October is Black History Month in the UK, so we are taking the opportunity to spotlight some recent research produced by colleagues in LSHH. We will be following this up soon with a reading list of scholarship related to EDI more generally in LSHH! Below, we also share details of some events across the next fortnight related to BHM and EDI that may be of interest to staff and students in LSHH.
Black History Month Research Spotlight
Recommended reading – a few examples of the research published in the last 5 years by staff in LSHH:
An article written by LSHH’s Laura Fernández-González (Associate Professor in the History of Art and Architecture): ‘Architecture, the Building Trade, and Race in the Early Modern Iberian World’, in D.Karmon (ed. ), ‘Constructing Race, 1400-1800. Part 2’, Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, 80.4 (2021). The article is one of a series of ‘brief “think pieces” that examine issues related to the intersection of race and architecture from around the globe during the period 1400–1800’ – it is open access and can be read here: Constructing Race and Architecture 1400–1800, Part 2 | Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians | University of California Press (ucpress.edu)
An article co-authored by LSHH’s Kristy Warren (Lecturer in Black History) and Melissa Bennett (University of Warwick, Coventry), ‘Looking back and facing forwards: ten years of the London, Sugar & Slavery gallery’, Journal of Historical Geography 63 (2019) 94-99. The focus of this article is the London, Sugar & Slavery gallery, which opened at the Museum of London Docklands on 10 November 2007. The article can be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhg.2018.12.004.
A book chapter written by LSHH’s Emily Timms (Lecturer in Contemporary Global Literatures) “I Could Turn Viper Tomorrow”: Challenging Reproductive Futurism in Merle Collins’s The Colour of Forgetting (1995)’, Literature and Ageing: Essays and Studies, ed. by Elizabeth Barry and Margery Skagen (Cambridge: Boydell & Brewer, 2020), pp. 105-27. The chapter opens interdisciplinary conversations between queer studies, Caribbean cultural theory and age studies in an analysis of anti-colonial politics and older Black women in literary representations of the Grenadian Revolution. Literature and Ageing is available in print copy in the library.
Black History Month Events
- International College: Toni Morrison (24th October)
To celebrate Black History Month, the International College’s Reading Club will be reading an excerpt from The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.
Location: MB1104 (first floor of the Minerva Building)
Time: 12-1pm
If you want to join the club or attend this event, please contact internationalcollege@lincoln.ac.uk
2. LIBS Black History Month Event: ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ (30th October)
The LIBS EDI committee, COASSH EDI, and Lincolnshire Black Community Network (LBCN) will collaborate this year to host an inspiring Black History Month event centred on Reclaiming Narratives. This empowering event celebrates Black history, identity, and culture while focusing on reclaiming stories that have been overlooked or misrepresented. This year’s event highlights the resilience and solidarity of the Black community, with discussants sharing their stories in the realm of business, policy discourse and media. Our speakers will address critical issues surrounding representation, entrepreneurship, and cultural expression, fostering a rich dialogue that empowers the Black community. Their varied backgrounds and experiences will help to frame a multi-faceted approach to understanding and reclaiming the narratives,
Our esteemed panellist, Professor Olatunji Ogunyemi, will offer insights into how media representation shapes the stories of the Black community and how the Black diaspora can reclaim their stories in the global media landscape, challenging stereotypes and amplifying authentic voices. Our distinguished panellist, Dr. Hadiza Kere Abdulrahman, has expertise in exploring the impact of colonialism on education systems and the ways that Colonial(ism/ity) has had an effect on shaping the narratives. She will frame what inclusive education is, challenge traditional ideas of “valued” knowledge and advocate for greater recognition of structural inequalities in learning, particularly for disadvantaged groups. Our honoured panellist, Kim Khajehnoori is the Chair of the BAME staff network at Lincolnshire County Council and a Co-Presenter of the Anti-racist practice training program. With extensive experience in EDI practices and as a member of the Lincolnshire Black Community Network, Kim will facilitate a vital discussion on overlooked and emerging narratives that shape our collective history and future.
Location: David Chiddick Building, DCB2100
Time: 3-6pm
If you want to attend this event, please register via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/black-history-month-2024-with-university-of-lincoln-tickets-1050653130797
October EDI-related Events
Other EDI-related community and research events coming up in the last weeks of October:
- Student-led EDI Gathering (24th October, 1-2.30pm)
In this session students, alumni and staff will discuss ideas for student-led events and projects for this academic year. Convened conjointly by the Chair Viviana D’Alterio and Vice-chair Tinashe Chipawe of the Student-led EDI team and Laura Fernández-González for the EDI-CoASSH Committee.
Location: DCB0106, Harvard Lecture Theatre, Ground Floor, David Chiddick Building.
Time: 1.00-2.30 pm
2. Research talk: ‘Conserving the Guru Granth Sahib Ji: sharing knowledge with the Sikh community’ (29th October, 2-3pm)
Laura Snow-Caradonna, Collection Care team leader at John Rylands Institute, University of Manchester. Conservation Online Talk (LSHH). Organiser: Lynda Skipper, lskipper@lincoln.ac.uk. We would like to invite staff and students from across the College to join our online talk ‘Conserving the Guru Granth Sahib Ji: sharing knowledge with the Sikh community’ via Teams. Laura Snow-Caradonna, Collection Care team leader at John Rylands Institute, University of Manchester, will talk about ethical issues and the importance of working with the community to conserve and share knowledge about the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. This is the most important Sikh holy book.
Time: 29 Oct 2024, 2-3pm.
This event will take place online via Teams; please book attendance via this link (you will receive the Teams link via email after booking): https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/conserving-the-guru-granth-sahib-ji-sharing-knowledge-with-the-sikh-community-tickets-1042717344647
Please get in touch if you have any news you would like us to share via the LSHH EDI blog. Thank you!
Erin Bell and Laura Gill (Co-Directors of EDI in LSHH)