Arcadia Scotland

As this year’s Black History Month in the US draws to an end, we at the Arcadia Edinburgh Center have been reflecting on what we’ve done over the years, and what we can do, to help support and promote Black History and to encourage our students in taking a critical approach to historical ‘fact’ more generally. Anyone who has dropped into the Center will know that we like talking (and some of the team are veritable chatterboxes) – and we especially like talking all things history.

We recently welcomed author James Robertson to the Center for an entertaining evening in which he discussed his latest novel, News of the Dead. Much of his conversation with students was about the importance of stories from the past and how to make sense of multiple and varied interpretations of historical accounts. On a previous visit in 2018, James had shared his novel Joseph Knight – in which he reimagines the true story of a slave-turned-free-man on Scottish soil. Staff member Dr Cameron McKay set this individual triumph in the wider context of Scotland’s uncomfortable relationship with slavery in his 2020 piece, ‘Confronting Scotland’s Racist Past’. The blog features the recording of James’s talk.

Black History Month Scotland takes place every October, and it’s worth visiting its official website to catch up on the 2021 events, which range from talks on the culture and cuisine of enslaved peoples, spotlights on individuals – like sculptor Edmonia Lewis or footballer Andrew Watson – and roundtables on contemporary music, or race and sustainability. The website states, “We know that one month is not enough. These stories are still largely absent from our history books and education system, and we campaign to change this every month of the year.”

In attempt to bring the story of black history, struggles and triumphs into our history books, I have co-authored (with Dr Joan Lennon) a book for young readers titled Talking History: 150 Years of Speakers and Speeches (out now in the UK and out soon in the US). The book uses 16 famous speeches as gateways to historical moments and issues – from democracy and war to decolonisation and the climate crisis. Some of the speeches are well known, others less so. Black speakers in the book include former US President Barack Obama.

Photo credit: Templar Publishing, Illustrations ©André Ducci.

The selected speech by President Obama is his 'Remarks' on the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Marches. In the book, this speech is used in the book to introduce readers to the civil rights movement. It was in 1965, when Obama was a young boy, that civil rights activists attempted to march 87kms from the town of Selma, Alabama, to the state capital, Montgomery, to demand that Black Americans be allowed to vote. It had been a full century since slavery had been abolished in the US, and yet Black Americans still faced extreme discrimination. Opposition to the march was severe, involving state troopers on horseback using whips and tear gas to hold back the crowd. But campaigners persevered and on their third attempt they marched for four days – sleeping in fields and laybys where they could. They were met by nearly 50,000 supporters and their efforts ushered in the Voting Rights Act.

Extract from p59, Talking History by Joan haig and Joan Lennon. Illustrations ©André Ducci.

There are many powerful phrases in the 'Remarks' made by the President, but none so pertinent for Black History Month as this: "We honour those who walked so we could run. We must run so our children soar." It is vital that we keep listening, keep acting, keep talking, keep building on the successes of those before us. Although Talking History showcases ‘big’ voices, it also reminds readers that these voices had many others behind them, and also that many voices still go unheard. The idea behind the book is simple: to get young people talking about events in the past. And this is one our own goals, too, here in the Center – to continue to facilitate inclusive, open dialogue. So, come on over and let’s talk history!