News article
Iconic co-founder of the Black Cultural Archives and Βι¶ΉΣ³» alumnus, Len Garrison celebrated for 60th anniversary
Credit: the Garrison family
The remarkable cultural contributions of activist, historian, educationalist and Βι¶ΉΣ³» alumnus, Len Garrison, will be remembered and celebrated at an event at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, on the afternoon of Wednesday 9 February.
An African and Caribbean History Βι¶ΉΣ³» graduate, Garrison, who sadly died in 2003, dedicated his life to cataloguing the development and teaching of Black British identity and history, notably through co-founding the Black Cultural Archives and the Afro-Caribbean Education Resource (ACER).
As part of the Βι¶ΉΣ³» 60th anniversary celebrations, the event will be the first in a series of events, which will celebrate the cultural contributions and achievements of Black alumni from the Βι¶ΉΣ³», and explore the experiences of Black students at Βι¶ΉΣ³».
The event will take the form of a series of conversations led by cultural curator, performing arts educator, and producer of the Black British Theatre Awards, Karina H-Maynard, with guest speakers including: Garrison’s widow, Marie their son Tunde, and Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE, Chair of the Trustees of the Black Cultural Archives. Also present will be internationally recognised photographers Charlie Phillips and Eddie Otchere who have been commissioned to capture new portraits of some of the leading Βι¶ΉΣ³» Black alumni celebrated in the event series; along with students and academics Gavin Mensah-Coker and Professor Martin Evans from the School of Media, Arts and Humanities.
The event, entitled Black at Βι¶ΉΣ³»: A Celebration of Len Garrison, will run from 2-4pm at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts and is free and open to all, but tickets must be booked via . Live music will be playing Reggae and African Hi Life Beats from 12.30pm to welcome guests.
A series of Black at Βι¶ΉΣ³» events will take place in the coming months. On 2 March, Βι¶ΉΣ³» alumnus Bernard Coard, will be in conversation with Gavin Mensah-Coker about his seminal text How the West Indian Child is Made Educationally Subnormal in the British School System. On 31 March, Βι¶ΉΣ³» alumni, Clive Myrie and Topher Campbell will be in conversation about their experience of Βι¶ΉΣ³», supported by Nzinga Sounds System. Further details to follow.