Black History Month 2023: UON activities update

Here are some updates about the enlightening talks and entertainment events at UON to mark Black History Month.

The overarching theme of Black History Month (BHM) 2023 is ‘Celebrating Our Sisters’ and some of these free events will feature talks from noted Black academics and authors.

GEM Network

The GEM (Global Ethnic Majority) Network represents Black, African, Asian, Brown, and dual-heritage University of Northampton staff members.

October sees the launch of the Northamptonshire Race Health Equity Working Group Forum, spearheaded by the GEM network to develop community-based initiatives to raise awareness of ethic health disparities in the county.

There will be a keynote presentation highlighting trends on ethnic health inequalities in the UK generally and the specific data on the East Midlands.

The event takes place on Friday 20 October 20 at St Andrew’s Healthcare from 11:00 – 14:00. Please email marcella.daye@northampton.ac.uk if you are interested in attending.

Criminology

The team continue their partnership with The Black Criminology Network with a hat-trick of free, online special guest webinars which are open to staff, students and members of the public.

Angela Charles from the Open University will give the webinar on Wednesday 18 October (18:00-20:00). Angela will focus on Black women and their experiences in prison. Her research is heavily influenced from a black feminist standpoint and throughout her research her positionality as a Black woman was key.

The final talk in this series will come from Dr Janeille Zorina Matthews from University of the West Indies, Barbados. For her presentation on Wednesday 25 October (18:00-20:00), she will argue that in post-colonial countries there are continuities in historical and contemporary penal practices that cannot be ignored.

Public Health

On Wednesday 18 October (from 13:00-13:30) there will be an online presentation by Ruvimbo Machaka, Lecturer in Public Health Presentation, entitled ‘What am I doing in a place like this?’: Understanding Imposter Phenomenon Amongst Postgraduate Students From Minoritised Racial Backgrounds’. The talk is open to all and you can join online on the day here.

GEM and Centre for Historical Studies

On Wednesday 18 October from 14:00-16.00, the University’s Centre for Historical Studies and GEM Network are holding two expert-led talks. They are in-person events taking place in the ‘Owl’s Nest’ area in the Learning Hub at Waterside that are open to all.

The first speaker is Annabelle Gilmore from the University of Birmingham who will talk about ‘The Hidden History Behind the Art Objects at Charlecote Park in Warwickshire’. Annabelle’s work is dedicated to analysing the hidden connections between enslaved labour in Jamaica, imperialism in Asia, and the art displayed at the National Trust property Charlecote Park.

The second speaker is John Buckell, talking on ‘Slavery and Anti-slavery in Northamptonshire’. John is a retired teacher and member of the Northamptonshire Heritage Forum.

Centre for the Advancement of Racial Equality (CARE)

CARE will host Dr. Patricia Gomes from the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA). Dr Gomes has made remarkable contributions in the field, particularly in shedding light on the role of women in anti-colonial resistance. The talk will be online, is scheduled for Wednesday October 18 at 17:00 and all are invited.

CARE – Anti-Racism Book Club

The University holds monthly Anti-Racism Book Club meetings. The book club aims to increase understanding and aid difficult conversations about race related issues; both initiatives fall under the umbrella of the University’s Centre for the Advancement of Racial Equality (CARE).

The literature discussed by the club is written by GEM authors who have a wide range of life experiences or who are carrying out research, specifically on people from ethnic and culturally diverse backgrounds, complementing work already being carried out to broaden curriculum reading material for students.

The next book club meeting will be on Tuesday 31 October 2023 (starts at 19:30) and will explore Living While Black: The Essential Guide to Overcoming Racial Trauma (incl. Audible) by Guilaine Kinouani. For more, please email patrice.seuwou@northampton.ac.uk

Students’ Union

The Students’ Union is holding a series of themed movie screenings and their own ‘Northampton’s Got Afro-Caribbean Talent’ student show. Organised by their Black Student Advocates, please see their events page for more:

• Afro-Caribbean Talent Show (Wednesday 18 October, 17:00-19:00). Showcasing the talent of the University of Northampton Students as they take the stage, the variety of acts.
• Black Stars of the Big Screen (Monday 23 October, starts 16:00). Vote to see either Black Panther, Wakanda Forever, Shaft, Fences or Django Unchained.
• Black Stars of the Big Screen (Monday 30 October, starts 16:00). Vote to see either Candy Man or Us.
  …and, because Black history isn’t just for October…

Faculty of Health, Education and Society

There are other, related events taking place at later dates. These include, on Thursday 2 November, the next ‘science for the price of a cuppa’ Café Scientfique event which will focus on the experiences of career progression for senior NHS leaders from a Black and minoritized ethnic background.

This talk will be given at The Beehive Café by Stephen Zingwe, Acting Head of Research and Development at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Entrance is free and all are welcome to attend.

Criminology

So, here’s the thing…’White Debt’ with Tré Ventour-Griffiths, Associate Lecturer in Criminology. Wednesday 15 November, 12:30-14:30. This in-person talk will be held in T-Pod C in the Learning Hub.