Historian, professor and filmmaker David Olusaga specialises in Black British history, and has been vocal about the erasure of Black history in UK culture, schools and general knowledge. In 2016, David published Black and British: A Forgotten History which was subsequently made into a BBC programme, and more recently released a children's book of the same topic. David has been a prominent voice throughout this turbulent year, but has also found difficulty as a Black person working in TV feeling "isolated and disempowered by the culture" of the industry. While he laments that progress has been slow, he remains hopeful that the events of this year could mark the start of real change.
“Black History Month 2020 is infused with the spirit of this remarkable year, one in which millions of people have engaged with ideas of race and racism as never before.”
Black History Month 2020 is imbued with a different feeling to previous years, David feels. It is a boost of momentum to the Black Lives Matter Movement which has seen royals and major corporations stake a claim in the month. This year, in which Black History Month seems higher on our collective agenda than ever before, could be a new 'coming of age'. Read more... (6 minutes) |
|