BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN WALTHAM FOREST
Alex Bedwell
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WALTHAM FOREST RESIDENTS' NEWS
The following was received from Councillor Grace Williams, Leader of Waltham Forest Council.
Black History Month
This October, we’re proud to be celebrating the important contributions of our Black community in Waltham Forest.
The borough has been officially twinned with the Caribbean nations of Antigua & Barbuda and Dominica since April 1999. The twinning proposal was suggested by Mr Franklyn Georges, the first Afro-Caribbean person to be Mayor of Waltham Forest.
Another notable local with Black heritage was Reverend Dr Io Smith MBE (1939-2008). Rev. Smith was born in Jamaica before migrating to the UK and helping establish the New Testament Assembly in Leyton, acting as both pastor and the church's General Secretary for 25 years. She become famous nationwide as a campaigner for social and racial justice as well as for her work on youth outreach, and was awarded an MBE by her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1994.
Rev. Smith's extraordinary life is just one example of our 25,000-strong Afro-Caribbean community's valuable contribution to Waltham Forest's rich cultural fabric. Black History Month gives us the chance to celebrate this legacy.
Rolling into our third week we can look forward to a Dominoes Night at Gleaner's Cafe on Friday 18 October, a Black History Month Pop-Up Market at Lea Bridge Library on Saturday 19 October, and an Afrobbean Kitchen's Autumn Jam for children on Sunday 20 October at Crate St James St.
Next week, on Tuesday 22 October, the Afro-Caribbean Elders Association (ACEA) is hosting a Celebrating Black History inter-generational event at the William Morris Community Centre. The gallery will also be exhibiting its Reclaiming Narratives artwork and poetry display in partnership with the Waltham Forest Twinning Association (WFTA) and local schools until Sunday 20 October, before it tours local libraries during November. This intergenerational project is funded by the LBWF Fellowship Fund and is part of the WFTA’s residency at William Morris Gallery.
Residents of all backgrounds deserve to live a life free of discrimination, abuse, or hatred. As we mark National Hate Crime Awareness Week, we recognise that challenging the underlying attitudes and structures that motivate hate crime in our society is the key to making it a thing of the past. Waltham Forest has a long history of standing against the forces of hatred and division and I am proud of our inclusive and diverse community.
Grace