Books, Violence and Resistance 4/4 (Centerprise)

5th May 6.30pm
Series of talks on Black Bookshops as scenes of resistance. Owners and readers speak on the impact on the 70/80s Black community and legacy

This event is organised by Black History Walks in conjunction with the Sarah Parker Remond Centre at U.C.L

Black bookshops in 1970/80s Britain were few and far between. Those that did exist were subject to continued racist attacks including firebombing. Spaces where Black people could meet and learn were few and far between so bookshops were often packed out and people would travel long distances to get books. While in the bookshop, advice would be sought, information shared, change and campaigns initiated at a time when many people did not have their own phone far less a computer.

This one-off series of lectures will interview several of these booksellers/activists. With personal testimony, photos and video clips we will tell this powerful story of resistance by reading and retail.

In the first two sessions (16th and 23rd )we will cover the incredible Walter Rodney bookshop founded by the legendary 90 year old Eric Huntley and his late wife Jessica Huntley. In session three on the 30th April ,we visit Michael La Rose of New Beacon Books, the oldest black bookshop in Britain. We end with the famous Centerprise and Emmanuel Amevor on Wednesday 5th May at 6.30pm

We will cover:

  • The dangers of selling Black books
  • The multi purpose role of the book shop space
  • Black business and education
  • The fight for premises, how white institutions block Black progress
  • The link into self -publishing
  • International speakers in odd places
  • The Saturday School connection
  • Bookshops and political campaigns: Scrap Sus, Racism on the buses, Anti Apartheid, The Grenada revolution, school banding

Please check your junk mail after booking to see confirmation. Look out for our new book Black History Walks in London Volume 1 from Jacaranda Books

Other coming events from Black History Walks www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk

  • Black History River Cruise
  • Anti Racism as Politics with Professor Paul Gilroy
  • The Amazing true story of Sarah Parker Remond
  • Fibroids and reproductive health: new research from the Caribbean
  • Jim Kelly, Kung Fu and Black British Civil Rights
  • 1968 Race Relations Act and the legacy of Black Lawyers
  • Prince the Black History Breakdown
  • Is Britain responsible for America’s Race Relations ?
  • Coded Bias: Racism disguised in computer programming
  • The Gentrification of Peckham and Black Urban removal worldwide
  • The British Black Panther Movement

About the Speaker

Emmanuel Amevor is a Cultural Entrepreneur. He was for over two decades the CEO of Centerprise Trust Ltd in Hackney, he runs WordPower Publications, he is also a book distributor, specialising in black books and culture.

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