You are cordially invited to the #ThereISBlackInTheUnionJack project launch and discussion event, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and delivered by BSWN in partnership with Festival of Ideas and M Shed.

The project is focused on the relationships between heritage of race, identity, and belonging for the Black and Ethnic Minority (BME) community in Bristol. Recent local and national events have thrust into the spotlight the complicated nature of race and racism, nation, citizenship, inequality, and belonging in the UK and at the center of many of these debates are the BME community. From the election of BME mayors in London and Bristol to the rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement to the Brexit vote, the UK is at a crossroads in identifying as a nation what British heritage means and who fits into that imagination. In particular this project is focused on how BME individuals and communities navigate this terrain when racial and nationalistic rhetoric is being used to question the place and heritage of black and brown people within the UK. Our project will chart the changing nature of BME identity in the city through conversations with BME Bristolians across generations and genders with the help of trained BME volunteers from the community.

Speakers for the evening include:

Sado Jirde, Director of BSWN

Dr. Jon Fox, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at University of Bristol
Dr. Nicole Truesdell, Senior Director of Academic Diversity and Inclusiveness, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Beloit College
Lee Jasper, race relations activist, and politician who served as Senior Policy Advisor on Equalities to the former Mayor of London
Cllr. Asher Craig, Deputy mayor and cabinet member for Communities,
Dr, Marie Annick – Gournet, Learning for All Hub Leader, UWE

Chaired by Dr Edson Burton
We look forward to seeing you all there.