Black History Month Lectures

I attended an event titled ''The Politics of 'Race' and Gender'' at Leeds Beckett University, previously known as Leeds Metropolitan University.
My aim was to meet and network with people who had an interest in Black History, it was also a good place to meet black people from different backgrounds than just my own. This is because the idea I am currently keen on to do for my COP artefact requires black people from different backgrounds to talk about their heritage and not only black people but those who are bi-racial because I am trying to highlight the fact that there is not enough diversity of characters in films in today's modern society.

The talk was hosted by Dr Emily Zobel Marshall, and the talks were delivered by Dr Shirley Tate (Director of the Center for Ethnicity and Racism Studies at The University of Leeds) and Dr Robin Bunce (Historian at Cambridge University, Director of Studies for Politics at Homerton College and a Fellow in Hisotry at St. Edmund's College).

The talk presented by Dr Robin Bunce was about the Black Power movement in Britain and how that got started. He mentioned other people who contributed majorly to the movement positively and negatively, Obi B. Egbuna, Frankie Y, Michael X, Stokely Carmichael and Roy Sawh.
The women who later on began to lead the campaign were Olive Morris, Barbara Beese & Althea Jones-Lecointe.

Dr Shirley Tate talked about the racism behind Michelle Obama's arms and how the media still uses racist language to dehumanise women, and mainly black women.

The idea of how black women are portrayed and still portrayed in the media could help inform my path for my Extended Practice project and even branch out and focus on all shades of women.

These various events that are being held during October to celebrate Black History Month are helping inform my COP essay because even though I am not focusing on how Africans are portrayed on TV in Britain, it is still helping with my research and understanding the different opinions those have in Britain.

Attending these lectures and talks during Black History Month has helped me find candidates to participate in my context of practice practical artefact.