Black diasporic identities in the UK: Beyond a single narrative

The Centre for Pan-African Studies, in partnership with the School of Pan-African Thought, invites you to the first event of the series “Black Britain and Pan-Africanism: Unpacking the Experiences of Black People in Britain”.

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The presence of Black populations in the UK has roots stretching back centuries. However, it wasn't until the 1950s that a noticeable increase occurred, leading to the formation of significant Black communities across the country. These communities were primarily comprised of British 'subjects' originating from former colonies and members of the Commonwealth. 

They were invited to aid in the post-World War II reconstruction efforts and to fulfil labour demands. Despite their status as invited British citizens, the Windrush generation faced pervasive racism, social marginalization, and systemic violence, necessitating resilience for survival. The recent Windrush scandal speaks to how little has changed since then.

Presently, the Black population in Britain encompasses communities stemming from the historical Black diaspora, mainly from the Caribbean and African Commonwealth nations, as well as more recent migrants who arrived from the 1980s onward, often as asylum seekers or economic migrants. This series aims to delve into and analyze the current realities of Black lives in Britain, recognizing the diverse array of experiences among different cohorts. Through the lens of Pan-Africanism, we want to examine points of tension and solidarities across the Black diaspora. 

How do national or Pan-African identities and belonging shape those inter-group interactions? What does internalised anti-blackness look like at the grassroots level? Can a re-imagined Pan-Africanism have a role in strengthening existing solidarity and forging new ones? These are some of the questions we aim to answer through the series.

About the series

Black Diasporic Identities in the UK: Beyond a Single Narrative’ is the first event of the series, which seeks to unpack the diversity of experiences among the Black population in the UK. The panel discussion brings together academics, grassroots activists and social commentators, to answer the following questions: What is the state of Black lives in the UK? Who gets to speak on the ‘Black experience’ and who continues to remain at the margins? What are some of the current manifestations of Pan-Africanism and how can we leverage its legacy? Join us for what is going to be an engaging discussion on the current state of Black Lives in the UK.

Panelists

Dr Aisha Phoenix is a Social Justice lecturer at the School of Education, Communication and Society at King’s College London. She is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Principal Investigator of the Understanding Colourism Among Young People research project. She conducted the first major sociological study that explores colourism in the UK with Dr Nadia Craddock and has discussed colourism on BBC programmes, LBC, Deutsche Welle and podcasts.  

Kelechi Okafor is a Nigerian-born, London-based lover of words—whether that’s crafting works of fiction, articles, stage plays or screenplays; from directing others on stage to expressing her thoughts on society one podcast episode at a time alongside esteemed interview guests on her award-winning podcast Say Your Mind. The podcast focuses on globally relevant conversations and events, framed through a lens of understanding that is firmly anti-colonial, white supremacy and heteropatriarchy. Kelechi’s book Edge of Here is out now.

Dr Toyin Agbetu is a lecturer of anthropology at University College London. His teachings delve into the complexities of nationalism, decolonisation, and racialisation through a unique scholar-activist perspective. Beyond the university, Dr. Agbetu is a dedicated community educator and an independent filmmaker with Ligali, a Pan-African organisation committed to challenging Afriphobia and the misrepresentation of African people, history and culture in the media, public spaces and social services. His academic activities include researching and championing digital rights and supporting reparatory and social justice initiatives to dismantle institutional racism, structural violence, and algorithmic bias. 

Lester Holloway is Head of Communications at Homerton College, Cambridge University, which is led by Lord Simon Woolley. He was previously Editor of The Voice newspaper. Prior to that, he led the Anti Racism project at the Trades Union Congress, where he was a policy officer. He has also worked at the Runnymede Trust, IPPR, NACUE and Operation Black Vote.

The event will be chaired by Dr Mikal Woldu from the Centre for Pan-African Studies.

Image photo credit: Lucxama Sylvain and Joshua McKnight