“It is wrong if nearly every time we hear a black or Asian actor portraying their lives they are actually speaking the words of someone who has never experienced their reality.”
This quote by Lenny Henry really captures the theme of this year’s Black History Month – Reclaiming Narratives. It’s vital that more Black stories are told to shine a light on Black history, heritage and culture, but what also matters to us is who’s telling them.
To reclaim the narrative, Black people also need to reclaim the spaces where their stories are being told and the means to tell them, whether it’s through film, TV and the media, or in heritage spaces like museums and galleries. Only then can Black people decide what stories they want to tell, how and why they want to tell them, and who they want to tell them for.
Through our partnerships with a range of heritage organisations – from national institutions to local museums – we’re helping to bring Black history, heritage and culture to a wider audience with exhibitions and events created and curated by people who have experienced the reality.
For example, our current exhibition at the Bank of England Museum in London shares the experience of those who used (and still use) the Pardner Hand system when they were denied access to mainstream banking services during the Windrush Generation – in their own words. Working in partnership in this way enables us to reclaim narratives in the very places that are also part of the story. In this case, the heart of the financial system that unfairly discriminated against the Windrush Generation.
What’s also important to us, is that we tell the stories of those who may otherwise be overlooked by history – the everyday men and women who made (and continue to make) such an important contribution to the UK.
Our touring exhibition, 70 Objeks & Tings, currently on at York Castle Museum, tells the stories of the Windrush Generation in their own words, through some of the objects and things that they hold dear. Our partnership with York Castle Museum is also helping to tease out the threads of history that have woven together Black history with Yorkshire history – underlining the fact that Black history is also British history.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
“I use these precious days to remind myself of the wealth and legacy of my ancestors and share it with others so they realise my cultural identity is rich, strong and diverse.” Catherine
“It’s my community’s time in the spotlight. A time for us to reclaim and retell our own narratives. A time when people can listen and hear about my cultural heritage and not just take from it. They can acknowledge and applaud the great achievements of all peoples of Black African descent.” Lynda