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I Rise

Like the phoenix rising from the ashes

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Pasha O

Queen Nzinga of Angola
17 December, 2020 by Pasha O

Queen Nzinga of Angola

Queen Anna Nzinga was a 17th-century African ruler who ruled the Ndongo and Matamba Kingdoms of the Mbundu people in Angola and fought against the slave trade and European influence in Angola. Anna Nzinga was born in 1581 in Kabasa, the capital of the Kingdom of Ndongo, which was ruled by a Mbundu-speaking people called …

Read moreQueen Nzinga of Angola
Oluadah Equiano
9 December, 2020 by Pasha O

Olaudah Equiano – Writer and abolitionist

Olaudah Equiano (c.1745-1797) was an eighteenth-century African writer whose experiences as a slave prompted him to become involved in the British abolition movement. Early years Equiano was born in c1745 in what is now Nigeria to an Ibo chief. He was captured by slave traders and sold into slavery at the age of 11. He …

Read moreOlaudah Equiano – Writer and abolitionist
lewisham ltn protest
23 October, 2020 by Pasha O

Protests against Lewisham road closures

On Saturday (October 3), a crowd gathered outside Lewisham library to voice their concerns about the traffic calming measures introduced by Lewisham Council.  The low traffic neighbourhood scheme (LTN), a set of road barriers to reduce traffic in Lee was brought in under Covid-19 emergency transport measures and has received mixed feedback.  The scheme aims …

Read moreProtests against Lewisham road closures
Adele with Bantu knots hairstyle
17 October, 2020 by Pasha O

Adele blasted for wearing Bantu knots

In August 2020, national treasure, Adele got herself into hot water when she posted a picture on her social media channels, in honour of Notting Hill Carnival. The caption read “Happy what would be Notting Hill Carnival my beloved London.” Adele accused of cultural appropriation The hot water was thrown from Black American Twitter, who …

Read moreAdele blasted for wearing Bantu knots
Women and police at Notting Hill Carnival
17 October, 2020 by Pasha O

History of Notting Hill Carnival

What is Notting Hill Carnival? Notting Hill Carnival is a 3-day annual event that takes place on the streets of Notting Hill during late August bank holiday weekend. It’s a huge tourist attraction and an opportunity for everyone to come together and enjoy music, parades, food and other aspects of black culture. The carnival follows …

Read moreHistory of Notting Hill Carnival
Claudia Jones feminist
22 September, 2020 by Pasha O

Claudia Jones – Activist and Mother of Caribbean Carnival in Britain

Claudia Jones was a feminist, political activist, pioneering journalist, and visionary. She is known for being the ‘Mother of Caribbean Carnival in Britain’. Early years Claudia Jones was born on 21 February 1915 in Belmont, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. At the age of eight, her family emigrated to Harlem, New York following the post-war cocoa price crash …

Read moreClaudia Jones – Activist and Mother of Caribbean Carnival in Britain
The battle for lewisham 1977 protests
13 August, 2020 by Pasha O

The Battle of Lewisham

The London Borough of Lewisham is a multicultural borough with a large Black and Asian community as many of the Windrush generation settled in Lewisham from the late 40s onwards.   Just like Brixton and Notting Hill, Lewisham has experienced its share of racism and fascist uprisings. It was in Lewisham, that British fascism suffered …

Read moreThe Battle of Lewisham
Manor Lane Lee
23 July, 2020 by Pasha O

Lewisham Council sneaks in Low Traffic Neighbourhood measures

During the lockdown, Lewisham Council took the opportunity to introduce emergency measures claiming to help the public stay safe whilst walking and cycling. These measures, called low traffic neighbourhoods (LTN), meant that certain roads in Lee were closed off to cars by large planters, and there were no entry signs and traffic cameras. Unsuspecting drivers …

Read moreLewisham Council sneaks in Low Traffic Neighbourhood measures
Carrissa Juma BAME TV Task Force co founder
2 July, 2020 by Pasha O

BAME TV Task Force set to meet with Netflix and Amazon following letter for change

The UKs Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic TV Task Force has held talks with the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, and is preparing for meetings with Netflix and Amazon just days after publishing a letter demanding action on racial equality. The group, which sprung up last month amid the Black Lives Matter movement, is lobbying …

Read moreBAME TV Task Force set to meet with Netflix and Amazon following letter for change
happiness is a piece of cake close up photography
4 May, 2020 by Pasha O

How to beat the boredom blues: 10 new hobbies to try during lockdown

The lockdown has been hard on all of us. We are used to going out and seeing our friends, family, and colleagues, but now we are stuck at home with only ourselves for company. This can lead to feelings of boredom and loneliness. However, there are things that we can do to beat the boredom …

Read moreHow to beat the boredom blues: 10 new hobbies to try during lockdown
Lewisham hosptial
14 February, 2020 by Pasha O

Lewisham has London’s first coronavirus patient

Lewisham is in the unfortunate position of having the first Coronavirus case in London. After falling ill, a woman took an Uber taxi and presented herself at Lewisham Hospital on Sunday, 9 February. Two Lewisham hospital staff are in isolation in their homes after coming into contact with the woman, a Chinese national who recently …

Read moreLewisham has London’s first coronavirus patient
Dora Saint posing at a table
11 August, 2018 by Pasha O

Dora Saint aka Miss Read

Miss Read (17 April 1913 – 7 April 2012) Miss Read was the pen name of Dora Saint, who wrote over thirty books from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s. Dora Jessie Shafe was born on 17 April 1913 in South Norwood, London, the youngest of three daughters of Arthur Shafe and his wife Grace Read. …

Read moreDora Saint aka Miss Read
Lewisham Theatre construction
12 February, 2018 by Pasha O

Norman D’Alquen amateur photographer of Sunderland Road, Forest Hill

When I was writing about the Catford Broadway Theatre I was lucky enough to get into an email conversation with the daughter of Norman D’Alquen, a local Forest Hill businessman and amateur photographer who took the picture of the theatre under construction in 1932. I found his history interesting and hope you do too. Norman …

Read moreNorman D’Alquen amateur photographer of Sunderland Road, Forest Hill
Rosa May Billingurst
6 February, 2018 by Pasha O

Rosa May Billinghurst – suffragette and women’s rights activist

Lewisham’s famous women: Rosa May Billinghurst ( 1875 – 1953) Rosa May Billinghurst (commonly known as May Billinghurst) was born on 31 May 1875 at 35 Granville Park, Lewisham. She was the second of nine children. Her father, Henry Billinghurst, was a banker. Her mother, Rosa Brinsmead, was the daughter of a wealthy piano manufacturer. …

Read moreRosa May Billinghurst – suffragette and women’s rights activist
6 February, 2018 by Pasha O

#Vote100 – A vote of her own

6 February 2018 marked 100 years since the Representation of the People Act 1918 – the act which allowed some women in the UK the right to vote. This was a major landmark in the history of our democracy. Influential consideration Only 58% of the adult male population was eligible to vote before 1918. An …

Read more#Vote100 – A vote of her own
Edith Lanchester
5 February, 2018 by Pasha O

Edith Lanchester – socialist and feminist

Lewisham’s famous women: Edith Lanchester (1871-1966) Many people know of famous Catford born actress Elsa Lanchester, but what do you know of her socialist and feminist mother, Edith? Edith ‘Biddy’ Lanchester was born in Hove, Sussex on 28 July 1871. She was the fifth child of a family of eight. Her parents were Henry Jones …

Read moreEdith Lanchester – socialist and feminist
2 February, 2018 by Pasha O

#Vote100 – Women’s suffrage movement

In the nineteenth century, women had no place in national politics. They could not stand as candidates for Parliament. They were not even allowed to vote. It was assumed that women did not need the vote because their husbands would take responsibility in political matters. A woman’s role was seen to be child-rearing and taking …

Read more#Vote100 – Women’s suffrage movement
clemance dane
2 February, 2018 by Pasha O

Clemence Dane (Winifred Ashton) – Novelist and playwright

Lewisham’s famous women: Clemence Dane (1888-1965) Clemence Dane was born Winifred Ashton on 21 February 1888 in Westcombe Park Road, Blackheath. In 1897 the family moved to 22 Westwood Hill, Sydenham in the borough of Lewisham, where they stayed until 1901. During this period young Winifred attended Sydenham High School. Her family then moved out …

Read moreClemence Dane (Winifred Ashton) – Novelist and playwright
Eleannor Marx
30 January, 2018 by Pasha O

Eleanor Marx – socialist campaigner

Lewisham’s famous women: Eleanor Marx (1855 – 1898) Although commonly remembered as the daughter of Karl Marx, Eleanor Marx achieved a great deal in her own right as a feminist, a socialist, a translator, a journalist and an editor. Eleanor lived in Jews Walk, Sydenham in the borough of Lewisham, from 1895 to 1898. Eleanor …

Read moreEleanor Marx – socialist campaigner
mary lloyd
28 January, 2018 by Pasha O

Marie Lloyd – music hall star

Lewisham’s famous women: Marie Lloyd (1870-1922) Marie Lloyd is considered to be the greatest and most popular of the music hall artists, lived for several years in Lewisham, between 1887 and 1893. The house where she lived, 196 Lewisham Way, called Lewisham High Road back then, no longer exists. The site was covered by the …

Read moreMarie Lloyd – music hall star
Colin Kaepernick taking the knee
14 October, 2017 by Pasha O

Colin Kaepernick and the new salute – Take the knee

This post in is honour of Colin Kaepernick and the people who are currently participating in civil rights activities to highlight the injustices around the world. Whilst Black History Month is a great time to remember civil rights leaders of the past who fought for equality and justice, we cannot forget that racism and inequality …

Read moreColin Kaepernick and the new salute – Take the knee
Smith and Carlos doing the Black power salute at the 1968 olympics
14 October, 2017 by Pasha O

Black Power Salute and Peter Norman – the third man

The picture of Tommie Smith and John Carlos giving the Black Power Salute is iconic and instantly recognisable to many. But few people know of the bravery and tragedy of the other guy, the third man. Australian runner Peter Norman, who won silver at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City actually stood in solidarity on …

Read moreBlack Power Salute and Peter Norman – the third man
Luis John
7 January, 2017 by Pasha O

Asperger’s: Through My Eyes – a short film by young Catford man

Luis John, 22, has made a film about having Asperger’s Syndrome to raise awareness and help others understand how he sees the world. Luis, who lives in Catford, says he wants the film to show that despite having the condition – which causes difficulties with social interaction and nonverbal communication – he can still achieve …

Read moreAsperger’s: Through My Eyes – a short film by young Catford man
Tracing your family tree
21 October, 2016 by Pasha O

Tracing my roots

History has been one of my favourite subjects since Primary school so it’s not surprising that my family history is important to me. Black History Month is a good opportunity to think about our ancestry. Like many Jamaican’s my ancestry is a mix-up and blend up!  My great-grandfather on my dad’s side was white Irish. …

Read moreTracing my roots
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