allow for more extensive exploration of African American History throughout the entire month. It was conceded that the original purpose of this month was set to recognise and educate people about the efforts of black people despite their struggles in history. Alongside this, the event aimed to combat historical inaccuracies and misconceptions around black history and platform black individuals across a variety of fields. This has previously included individuals such as Martin Luther King and Maya Angelou.

Black History Month began in America but quickly spread to encompass global influence and now serves as a month of national dedication towards the black experience. Many countries gradually followed in a linear fashion, adopting similar approaches towards black representation and racial equality. In the UK for instance, Black history month was first celebrated 11 years later in 1987. After visiting America in the 1970s, Ghanaian-born, Akyaaba Addai Sebo, a special projects officer at the Greater London Council (GLC), founded the UK’s version of Black History Month in 1987. The event coincided with the 150th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation of slavery and the 25th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity. Thus, black history month became a staple in reversing the suppression continuously experienced by Black people and paying tribute towards their influence. Today, most importantly, it serves as a reminder of a sustainable journey towards social justice and racial equality. As human beings, it is our responsibility to protect this message.

References

BiM2023 (2023) Black history month 2023. BiM2023. Available from https://blackhistorymonth.org.uk/black-history-month-2023 [accessed 19 October 2023]

History.com (2023) Black history month. A&E Television Networks. Available from https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month [accessed 19 October 2023]

History.com (2023) The man behind black history month. A&E Television Networks. Available from https://www.history.com/news/the-man-behind-black-history-month [accessed 19 October 2023]

National Museum of African American History and Culture (2023) Celebrating black history month. Washington, US: Smithsonian. Available from https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/celebrating-black-history-month [accessed 19 October 2023]

Black History Month 2022

Oonagh Monaghan / / decolonisation, Reimagining Lincolnshire, Special Collections, Uncategorized, Wikimedia, Wikipedia

For Black History Month 2022, the Library has two great activities for you to join in with!  Everyone is invited to join in with these events.  

Connected Heritage & Reimagining Lincolnshire: Black History Month Wikithon (in collaboration with the Library) 

 

Reimagining Lincolnshire: Black History Month Wikithon logo used above was designed by Oonagh Monaghan and features art created by ‘Ccrow Illustration’ (Kes Whyte), University of Lincoln graduate, 2022 and photos from Reimagining Lincolnshire’s collection.

 

You are invited to learn Wikipedia basics and make some edits to highlight some of the stories and people with connections to Lincolnshire uncovered by the research team at Reimagining Lincolnshire. This event is a part of Wikimedia UK Connected Heritage project, which is funded by DCMS and The National Lottery through The Heritage Fund’s Digital Skills for Heritage initiative.  

Editathons aim to address the underrepresentation of people from the Global South, women, people of colour, LGBTQ+ people in Wikipedia entries and among contributors. 

The event will take place on Thursday 20th October 1pm-4.30pm online via Zoom and there will also be email communication before the event for all those registered to make sure attendees are prepared. 

Book on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/connected-heritage-reimagining-lincolnshire-black-history-month-wikithon-tickets-387430754817 

 

 Book Giveaway!

Selection of donated books for giveaway

The Library will showcase book and film recommendations from staff and students at the University 

Add your nomination for a book or film recommendation to our reading list https://rl.talis.com/3/lincoln/lists/2234271F-CD9E-EDF5-C1D8-5525FD0A907A.html  by emailing us or tagging us on social media. Include the hashtag #UoLBHM22 and include your reason for nomination. 

Win one of the amazing books donated by Blackwell’s bookshop in the Library. 

Email library@lincoln.ac.uk or tag us on Twitter @LibraryUoL or Instagram @uollibrary 

 

Get thinking about what books or films have had an impact on you or ideas for books to buy 

  • Is there a book you would like to read but never have? 
  • Is there a new book available that you would like us to purchase so you can read it? 
  • Are there particular texts, authors, films etc that have had a profound influence on you? 
  • Is there a film that you think everyone should see? 
  • Have you felt low or disempowered and been helped by a particular text? 
  • Are there texts that have motivated you to do more or challenge the status quo? 
  • Some texts might be challenging or triggering – let us know if we need to include a warning 
  • Tell us the reason for your choice of book or other resource. 

365 Books to Celebrate Black History Month Year-Round

Hope Williard / / arts, Library, Research

October is Black History Month and Black history happens every day. To celebrate this, the library has put together a list of 365 books by authors of colour from our catalogue and e-book collections.  The list was inspired by the website Black History 365 and the list of 365 Books By Women put together for International Women’s Day by the New York Public Library. It has been assembled through searches inspired by the Black British Writers wikipedia category page, as well as the African-American writers catalogue page. It also draws lists of books by Black and BAME writers published online, such as this one from Stylist. We hope you find it interesting!

Our More Books service is open for students and staff to request the purchase of items we do not have in our collections, so please do get in touch if you notice any errors or omissions.

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Black History in Lincolnshire

Hope Williard / / Library

This is the fourth and final in series of four posts about using library collections for the study of black history, literature and culture, in Britain and abroad. We would love to hear your comments and questions about the posts: please tweet us @GCWLibrary, email us at library@lincoln.ac.uk, or tell us your thoughts in the comments section at the end of the post. 

We hope you have had a wonderful, inspiring, and educational Black History Month! Our final post in this series will offer some suggestions for online databases and library resources for researching Black history in the county of Lincolnshire. This post will come in two parts: in the first part, I will discuss researching Black history in Lincolnshire. In the second part of the post, I will point you towards local collections, archives, and online projects which may help in your investigation of local Black history.

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Black History in Early Printed Books, Part 2

Hope Williard / / Uncategorised

This is part two of the second in a series of four posts about using library collections for the study of black history, literature and culture, in Britain and abroad. We would love to hear your comments and questions about the posts: please tweet us @GCWLibrary, email us at library@lincoln.ac.uk, or tell us your thoughts in the comments section at the end of the post.

Continue reading “Black History in Early Printed Books, Part 2”

Black Musicians in the John Johnson Collection: the Bohee Brothers by Hope Williard (Part 3: the Bohee Brothers)

Oonagh Monaghan / / Library

The Nineteenth Century Entertainment section of the John Johnson collection is a rich resource for examining the history and cultures of all different kinds of performance in nineteenth-century Britain. One of the types of performance feature in this collection is the minstrel show. These performances, in which white performers blackened their faces and sang British audiences ‘a distorted and appropriated form of black music’, had been popular in Britain since the 1830s.[1] The blackface minstrel appeared on Victorian Christmas cards, and music from minstrel shows was regularly performed in Victorian drawing rooms—examples of both can be found in the John Johnson collection.

Continue reading “Black Musicians in the John Johnson Collection: the Bohee Brothers by Hope Williard (Part 3: the Bohee Brothers)”

Black Musicians in the John Johnson Collection: the Bohee Brothers by Hope Williard (Part 2: How to Search the John Johnson Collection)

Oonagh Monaghan / / Library, Research

In using the John Johnson collection to put together this post, I found it fascinating to use the ‘Browse’ function.  Upon clicking that tab at the top of the page, you are taken to an expandable menu featuring the five main collections:

    1. Nineteenth century entertainment: This includes both theatrical and non-theatrical performance. It can be used to study both the history and development of different forms of entertainment, as well as high and popular culture
    2. The Booktrade: Bookplates and publishing materials, useful to those studying the publishing trade as well as trying to look at the dissemination of different kinds of information during these periods
    3. Popular prints: This includes landscapes, topography and artistic works.
    4. Crime, murder, and executions: This includes broadsheets and pamphlets. It is useful for historians who study crime and punishment and well as historians of certain kinds of printing (such as woodcuts)
    5. Advertising: This section of the collection contains a wide variety of advertisements and can be used to study economic and social history as well as consumerism.

Continue reading “Black Musicians in the John Johnson Collection: the Bohee Brothers by Hope Williard (Part 2: How to Search the John Johnson Collection)”

Black Musicians in the John Johnson Collection: the Bohee Brothers by Hope Williard (Part 1: What is the John Johnson Collection?)

Oonagh Monaghan / / Library, Research

This is the first in a series of four posts about using library collections for the study of black history, literature and culture, in Britain and abroad. We would love to hear your comments and questions about the posts: please tweet us at (main library twitter), email us at library@lincoln.ac.uk, or tell us your thoughts in the comments section at the end of the post.

James Douglass Bohee (1844-1897) and his brother George (1857-1930) were among the earliest black musicians to record their music. Even though these recordings are seemingly lost today, we can use the John Johnson Collection, a digitised archival collections to learn more about their performances and careers. Part 1 of this post explains what the John Johnson Collection is and part 2 explains how to use it. In part 3, I explore the evidence of the Bohee Brothers’ lives and careers found in the John Johnson Collection.

Continue reading “Black Musicians in the John Johnson Collection: the Bohee Brothers by Hope Williard (Part 1: What is the John Johnson Collection?)”