Black History Haringey 365 programme launched with event at Wood Green Library

Our Black History Haringey 365 programme was launched with an event at Wood Green Library on Monday.

Haringey’s Black communities have made, and continue to make, a significant contribution to all aspects of life in Haringey, London, the UK and beyond, through politics, culture, education and community activism, making history every day.

The Black History Haringey 365 programme includes events and activities for all the family, beginning with Black History Month in October and continuing throughout the year.

Monday's event featured speeches from Mayor of Haringey, Cllr Gina Adamou, Leader of the Council Cllr Peray Ahmet, and local MPs David Lammy and Catherine West. Members of the community who joined the event were also treated to a series of performances celebrating Black history and culture.

The performances opened with pupils from St Thomas More Catholic school, who performed a rousing musical rendition of Labi Siffre's classic (Something Inside) So Strong.

This was followed by pupils from Haringey Learning Partnership performing original poetry and spoken word about what Black History Month means to them. You can read one of them below - Lyrics for Child Q and all the other young people who wonder what BHM means to them by Nakailah Buchanan, Year 11:

You came to my primary when I was six
Something changed in this world
Conflict with my own colour
I couldn’t predict
But now you're killing my people
Looking at us like convicts
Just because I'm Black
I'm aggressive and mean
Yet you're taking our people
just for their genes
Now I'm fifteen
Realising police won't save me
It's just the same old routine
Always a new Black kid dead on the scene
I ask myself when will this stop?
Then I realise feds don't care until Black
Lives Matter shows on their screens
I mean look at Child Q
A beautiful Black queen
 
Downgraded because the white
population went back to 1619
I mean, so many stories
Yet so many unseen, only matters
when Black Lives is a trend for us teens
No one protects us
The government is rigged
When it comes to Black
there's nothing to discuss
Now we have to adjust
To a life that's built against us
No point in trust
When all you see is disgust
 
Where can we go to get the help to survive?
We need the wisdom of our heritage
To teaching our youth
how we used to rule and thrive

The evening's performances were rounded off with an African storytelling session by Usifu Jalloh, and a dance piece by Tottenham-based Steppaz.

Hear from Cllr Ibrahim Ali, Cllr Mike Hakata and Cllr Peray Ahmet on the event and why it's so important to learn about and celebrate Black history:

Follow this link to explore our Black History Haringey 365 programme.