Writing Our Legacy - Brighton Black History Month

As part of Black History Month, I was invited to participate in Writing Our Legacy, a Brighton & Hove Black History Month literary showcase held on 21st October 2010, at the Redroaster Coffee House, St James Street, Brighton.

It was a real privilege to take part in this fabulous event, well attended by over 70 people, which showcased a dynamic mix of poetry, prose, dance, music, arts and literary greatness.

I met key people: volunteers on the Black History Month project http://www.brightonblackhistorymonth.org.uk/ part of Brighton & Hove Black History project http://www.black-history.org.uk/ the Positive Hair Day project http://www.positivehairday.org.uk/ and the Mosaic project http://www.mosaicequalities.org.uk/ a Black & Mixed Parentage Family Group.

More importantly, I received 5-star treatment from the Black History Month organisers, namely Amy Riley, who came across my anthology, Hair Power Skin Revolution, on http://www.itzcaribbean.com/ while searching for authors to read at the event; Bert Williams, Chair of the Black History Month project, who met me at Brighton station and gave me a quick tour and information guide of the very important and impressive Black History Month project, which continues to develop on a daily basis all year round; Sarah Lee, who set up the Positive Hair Day project, Edi Mandala, our MC for the night, and Tony the DJ who took care of the sound/mic checks, and Kat who took the photos above.

And as if that wasn’t enough, I was treated to a pre-show meal with the Black History Month crew, at Sing-Tong Thai Cuisine, above the Pond Pub in Gloucester Road, where I ate the most delicious food that I had to find the chef and pay him my compliments!

The showcase line-up was impressive and included Margaret Busby OBE, Woodrow Phoenix, Monica Akila, Rounke Williams, Uschi Gatward, Spliff Richards, Ed Siegle with short readings from the Positive Hair Day project.

I read extracts from Hair Power Skin Revolution’s Introduction: The Journey So Far, extracts from Our Crowning Glory, a hair essay by Dr Valerie Mason-John and my hair poem, My Hair and judging by the loud applause and feedback received during the interval from such a conscious, cultured and appreciative audience, I just know that I’ll be visiting Brighton again very soon!