Black and Asian Achievement Award

Of course, we are one century and several generations away from the age of Slavery - Africans are even closer to it as slavery was ended in Africa only during the early twentieth century. The modern Atlantic world, including the countries, cultures and practices we know today in Africa, Europe and America were significantly shaped by the institution of slavery.

We should not ever forget slavery. If we do, we lose our humanity by refusing to reflect on one of the institutions of the past which "got us where we are".

There were indeed some European raids on African villages to create slaves, but very few slaves were captured this way. The fact is that, although Europeans navigated the African coasts, the Africans were skillful in protecting their coastlines. African chiefs and wealthy persons, who were the most implicated in making slaves of other Africans, prevented the Europeans (with armies) from simply marching into the African interior and doing what they wanted. The African rulers ruled their own territories and allowed Europeans in only as traders, diplomats and guests, like they do today. They themselves conducted the business of enslavement, selling the slaves to Europeans at the coastline.

Most slaves were captured by other Africans, not Europeans, by means of slave raids, prisoners of war, condemned criminals, condemned debtors or kidnapped. In Senegambia, Guinea Coast and the Slave Coasts of West Africa, war tended to predominate as the most important source of slaves. In places like Angola, enslavement by kidnapping and condemnation for debts was predominant. Slaves were almost always captured in situations of conflict. Sometimes, if a family learned of the capture of one of its members, it could bargain with the person who had enslaved him or her to redeem the slave back. This bargaining could be in the form of payment, or the trading of a slave they themselves owned. This was the great tragedy of the slave trade, in order to save members of their own families, many persons engaged in capturing others. At least as many slaves were made and kept in the Africa's as were forcibly transported as human cargo westward across the Atlantic.

In 2001 she conceived the idea for Acts of Achievement, the first north-west celebration of Black History Month and launched the now annual event with a colloquium on Black Theatre and Peformance and was the producer of "In My Father's House" involving 147 Black men.

She is recognised internationalls for her work as a Performance Poet and Live Artist, working regularly in North America, she has also performed in Brazil, Africa, India, Central and Eastern Europe.

She has received a number of accolades, a NESTA Dreamtime Fellowship 2005, a special Windruch Award for Inspiration to Others 2003 and in 1999 the O.B.E.

The huge involvement of men and women from the West Indies, Africa, India and smaller Commonwealth nations in the allied war effort is one of the lesser known stories of the Second World War.

There were over 200,000 from East Africa and 150,000 from West Africa.

Britain’s population of about 7,000 people from the ethnic minorities also played a significant role. Many were merchant seamen who, prior to the outbreak of war, had settled around the ports of London, Cardiff, Liverpool and South Shields.

The Merchant Navy
As the war progressed, the Merchant Navy, which had continued to employ sailors from all over the world, lost many of its men to the Royal Navy.

Seafarers from India, Africa, Malaya, Burma, the West Indies, China and Malta also provided manpower to assist the Allied cause at sea. Naval forces from the Empire also visited the UK.

Women at War

The RAF formed the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and enlisted women both in the UK and overseas. Local recruitment for the WAAF was instituted in the Middle East in 1942.

Recruits were drawn from the Egyptian, Palestinian, Jewish, Assyrian, Greek and Cypriot communities; a peak strength of nearly 900 locally recruited WAAF personnel was reached in December 1944. Although Malta was not included in this scheme.

Personnel Serving on the British Army

Personnel who were serving in the British army historically have been entitled to the same gallantry awards, irrespective of heir ethnic origins. However, personnel serving in the Indian and colonial forces have not always been eligible for the same entitlements. For example, Indian soldiers were ineligible for the Victoria Cross until 1911; prior to that date, they were awarded the Indian Order of Merit for acts of conspicuous gallantry.

Working in Partnership

• Army community liaison officer
• National Lottery
• Youth Services
• Local network funding
• Community Groups
• Hard to reach groups
• New and Existing Groups