Scintillating expose of the African/Caribbean legacy in this very old but increasingly modernised area, in the shadow of enormous wealth
Nestling between the wealth of the City and one of the poorest parts of London, Spitalfields has been absorbing refugees and visible minorities for the last four hundred years.
The Black history of Spitalfields and the surrounding areas takes us from the beginnings of the African presence in Britain and serves as a map of pre-Windrush Black history. On this tour we will meet :
- African men and women of every status in 16th century Whitechapel
- Phillis Wheatley (the first Black woman poet published in English),
- The Black Poor of 18th century Black London,
- The virtuoso violinist and friend of Beethoven, George Polgreen Bridgetower,
- The legendary African-American international superstar actor Ira Aldridge,
- The incredible educator Booker T. Washington and many others.
Other coming events from Black History Walks
- Andromeda, Queen of Sheba and Black women in European art
- Special screening of Marikana massacre at BFI Southbank
- Black history river cruise October 1st
- Trafalgar Square, St Paul’s, Hackney, Soho, Notting Hill,Harlem in Mayfair walks
- Pilots of the Caribbean and the Tuskeegee airmen
- African Superheroes Day @phoenixcinema
- Black presence in the National Gallery/Wallace Collection
- Black History bus tour
- How to rip off Black historians a tale of copying and greed in London
- Kenya’s racist history a Black judge speaks