The Black Lives Matter movement reverberates in every country. How might it affect political life in Scotland now? We are facing arguably the most important election since the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Yet in more than 20 years Scotland has produced no Black MSPs and very few representatives from Asian or other ethnic minorities. Local councils are no … [Read more...] about Black history and future in Scotland
Black History Month
Truth springs from poetry…and dangerous women
No matter how gentle, no matter how serene, no matter how many good works I do or taxes I pay or lives I save I will always be, always be, to them a dangerous woman.A pause for breath as the words sink in. And then applause. Nadine Aisha Jassat’s poem seems to be held and truly felt by the audience in The Other Tent at Wigtown Book Festival.It seems to me … [Read more...] about Truth springs from poetry…and dangerous women
Black History Month, not just about the past
Another October. Another Black History Month in Scotland. But this year there is a new sense of direction to the programme celebrating the contribution black women and men have been making to Scottish culture for hundreds of years.The programme – a stimulating mix of art, film, food, walks, talks, theatre, poetry and music – begins (and largely stays) in Glasgow. But it … [Read more...] about Black History Month, not just about the past