National Museums Liverpool venues will be running a number of free events to mark Black History Month in October. There will be talks, musical performances, and workshops for all ages at the International Slavery Museum, and nearby Martin Luther King Jr Building. At the Museum of Liverpool, visitors can follow the Black Community and History Trail. The main highlights are listed below.
Additionally, every Wednesday in September and October the education team at the International Slavery Museum will be talking about the collections, looking in more detail at a different object each week including a focus on Human Rights on 14 October, in the run up to Anti-Slavery Day.
Anti-Slavery Day is on 18 October. The day was created by a UK Act of Parliament to raise awareness of modern slavery and to inspire people to eliminate it today. Full details of all Black History Month and UK Anti-Slavery Day events are here: http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/blackhistorymonth
Black History Month highlights:
Rise and Role of the Colour Bar in British Boxing – International Slavery Museum
10 October, 11am-12noon
Join journalist, author and Business Development professional Gary Shaw (born and raised in Liverpool) for his presentation on the colour bar in British boxing, telling the story of how non-white boxers were banned from becoming British boxing champions from 1909-1947. The colour bar was introduced in 1909 by the small aristocratic group who ran the National Sporting Club in London. The wording of the rule said only British born boxers, “born of white parents,” could contest British titles. It stayed in place throughout WWII until 1947 when it was lifted finally.
Anthony Walker Memorial Lecture Empowering Young People – Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Building
16 October, 5.45-6.45 pm
An event hosted in conjunction with the Walker family and the Anthony Walker Foundation to keep Anthony’s memory alive and continue the fight against racist violence. With a contribution from Dr Gee Walker, speakers include Dr Martin Glynn, author of Black Men, Invisibility, and Desistance from Crime; Ben Osu, former Young Ambassador; Dominique Walker, sister of Anthony Walker and Philipa Harvey, NUT President. The lecture is free to attend but booking is essential. For more information please email: AWL@nut.org.uk
Broken Lives: Lost Childhoods – International Slavery Museum
17 October, 1-2pm
On the eve of Anti-Slavery Day, this live interview with an Indian activist will explore many of the issues raised by the award-winning, Oscar-nominated short film ‘Kavi’, which you can watch now in the Broken Lives exhibition at the International Slavery Museum. The presentation will focus on why children from Dalit, tribal and other poor and marginalised communities in India are most vulnerable to modern forms of slavery and how this can be addressed. Includes Q&A.
18 October – Anti-Slavery Day
18 October is Anti-Slavery Day, created by a UK Act of Parliament to raise awareness of modern slavery and to inspire people to eliminate it. There are family events today.
Hands of Change – International Slavery Museum
18 October, 1-4pm
Come along to add your piece to our big hands on change work of art in honour of Anti-Slavery Day.
Loango Ivories: in-focus talk – International Slavery Museum
20 October, 2-2.30pm
This talk will focus on the late 19th century carved elephant tusks from Loango in Central Africa displayed in the Enslavement and Middle Passage gallery. These innovative sculptures are ornamented with various narrative scenes carved in a spiral around the tusk. They emerged at a significant point of change in relations between Africans and Europeans after the abolition of the slave trade. Zachary Kingdon, curator of African collections at World Museum, will attempt to unwind the historical narrative of who made them, why and for whom.
Black Soldiers at Waterloo – International Slavery Museum
24 October, 1-2pm
2015 is the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo. This is a unique talk delivered by Dr Ray Costello focussing on Black soldiers at Waterloo. We are inviting people to come along and listen to these heroic and tragic accounts, and to perhaps rethink your perceptions of Black participation in Britain’s wars. Ray Costello is an independent historian, writer and an honorary research fellow of the School of Sociology and Social Science, University of Liverpool. Ray is also a Board member of the Centre for the Study of International Slavery (CSIS).
Half-term – International Slavery Museum
26-30 October
Half-term in October is also linked to Black History Month with ‘Celebrating Sound’ as the theme, and a number of events inspired by music of Black origin.
Black Community and History Trail – Museum of Liverpool
With the oldest Black community in Europe, Liverpool has a major place in UK Black history. This free trail highlights some of the Museums collection, which reflects the contribution of this community throughout the city’s history.