Previous events

4 - CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY

Saturday 28th March 2009, Northamptonshire Black History Association is proud to host an afternoon celebrating Black History featuring two events.

Talk: "To be free is very sweet"

This is the simple answer Mary Prince gave to her angry slave mistress when asked why she wanted freedom. Mary Prince was born into slavery in Bermuda, in 1788 and sold several times in her life. Though brutality was a part of her daily existence, she never gave up her dream of being a free woman.

In 1831 her story called The History of Mary Prince a West Indian Slave Related by Herself, was published in London. The book, with its warm simplicity, peppered with her experiences of the physical and mental cruelty of slavery caused huge controversy and debate in the press and parliament of the day.

Ifemu Omari speaks about the importance of Mary Prince’s history and gives some insight into the life of a woman who created the first known recorded autobiography by a freed West Indian slave.

Feature 2: Launch: Black History Ruler

An informative Black History ruler will be launched. The ruler was produced with funds from the Freedom From the Past: Long Time Coming project, which commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Act to Abolish the British Slave Trade with a series of events during 2007.

These Black History rulers will be provided free to schools and through local community organisations. NBHA played a leading part in designing and producing the ruler.

The ruler features the following individuals:

• Claudia Jones
• Walter Tull
• Dadabhai Naoroji
• Mary Seacole
• Ira Aldridge
• Sake Dean Mahomed

Norma Pearson, English Heritage

Refreshments provided from 2.15pm

All Welcome - book your seat by calling NBHA on 01604 590967 or email the NBHA office