Black People's News Service (1971) by Black Panther MovementBlack Cultural Archives
A tectonic shift is taking place in British politics and the ripples of a deeply unsatisfied society are reverberating through pop culture. Across black art and expression are underlying themes of unrest, resistance, and most heartening of all, unity.
From pamphlets calling the black community to arms after racial attacks, to provocative artwork depicting police as aggressors and pigs, the Black Cultural Archives show that black Brits have a rich history of trying to unite the community through storytelling.
Ira Aldridge: Black Othello, ‘White’ King Lear (1982) by Ziggi Alexander and Audrey DewjeeBlack Cultural Archives
Take the media for example. One essay clipping from 1982 in the BCA holds reads: “Today the established theater, and television are deliberately confining black actors, actresses, and playwrights to the fringes. Black performers are generally typecast.”
The piece goes on to shine a light on an African actor carving out a space for himself in the entertainment industry. Just as gal-dem, a media company dedicated to showcasing the voices of women and non-binary people of color, has been applauded and awarded for disrupting the dominant damaging narratives, the BCA has a number of news artifacts from publications doing the same.
i-D Magazine. The Game-changing issue, No. 345, Fall 2016. The New Luxury issue, No. 342, Spring 2016. The Big issue, No. 346, Winter 2016. by Photography Oliver Hadlee-Pearch, Styling Max Clark, Photography Harley Weir, Styling Julia Sarr-Jamois, and Photography Zoë GhertnerBritish Fashion Council
Black History Month in 2019 was a chance to spotlight the amazing talent of black Brits. In one recent partnership gal-dem teamed up with Channel 4 to shine a light on black creatives in a media landscape where they are still few and far between. Figures estimate they make up 0.2% of British journalism and rarely will they be the lead in a television series. The archived article reads as if it could have been in the pitching deck for this 2019 media landscape, to which Channel 4 and gal-dem are responding to.
The Game-changing issue, No. 345, Fall 2016. (2016) by Photographer Oliver Hadlee-Pearch and Stylist Max ClarkBritish Fashion Council
2019 was a big year for UK rap, despite the police’s war on drill. Stormzy took to the Pyramid stage in a Banksy-designed stab proof vest to illustrate the ongoing issue of violence in the black community. Through the set, Stormzy platformed innovations in black design, ballet, and contemporary dance – something which had never been given space in a headline set at the festival before
Images and reflections, section one: Image and Identity (1979) by African Caribbean Education Resource ProjectBlack Cultural Archives
Critics lauded the Mercury Prize as one of the most political in recent memory. Dave won with his stirring debut album Psychodrama – an album that shows off his wordplay and wit but is a grim indictment of the current state of affairs. His hit single “Black” is a love letter to his community, carefully outlining the things that make him proud: “Look, black is beautiful, black is excellent. Black is pain, black is joy, black is evident.”
This echoes the sentiment of educational resources circulated in 1979. On the cover of Image and Identity are the words: “I am black as I thought. My lids are as brown as I thought. My hair is curled as I thought. I am free as I know.” After decades of trying to teach self love to black children, it has become evident in their art and what’s more, they are now applauded for it.
Ephemera from the papers of the Brixton Defence Campaign Ephemera from the papers of the Brixton Defence CampaignBlack Cultural Archives
The most poignant lyrics are when British rapper Dave tries to illustrate the relationship between the police, media, and the black community: “The blacker the berry the sweeter the juice. A kid dies, the blacker the killer, the sweeter the news. And if he's white you give him a chance, he's ill and confused. If he's black he's probably armed, you see him and shoot.” Unfortunately it seems not much has changed from the “POLICE IN THE DOCK” papers released by the Brixton Defence Campaign.
Following the trend of rappers speaking proudly of blackness, and using their platform to convey the experiences of their peers, is fellow Mercury alumni Slowthai’s Nothing Great About Britain riotous project that speaks to his own infuriating experiences growing up in Northampton as a working class mixed race boy.
Black People's News Service (1971) by Black Panther MovementBlack Cultural Archives
For the album rollout he used billboard ads to disseminate information around reparations, brutality, and racial inequality that exacerbate the pressures on people like him. One read: “Recorded offences of hate crime in the UK have increased by 123% in the last 5 years.” Using his album rollout in this way channels the spirit of resistance, evident through the materials spread via the Black Panther Movement’s Black People’s News Service in the 70s, speaking to state-backed violence and inequality.
One article entitled “We are on the Move” sets out the issues of attacks around the country before rallying people together through a radical message of hope. It reads: “We are on the move feeling our way to new definitions of ourselves, new conceptions of society, reordering the world around us and simultaneously giving hope to those whose lives are shrouded in despair.”
This shows that history goes on to repeat itself, as much of this year’s culture speaks to those in despair and celebrates the nuances of the black experience in the face of adversity.
Explore more
Words by Kemi Alemoru, Featured Editor at gal-dem
