Powerful afternoon Brunel Uni

Met up with my grand-daughter again at Brunel University Hillingdon Literary festival. This afternoon was powerful and challenging as we looked at West London and Black History and Unlocking the Secrets of Slavery and Abolition in Uxbridge.   We have met with a wonderful caring lady that conducted a very well researched workshop on West London and Black History - Grace Quansah... Grace is charismatic, energetic and passionate about the subject. With a message we need to dispel prejudices. The way she does this is to celebrate the contributions of African and Caribbean heritage to Britain. This reaches far back in history to the Ancient times of the Roman Empire.  

October is considered the month for Black history as she explained that Chiefs in tribes would pick this month to settle differences. That was differences of opinions and decision making in the tribe.  Differences and racial prejudice still exists to this day in many forms around the world when I think it out..from political and religion delusional ideas and opinions... to racial attacks on Palestinians from extremist Zionists..... to Brexit in the UK which unearthed horrible attitudes to all races migrated to the UK. Yet the UK and the city of London have been multi cultural and multi racial for centuries since the Roman Empire.

Then we attended a presentation on the secrets of slavery and the abolition in Uxbridge by Inge Dorman and Holly Maples.  This was from text found in an archived book at the British and Foreign School Society  There was dramatised reading and an analysis and discussion.  But I found it overwhelmingly horrible that such was done in the name of making profit and fortune by merchants and plantation owners. The cruelty and the distortion of "Christianity" sickening. But thank goodness for reformers and challenges to stop this practice.  It was particularly difficult as we have in our family ancestry African relatives that were taken in this horrid regime.  I had to point out not to see all white people as perpetrators as we can be of mixed marriages from the past... In the horrid practices of the day maybe there is mixed blood from masters "pleasure" seeking abuse too! There was promotion of an exhibition to be put on later and I felt that there needs to be "breathe take a pause times" or escape areas for those that need to take time out of the dark side of mans deluded supremacy over another! 
We left after this to have a nice cosy time at my daughters with a cup of tea and a natter to break the heavy dark energy of the subject. A nice time of sharing to bring us back to now! 
Looking forward to reading and dipping into the Wonderful World of Wappy book edited by Grace - a vibrant collection of poems and short narrations.