Highlighting the women headlining Black History Month 2023 at SOAS 

5-28 Oct: 50 Plaques and Places 

From 5-28 October, SOAS School of Law and TTEACH Plaques (founded by SOAS University of London Community Fellow Gloria Daniel) will be hosting an exhibition spotlighting 50 key sites in Britain and around the world that benefitted from the transatlantic slave economy in west London. 

The origin of TTEACH Plaques and the exhibition stems from Gloria Daniel's profound journey into her family's history, guided initially by her late cousin, Jon Daniel. Their ancestral roots led them to John Isaac Daniel, a survivor of British trafficking, born into slavery under the ownership of Thomas Daniel. 

12 Oct - 15 Dec: Anti-Blackness & Colonial Detention Exhibition

Come visit the new exhibition at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS opening on 12 October.

The Brunei Gallery and the Museum for British Colonialism [MBC] presents the exhibition ‘Antiblackness & Colonial Detention’ which examines the remnants of colonial detention camps in Kenya, using them to understand how memory, landscape, infrastructure and current models of imprisonment and anti-blackness are linked.

MBC’s investigation is centred around Manyani detention camp, situated in Kenya’s arid Tsavo National  Park. Initially established in 1954 as a reception centre to hold detainees in transit to other camps across  the country, Manyani would later become one of the largest and most hostile detention camps during the emergency period. Former detainees have described it as ‘unbearable’, citing violent dust storms, poor sanitation, wild animals, overcrowding, and lack of food/water.

16 Oct: The traditional teachings of the Dogons: How it can support mental health and wellbeing.

Join us on 16 October when Katasta Fahkara will present her work as an initiate with the Dogomba people of Burkina Faso, West Africa. She is the Merr (head) of The Earth Center London temple which hosts a thriving community of initiates. In her capacity as spiritual teacher  she has been requested to travel internationally to teach initiates and aspiring initiates alike. 

20 Oct: Changing Places - Migration Opportunities and Pitfalls  

Join us on 20 October to hear Ike Anya, Onyekachi Wambu and Frances Williams discuss overcoming migration challenges and achieving win-win outcomes. 

Ike Anya was born in Nigeria and qualified at the College of Medicine of the University of Nigeria. He is currently a consultant and associate director of public health and an honorary lecturer at Imperial College. Ike sits on the epidemiology and black and ethnic minority health section councils of the Royal Society of Medicine. 

Onyekachi Wambu is a Nigerian-British journalist and writer. He has directed television documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4 and PBS. He is currently Director, Special Projects, for the African Foundation for Development (AFFORD).  

Francis William CBE is an author and the Chief Executive of Interims for Development Ltd., an award-winning UK-based Human Resources, Careers and Training consultancy that has successfully assisted businesses and organisations in Europe and Africa with HR advisory services, Diaspora recruitment, executive coaching, and talent development. 

23 Oct: Book Launch - Women, Resilience, and the Will to Lead

Linda Kasonde tells the story of her journey from her upbringing as a child, to a chance encounter with a classmate who made her realise that just putting oneself forward is half the battle in becoming a leader. Linda’s story is intertwined with political events in Zambia from 2011 to 2021, which saw the country on the path towards democratic decline, and the role she and other activists played trying to restore Zambia’s democracy.

Join us on 23 October for Linda's book launch, held in the Paul Webley Wing. Registration required. 

24 Oct: Public Lecture - Anti-slavery Activism in West Africa 

On 24 October, the Centre for African Studies is holding a public lecture with the aim of re-exploring the very idea and concept of resistance to slavery in a cross-regional comparative perspective. Debates about collective forms of resistance to slavery in Africa appear to have faded in the face of a focus on individual agency and everyday resistance.

The symposium is to take stock of the current scholarship on resistance to slavery across the African continent, both past and present. The lecture will highlight the complex relations between the individual and the collective in their response to the institution of slavery - whether as social system, form of labour, or mode of production. 

25 Oct: Black History Walk n Talk - Bloomsbury

Register to participate in our upcoming two-hour walking tour on 25 October which will take you through the heart of Bloomsbury, uncovering the rich history and contemporary presence of Afrikan (African, African Caribbean and Black) communities in the Bloomsbury area. The tour will also incorporate some of the Community’s stories in film and television.

This tour will be lead by Isis Amlack. Isis stands as an Afrakan Queen Mother Warrior first and foremost; she is an Afrikan born in Trinidad and Tobago, in the Caribbean and a North Kensington for the last 30 years. She describes herself as an Eclectic Afrikan Centric Poet, drawing inspiration from her activism and engagement with Pan Afrikan politics and campaigning against structural injustice. 

Accessibility info: this tour will include a fair bit of walking.

Please note space at this session is limited, and will be filled on a 'first come, first served' basis.

25 Oct: An Evening Conversation with Nadifa Mohamed and Dr Nuur Hassan 

Join us on 25 October for an evening with Nadifa Mohamed and Dr Nuur Hassan. Acclaimed Somali-British novelist Nadifa Mohamed will be talking about her literature and upcoming projects. Nadifa’s novels and literary contributions look at historical and cultural themes, with a focus on Somali history, family relationships, and social issues, while also incorporating elements of biography and social justice narratives.  

Dr Nuur Hassan, the author of two books, is an academic researcher and has several publications on Somali children’s education and parenthood. Nuur’s works focus on Somali diaspora. He says: “[the Somali Diaspora] often experience barriers to education, employment, and healthcare, as well as discrimination and prejudice” so the aim of Nuur’s research is to bring about change in the struggles the diaspora face.  

The event will be chaired by SOAS’s Pro-Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange, Laura Hammond, who is also a Professor of Development Studies at SOAS. She has been conducting research on conflict, food security, refugees, migration and diasporas in and from the Horn of Africa since the early 1990s.