How Black History Month at Camden Carers lifts us all up

Black History Month has always been a particularly eventful time at Camden Carers and this year is no different, with a timetable of events ranging from the informative to the celebratory.

When asked what Black History Month means to her, a member of our Black Carers Collective, Mary, answered: “It’s something that lifts us all up!”

This sentiment has been echoed throughout our celebrations over the years; ensuring that we offer Black History Month events that are open and accessible to all our carers.

This year’s celebrations kicked off by going to see an inspiring talk by renowned historian, author and BAFTA winner, David Olusoga, who echoed: “Black British history is everyone’s history and is all the stronger for it!”

It was wonderful to be surrounded by such diverse faces as David guided the audience through this year’s Black History Month theme of ‘Reclaiming Narratives’.

At Camden Carers, we love to incorporate music and dance at any celebration event and our next event did not disappoint! Carers and staff alike joined a live reggae band at the Southbank Centre for a daytime party to remember.

Alongside our events, we also featured a social media campaign focused on highlighting the achievements of Black innovators and pioneers, including Dame Elizabeth Anionwu who pioneered the UK’s first sickle cell and thalassemia centre in north west London and has been a long-serving advocate for health equality.

As we prepare for our final event of the month, our annual Black History Month party, we hope to bring together carers, staff, local councillors and Carers Trust colleagues for a fun-filled afternoon.

Serving delicious locally-made Ethiopian food, accompanied by the sweet sounds of the steel pan and with creative activities focused around the Nubian Jak Blue Plaques that memorialise the historic contributions of Black people across the capital, it promises to be a closing event for all to enjoy.

Of course, our carers play a huge part in our celebration events and this year we have carer volunteers delivering performance poetry and an African head-wrapping workshop.

Finally, this October marks the 4th anniversary of our Black Carers Collective, formed in 2020 as a safe space for Black carers to meet, share and celebrate.

The group were asked to share their sentiments on Black History Month which led to a rich conversation around inclusivity and the power of community.

The group acknowledged the importance of celebrating the month to ensure that “our voices, that were once excluded, continue to be heard” but the unanimous verdict was that “one month is not enough”.

Find out more about Camden Carers and the support they offer here.

 

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