Uncle Tom’s Cabin
On Tuesday, we released a story by guest writer Lauren Eglen about the famous novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In this piece Lauren explores the global and local significance of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s pioneering work. The novel spawned plays and films which were enjoyed by audiences in Hull and artefacts which can still be viewed at Wilberforce House Museum today. To read about Uncle Tom’s Cabin click here Wiseman Derrick Khuzwayo Wiseman arrived in London in 1977 after being forced into exile following detention and torture by the South African police. In 1981, he graduated from Hull University with an LLB degree in Law. Wiseman went on to be a journalist in London and South Africa before his death on 26 May 2017. To read about Wiseman Derrick Khuzwayo click here To explore Hull University’s other notable Black alumni members, click here
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Pablo Fanque
On Tuesday, we released a story by guest writer Allison Edwards about Pablo Fanque (born William Darby). Fanque was the first Black English circus owner, becoming famous in Victorian Britain for his extraordinary shows. During his career which spanned over 30 years, he starred as a tightrope walker, acrobat and a gifted equestrian. Fanque primarily performed in Yorkshire and Lancashire where audiences flocked to see his extraordinary talents. To read about Pablo Fanque click here Simmons Family Yesterday we released a piece written by Audrey Dewjee regarding the adoption of three orphans from Hull by African American troops during World War Two. To read this touching story click here If you have any further information about the Simmons family click here C. L. R. James
On Tuesday, we released a story on C. L. R. James written by guest writer Ed Hardiman. James is probably most well-known for his book entitled The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution published in 1938. While there has been much written about James, this article details his special connection with Hull. To read about C. L. R. James click here Picture Blog #9: 'Uncle Tom' The ninth image in our Picture Blog series depicts an older man of African descent with a white beard labelled as ‘Uncle Tom’. It is held by Hull Museums but is currently not on display. Click here to see the image. Black Lion Tamers in Hull and East Yorkshire
Lion tamers were a significant part of the travelling Menagerie show in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The first Black lion tamer to appear in the Hull and East Yorkshire area was Martini Maccomo, who performed with Manders' Royal Menagerie in Beverley as early as 1860. To read about Maccomo and other lion tamers of African descent who visited this region please click here. Blair Cunningham The eighth image in our Picture Blog series shows Haircut 100 star, Blair Cunningham holding a ring buoy labelled Lincoln Castle- Grimsby which was reportedly taken in Hull in 1981. To see the image and read more about the famous drummer click here Kenny Fox: The Story of My African Connection
On Tuesday, we released a personal history written by Kenny Fox. In this fascinating piece, Kenny identifies his family ties with slavery, shares his memories of growing up in St Kitts, details his experience of moving from the West Indies to Derby at the age of 10 and explains why he settled in Beverley in 1990. To read Kenny’s story click here. Picture Blog #7: Sudanese Officials in Filey, 1960 Our seventh Picture Blog features images found in the Crimlisk Fisher Archive of Sudanese officials visiting Filey in 1960. To see these images, click here. African American Soldiers
This week we have released two fantastic pieces on the African American soldiers stationed in East Yorkshire during World War II. Guest writer Ed Hardiman has demonstrated how racial segregation and the William Wilberforce legacy shaped the experiences of Black GIs in the region, while Audrey Dewjee has written a biographical piece on African American soldier, Denis J. Mouton. Click here to read about the experiences of African American soldiers in Hull and East Yorkshire during WWII. To read Denris J. Mouton’s story click here Don’t forget we have already published a piece on African American soldier Wylie Young by Jane Bielby. Click here to read his story. Picture Blog #6: West African As Missionary’s Best Man The sixth image in our picture blog series is of Casely Manasseh Obuobisa, who was best man at the wedding of Dorothy Murphy and, missionary from the Gold Coast, Reverend Ernest Sawyer in 1936. View this image here. You can also take a look at more images in our Picture Gallery here. Hatfield Triathlon On 16 July Mike Greenwood is taking part in the Hatfield Triathlon to raise money for our exhibition which opens at the Hull History Centre on 26 September 2017. If you are feeling generous and would like to make a donation, please click here. Black Boxers
Prize fighters of African descent have been present in Hull and East Yorkshire from the early twentieth century. They appeared at local fairs, sporting venues and entertainment events in Hull, Bridlington, Withernsea, Beverley, Scarborough and Cottingham. While some Black boxers travelled across the Atlantic to fight in local arenas, others such as Charlie Cooper and Curtis Woodhouse were born in the region. Read the story of Black Boxers in Hull and East Yorkshire here Picture Blog #5: A visit to the William Wilberforce Monument, 1982 The fifth image in our picture blog series shows Theo Brown-Dawson and Victor Jones from Sierra Leone placing African coins at the William Wilberforce Monument in May 1982. View this image here. You can also take a look at more images in our Picture Gallery here. Jon Gilbey
Jon is of mixed heritage and was raised by his English mother, Angela Gilbey, with the help of his maternal family in Hull. He grew up never being told much about his father, Tony Lewis, until at the age of 13 years, long kept secrets started to be revealed. Jon’s research into his father’s family has recently shed new light on his African American heritage and has revealed a possible link to slavery. To read Jon’s fascinating story click here Contemporary Voices: Oral history by Gifty Burrows Gifty talks about her childhood leaving Ghana as a 7-year-old girl with her younger brother without being able to speak English. Her upbringing in Huddersfield and Bury in an exclusively white neighbourhood brought her face to face with insidious racism. She describes how her self-confidence grew out of necessity whilst graduating as a nurse in Leeds. After meeting her husband whilst students at university she mentions the difficulties experienced in embarking on a mixed-marriage and the challenges of staying together whilst raising 3 children in a rural East Yorkshire market town. Her drive to challenge the stereotypes of blackness in all forms of life has brought her to this point where the African Stories project is helping to bring history of people of African descent to a wider audience. Listen to Gifty's interview here. Una Marson
On Tuesday we released a story about Jamaican activist and writer, Una Marson, who travelled to Hull in July 1933 with Dr Harold Moody for the Wilberforce Centenary Celebrations. To read this fantastic piece by our guest contributor, Lauren Eglen click here Carving of an emancipated slave by Samuel Samei Marco, 1993 The fourth set of images in our Picture Blog series show an oak carved statue of an emancipated slave by Samuel Samei Marco. The statue can be viewed today in Wilberforce House. Click here to go to our Picture Gallery or read about these fantastic photographs here. Dr Harold Moody
On Tuesday, we released Doctor Harold Moody’s story. His fight for racial equality in Britain makes him one of the most famous people of African descent to have visited Hull and East Yorkshire in the early twentieth century. He was invited to speak at the William Wilberforce Centenary celebrations in July 1933 and returned during the Second World War to visit churches in the region, as the chairman of the London Missionary Society. To read Harold Moody’s story click here Cecilia Anim CBE In 1972 Cecilia Anim relocated to Hull from Ghana to begin her career as a nurse. She studied and worked in the region’s hospitals for several years before moving to London. Her outstanding contribution to the healthcare sector has been acknowledged by several prestigious awards including an MBE. To read Cecilia Anim’s story click here We would love to further demonstrate the positive impact that professionals of African descent had on the health sector in Hull and East Yorkshire. If you know anybody who trained or worked in the region, please click here to contact us. |
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