The way we learn and understand history is dependent on the narrative we are told. In school, I feel like we only learned about one perspective, the American perspective. So today it was interesting to learn about the British perspective. Today we did a black heritage walks network tour with our amazing guide Marcia. Marcia is so intellectual. Not only does she know so much about British history with the treatment of black individuals, but she is also very knowledgeable when it comes to the treatment of black individuals in American history. You can also tell she is very enthusiastic about what she does, which I love because it drags my attention to what she is talking about! I think the way she was able to talk about both sides allowed me to make comparisons between what I have previously learned in school and what I was taught today.
Birmingham has an interesting history when it comes to the treatment of Black individuals. The Lunar Society, headed by Matthew Boulton and James Watt, saw an opportunity for capital. They created brass manilla bands (a copycat of the African currency) to engage in a form of trade with African tribes. They traded one of these brass manilla bands for 20 individuals. This is absolutely horrifying that the worth of 20 individuals can be summed to the cost of one brass manilla band! This also happened with guns. They made cheap guns (the cost to make these guns was eight pounds), so they would have to be replaced on a monthly basis and could trade them for individuals more frequently. This is astonishing! It is interesting because the UK and US both used different approaches to enslave individuals, but both approaches resulted in the use of force, gaslighting and fear. And both approaches resulted in a form of hierarchy that saw black individuals as a type of “property”.
Something that Marcia talked a lot about that I completely agree with is that we need to talk about all sides and perspectives of history. That learning just one perspective isn’t adequate. She said that we don’t always talk about the full story due to the embarrassment of past events. But it is important to understand the history because it is part of who we are and how our society came about. So maybe instead of tearing down statues because we are embarrassed, we should take this opportunity to educate the public on the truth and the real story, rather than keep promoting a fictionalized version of the story.
Another thing I didn’t know was that prominent civil rights leaders such as Malcom X and Ida B. Wells came to Birmingham to speak out against racism. It was interesting how their activism in Birmingham is what lead to further change in the US. This crossroad is fascinating because it just shows how worldwide the issue of racism is.
We also got an opportunity to talk to nurse Joan about her experience living through the Windrush generation. The Windrush generation was when people from the Caribbean migrated to England to find jobs and build a better life for themselves. However, the British government didn’t treat them kindly (they wouldn’t recognize them as English citizens despite claiming they would) and they were discriminated against. Through her story, I learned just how important it is to persevere and follow your passion, no matter what people around you are saying or the way they are treating you. Essentially let your passion guide you. She was so inspiring, and I absolutely love that she took the time to share her story with us!
I also got to try Jamaican food for the first time today! It was very good and super flavorful! We went to a place called Jamaya and I got a grilled jerk chicken wrap. I highly recommend it! That’s it for today, tomorrow we go to Oxford so stay tuned for that!