In 1995, Octavia E Butler became the first author to receive a MacArthur “genius” award for science fiction writing.  From a young age she dreamed of writing books, but faced many challenges, including poverty, sexism and racism in the publishing industry.  She died aged 58 in 2006. Alex Collins speaks to her friend and fellow author Nisi Shawl. (Photo: Octavia E. Butler. Credit: Getty Images)

Octavia E. Butler: Visionary black sci-fi writer

History

Society & Culture

In 1973, a fashion show was held in France which became known as the Battle of Versailles, a duel between designs from modern America and the capital of couture, Paris.  Five American designers, including Oscar de la Renta and Halston, were invited to show their work alongside five of France’s biggest names, including Yves Saint Laurent and Hubert de Givenchy.  The aim was to raise money to help restore Versailles, a 17th Century palace built by King Louis XIV, but the media billed it as a competition between the two countries. By the end, the Americans were declared the winners. The show also highlighted their industry’s racial diversity on an international stage, with 10 women of colour modelling work by US designers. Bethann Hardison, one of the models, talks to Jane Wilkinson about the lasting impact of the astonishing show. (Photo: Bethann Hardison at Versailles in 1973. Credit: Jean-Luce Hure/Bridgeman Images)

The Battle of Versailles: Catwalk clash of American and French fashion

Rosa Parks was brought up in Alabama during the Jim Crow era, when state laws enforced segregation in practically all aspects of daily life. Public schools, water fountains, trains and buses all had to have separate facilities for white people and black people. As a passionate civil rights activist, Rosa was determined to change this. In December 1955, she was travelling home from the department store where she worked as a seamstress. When a white passenger boarded the bus, Rosa was told to give up her seat. Her refusal to do so and subsequent arrest sparked a bus boycott in the city of Montgomery, led by Dr Martin Luther King. Using BBC interviews with Rosa and Dr King, Vicky Farncombe tells how Rosa’s story changed civil rights history and led to the end of segregation. This programme includes outdated and offensive language. (Photo: Rosa Parks sitting on a bus. Credit: Getty Images)

How Rosa Parks took a stand against racism

Lucha Reyes was one of Peru’s greatest singers. She was born into poverty in 1936 and fought terrible health problems and racism throughout her life. But it didn’t stop her becoming a star of Peruvian Creole music - a fusion of waltzes, Andean and Afro-Peruvian styles.  In the early 1970s she recorded hits including Regresa and Tu Voz. One of the few black Peruvian celebrities of her era, she was a trailblazer for black women in the country.  Polo Bances played the saxophone in her band, accompanying her on many of her greatest records. He celebrates her life with Ben Henderson. (Photo: Lucha Reyes. Credit: Javier Ponce Gambirazio)

Lucha Reyes: Peruvian music star

In March 2002, a young Nigerian Muslim woman was sentenced to death by stoning for adultery and conceiving a child out of wedlock.  Amina Lawal’s case attracted huge international attention and highlighted divisions between the Christian and Muslim regions in the country.  Hauwa Ibrahim, one of the first female lawyers from northern Nigeria, defended Amina and helped her secure an acquittal.  The case would have very personal consequences for Hauwa who went on to adopt Amina’s daughter.  She tells Vicky Farncombe how the ground-breaking case also changed attitudes in Nigeria towards defendants from poor, rural communities. (Photo: Hauwa Ibrahim (left) with Amina Lawal, Credit: Getty Images)

How a young mother was saved from death by stoning

In May 1986, 16-year-old Charlotte Mensah went to work in the UK’s first luxury Afro-Caribbean hair salon, Splinters. In London’s glamorous Mayfair, Splinters had earned a world-class reputation and hosted the likes of Diana Ross. Charlotte says it looked more like a five-star hotel than a salon and that its owner, Winston Isaacs expected no less than perfection from all his staff. Now a giant of the hair care industry in her own right, Charlotte has become known as the 'Queen of the 'fro'. She tells Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty about her roots and how training at the legendary Splinters changed her life.  This programme includes an account of racial bullying.  (Photo: Young Charlotte in the salon. Credit: Charlotte Mensah)

Octavia E. Butler: Visionary black sci-fi writer

Download our free app to listen on your phone