Antislavery Usable Past

Leicester's Black History Season in October-November 2007 marked the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. Its aim was to redress the balance from a 'Eurocentric point of view' of abolition, and focus on the Afrikan perspective with the theme of 'Souls of Black Folk'. Musical performances included gospel, Motown, reggae and jazz. Other events in venues across Leicester and Loughborough included traditional South African dance, contemporary dance, performance poetry, comedy, multimedia performances, storytelling, theatre and an exhibition, 'Africa's Gift', focusing on the economic and cultural contributions of the slaves and their descendants.

Organisation

• Leicester Black History Season

Funding Body

• Leicester City Council,
• Heritage Lottery Fund,
• Beacon Authority

Location

• Leicester,
• Loughborough

Type

• Performance,
• Festival

Acknowledgement

• Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland

Tags

Africa, African American music, African Caribbean culture, African dance, African drumming, Black British history, comedy, contemporary dance, dance, exhibition, film, gospel, jazz, Joseph Emidy, Leicester, Loughborough, Malawi, music, poetry, reggae, South Africa, storytelling, theatre