SCAWDI wants to meet Black history interest groups in the UK and abroad


SCAWDI (Sparkbrook Caribbean and African Women's Development Initiative) is a community organisation committed to engaging local people with their own heritage.

Based in Birmingham, England we have recently completed a 12 month project researching the Black presence in the West Midlands prior to 1918. This has been done by training volunteers to investigate and narrate historical sources. We have published a short book named after this project, History Detectives, which has details of all of the Black people we have found during our research period to date, fourteen of whom have had their stories told in full.

We are aware that there are many other Black history interest groups, both at home and abroad, who share our passion for uncovering hidden histories such as these, but too much work goes unnoticed.

We would like to form as many contacts as possible with groups and individuals that have similar research and organisational objectives so that all our work can be shared to as wide a network as possible.

If you would like to connect with us please contact me at dav.callaghan@gmail.com or visit our website www.scawdi.co.uk. Our mailing address is Friends Institute, 220 Moseley Road, Birmingham, B12 ODG.

2 Comments

  1. Greetings to all blessed souls walking under the light and seeking the truth behind everything surrounding us.

    I’m writing to you as I believe you would be interested in a movement that is gathering strength to start early 2011 from North London (Tottenham, Edmonton, Hackney and Wood Green will be the first involved). Train to Zion is promoting local businesses and empowering local individuals from all over London to achieve their goals, by providing a platform for entrepreneurs, entertainers, teachers and students, existent and future businesses to network and improve their services and skills. The project’s tagline is ‘Conscious music + Light = Self-knowledge + Divinity’, which will be promoted through live events show-casting local talents as well as guests lecturers covering various topics uplifting people and giving them the confidence and knowledge of building their own business.

    There is two types of target we aim to attract, first stage is finding all the current and to be successful projects, and to provide them a platform to promote their services and reach larger audience. Each local business is advised to include links on their site to all the rest of the businesses involved, which will create a networking circle that will refer customers and business partners to one another. Logos will also be included in the events flyers and business partners will be offered variety of benefits in return of their support. In the same time, Train to Zion is a project that aims to empower the local residents by providing free workshops on topics from building self-esteem to building self managed business, so they could join the local networking circle and reach higher funding opportunities. The project will involve show-casting conscious music and providing a platform for various creative arts groups to expose and sell their art (via our online store and street team), as well as network within their industry.

    This is a non for profit project, we are currently seeking government funding, and in the meantime making the first steps with own funds. Tickets will be £7 in advance and £10 on the door with free goodie bags. The profit from the live events will be donated for local projects that seek funding, and merchandising will be available for sale which profit will go directly to the artists participating. One of our promotional tools would be posters, which will be given for free to event attendees to put on their windows advertising the movement, as this is a project intended to succeed in such a way that it will inspire different boroughs to lead their society in the same light. So far we’ve build a team of supporters and by this article we are seeking more, as this movement is not about competition, it is based on each one teach one basis, as we believe it is a sin to keep the knowledge for oneself in times when ignorance leads people to be endangered species.

    Looking forward to hearing from you if you are interested in being involved with the building of Train to Zion. May the new year brings you many accomplished dreams, love, warmth and loyal friends.

    Stay blessed and inspireyed,
    Raina Luvchieva
    Project coordinator
    079 5665 7598
    07575 107132
    www.train2zion.co.uk
    www.train2zion.blogspot.com
    www.nupemag.com/train-to-zion

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  2. Pogus Caesar - Muzik Kinda Sweet at Birmingham Book Festival 2010

    Foreword written by Paul Gilroy

    Muzik Kinda Sweet is an evocative and nostalgic look at iconic Black performers from the last 25 years. Candid snaps on city streets contrast with the vibrant energy at stageside, revealing the personalities behind an influential generation of music heroes. 
    Birmingham based photographer Pogus Caesar worked up close to his subjects with an early model Canon Sureshot camera, developing by hand. The results are very human portraits which counterpoint today’s digital photography. 

    This highly collectable Limited Edition book includes stunning black and white photographs of Stevie Wonder, Grace Jones, Jay-Z, Cameo, Jimmy Cliff, Dennis Brown, Lynden David Hall, MC Hammer, Augustus Pablo and many more. 

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/75913636@N00/5122553369/in/photostream/

    Published by Punch and OOM Gallery. 

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