Black History Month 05

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Hammersmith & Fulham is celebrating the arrival of Black History Month 2005 this October with a varied month long programme of more than 50 events across the borough. The month of festivities kicks off with the annual launch event at Hammersmith town hall on Friday 30 September.

Achievements of influential and inspiring black people like Janet Adegoke, who made history in 1987 when she became London's first black female mayor, and world record breaking Olympic hero Linford Christie will be highlighted in the annual celebration of Black African and Caribbean history.

Since the 16th century people of African descent have settled in the borough and made outstanding contributions to arts, political and cultural life. The Empire Windrush brought the first wave of post-war settlers from Guyana and the Caribbean to Britain more than 50 years ago.

Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham, Cllr Charlie Treloggan, said, "Black culture has enriched British society for hundreds of years and this will be highlighted again this year during October's Black History Month. I encourage people of all backgrounds to join in and find out more about the great black people who have lived and worked in our borough."

Highlights include quizzes, lunches, football matches, theatre, poetry, events in schools and a fashion show.

The Mayor continues, "This fantastic array of events celebrates the achievements of pioneering black and ethnic minority figures in our history and the positive contributions made by people in the borough today. Their achievements provoke strong feelings of pride, demonstrated by the wide range of people who have come together to put on these events."

Some of the events have been organised by the council directly but many others have been organised by community groups and venues.

Cllr Treloggan said: "If we fail to pay tribute to the influential role that black people have played in shaping the borough's history we are forgetting a very important part of what makes us all what we are today."

 

September 26, 2005