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Culture -
Black History Month
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Sunday, 14 October 2007 17:07 |
 2007 has been a defining year for Londons Black communities. This is the Bicentenary year of the law abolishing the transatlantic slave trade.
It has been an opportunity to remember the crime of slavery and to commemorate the legacies and celebrate the courageous acts of enslaved Africans that eventually led to the outlawing of the cruel trade. Alongside this, Ghana marked 50 years of Independence from colonial rule, which it achieved on 6 March 957. Together with representatives of African communities in London, we established an annual Africa Day celebration on Trafalgar Square, the first festival taking place on 8 May this year. In August, Nelson Mandela came to London to participate in the unveiling of his statue on Parliament Square.
So, now it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 0th anniversary of Black History Season, which has been held in London since October 987. It is a time to celebrate the contribution of Londons African and Caribbean communities to Londons economic and cultural histories. The focus of this years programme is focused on the Bicentenary. In particular, the Black History Scholarship programme achieves this through education and encourages young people to undertake research into the history of their communities. Young people can gain a perspective on the past through awareness of the struggles and hardships of their ancestors. I hope you find something in the programme to stimulate and inspire you.
Message from Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London Please click on this link for a list of events during Black History Month (Pdf)
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