Black History Month: Token Gesture, or Essential Telling?

Is Black History Month a vital framework for improving cohesion and understanding in our communities? Or does it encourage tokenism and the commodification of experience? How do we manifest a future when it is no longer needed?

Join us for a discussion on the origins of Black History Month and its shifting meaning over time. We are delighted to welcome our two speakers, Euella Jackson and Edson Burton, who will share their different perspectives on the value of the month – in homes, in schools, in cultural organisations and in society more widely. The event will be hosted by Emmanuella Blake-Morsi.

 There will be an opportunity for audience members to share their own perspectives on these questions, and to ask their own.

Speakers:

Euella Jackson

Euella Jackson is an award-winning presenter, filmmaker and creative producer based in Bristol who works across a range of mediums and spaces to push for more diverse stories and better representation across the cultural and creative sector. She balances this with her day job as Co-Director at Rising Arts Agency, a dynamic, radical, youth-led social enterprise that advocates for underrepresented young creative leaders aged 18 - 30 and pushes care-centred workplace practices across multiple industries. 

Edson Burton

Dr Edson Burton is a poet, drama writer, curator and historian.  His radio credits include the supernatural trilogy Deacon starring Don Warrington now available on audible. His theatre writing spans a range of theatre based, promenade and site specific work including the, Ithaca Axis (2013) poetry/theatre show ‘Curry Goat & Fish Fingers, Frederick Douglass dramatization an Abolitionist Returns (2018) the game show themed The Edge 2018, & the ribald Anansi & the Grand Prize (2019). 

His on screen history specialist appearances include Hairy Bikers series Pubs that Made Britain (2015) Books that Made Britain Bristol Sin City (2016), Lost Civilizations Series 1: The Remains of Slavery(2017) the Antiques Road Show, (2018) Britain’s Most Historic Towns: Georgian Bristol (2019) in addition to regularly appearing on local news and radio in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. He is the author of poetry collection (Seasoned) co-author of What’s Your Trinity Story, Vice and Virtue (2018) and various online and print articles.  

Edson is a member of Bristol’s History Commission, the film programming, Collective Come the Revolution and Queer People of Colour Collective Kiki Bristol. 

Hosted by Emmanuella Blake-Morsi

With over a dozen years in the creative industry, Emmanuella Morsi is an award-winning multi-disciplinary creative, researcher and production manager delivering high-impact projects spanning across Europe, Africa, Asia, Middle East, North, and Latin America. Founder of Studio Morsi and former Non-Executive Director of Rising Arts Agency, they predominantly work across various mediums and are a Resident Advisor at Pervasive Media Studio. Whether it’s developing the inclusive design framework Access As A Creative Tool or managing B-Corp film productions with 6-figure budgets, Emmanuella is known for challenging approaches to inclusion and innovation in ways that amplifies marginalised voices. Ultimately, specialising in experimental, nature-inspired work within the intersections of inclusive creative design, radical research-led storytelling, equity-led tech, intersectional environmentalism, and progressive policy.

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