Norfolk Education and Action for Development
This is the fifth year that NEAD has co-ordinated and promoted events and activities for BHM in Norfolk. However, for us, the initiative has in its roots in more than a decade of anti-racist work.
One of most insidious ways that racism permeates our society and institutions is simply through the invisibility of Black history, achievements and contributions, and the absence of Black voices and perspectives. We have been addressing this specific issue since running the COMPASS project, targeted at young people, between 1994-98. COMPASS created a resource pack highlighting Black history as part of its exploration of racism and recruited Black volunteers and professionals to work in Norfolk schools.
The WORLD VOICES project (1999-2004) continued this work, focusing especially on enabling people from countries of the South (often International students) to share their expertise and perspectives with pupils and teachers. We maintain webpages that give details of a range of facilitators (mostly professionals) who continue to provide this service.
However, there is a limit to the number of people that can be educated through such face to face contact - particularly in Norfolk where the Black population is a small percentage of the whole. In our work on BHM, we are supporting and encouraging a wide range of community groups, voluntary organisations, and arts and service providers to explore ways to incorporate this agenda - of countering racism through positive strategies for the inclusion of Black experiences and perspectives - into their work programmes.
Our ultimate aim, of course, is not that Black Achievement is celebrated for a month each year, but that it is integrated into all aspects of our society. Therefore, these BHM web pages contain information, resources and links that will be available, updated and extended throughout the year.
Black History Teaching Resources List (PDF File, 283k)
Contact Details
Kaja Holloway
NEAD
38 Exchange Street
Norwich
NR2 1AX
Tel: 01603 610993
Email: kaja@nead.org.uk
