Legendary activist Professor Patrick Vernon reflects on how to protect Black history media in a time of increasing right-wing activity
Recognising 60 years since the first ever Race Relations Act of 1965
Professor Patrick Vernon OBE is responsible for:
- 100 Black Britons campaign (2003) and resulting best-selling book (2020) HERE
- Getting national recognition for Mary Seacole (2003)
- Published first edition of Robin Walker’s ground breaking book on ancient African civilisations ‘When We Ruled’ (2005)
- Forcing the government to recognise Windrush Day as a national event (2018)
- Helped to expose the Windrush scandal
- Developing the Every Generation history and educational wesbite then rebuilding it after it was destroyed by racist hackers
- Between 2016 to 2020 curating Museum of Grooves radio show on Afrofuturism and Black history HERE
- Making rare films about Caribbean World War 2 veterans such as ‘Eddie Noble (A Charmed Life)
- Promoting the ‘Save 17 years of Black History at BFI: African Odysseys campaign now at over 17,000 signatures HERE
This combination of presentation and film will cover those topics plus discussion on:
- The importance of history, archives and documentation
- Mainstream media and white-washing of World Wars
- The importance of African Odysseys and independent film-makers
- Mental health, politics and history
- The fight for race equality laws and exactly how they apply to the police, universities, hospitals and the British Film Institute
We will discuss problems, solutions, lessons learned and ways forward based on his vast experience
Other coming events www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk HERE
- 20 Banned Black Films you need to see: African Odysseys
- Black History Steam Train Trip
- How Black People Won World War 2
- Black History Bus Tour
- Black History Walks Theatreland, Hackney, Brixton, Mayfair, St Paul’s/Soho
- Fighting the slavemaster: Past and Present
- African Superheroes Day @Fulham_Palace
- How to teach GCSE Black History
- Regents canal cruise
About African Odysseys
The volunteer-run, African Odysseys film programme screens educational, popular, anti-racist, films with Q&A’s since 2007, 18 years . It regularly filled the Southbank 450 seater at 2pm on Saturdays when cinemas are typically ‘dead’.The British Film Institute refused to answer 8 simple questions or meet the volunteers, then cancelled the programme so they could ‘cut costs and promote diversity’ HERE
African Odysseys continues to show films across London as can be seen HERE
About the speaker: Professor Patrick Vernon OBE
Honorary Professor for Community leadership and heritage at University of Wolverhampton. He was recently appointed Pro Chancellor at the University.
Patrick is a sought-after broadcaster, public speaker, EDI adviser and writes blogs and articles for the national and international media on healthcare, cultural heritage and race.
Patrick led the campaign for a national Windrush Day since 2013 and helping to expose the Windrush Scandal in 2018 in one of the first growing online petitions calling for an amnesty for the Windrush Generation. In 2020 Patrick was selected by British Vogue as of Britain’s top twenty campaigners and since he has been included in the Powerlist list. Patrick was a member of Church Commissioners oversight group on reparations and repair
In 2024 his latest co authored book on Black Grief and healing is the first major anthology in UK exploring all aspects of grief and bereavement.