The History Hotline

"The very serious function of racism [...] is a distraction." -Toni Morrison

After a long break, the history hotline is back! This week with a round up of the many events 2023 has already graced us with, we'll be discussing:

1) The murder of Tyre Nichols

2) Racist hair policy's at a Birmingham secondary school

3) The resurgence of the Hostile Immigration policy.

4) The renaming of schools and road names.

We will be exploring this within the context of the function of racism and the wider systems of white supremacy; with theory from Toni Morrison.

Articles and videos mentioned:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/22/new-hostile-environment-policies-immigration-home-office

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=15MMmgwl1V4&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dtoni%2Bmorrison%2Bracist%2Bquestion%26biw%3D1640%26bih%3D888%26tbm%3Dvid%26sxsrf%3DAJOqlzU4tD8QYXQ8FpXZyCS77LwTrMW1Fw%25&feature=emb_logo

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/lessons-we-can-learn-from-toni-morrison#:~:text=Years%20earlier%2C%20in%20a%201975,for%20being%2C%E2%80%9D%20she%20said.

Contact Us:

https://linktr.ee/thehistoryhotline

Caribbean Fruit Cake, Rum Cake, Fruit Cake, Black Cake or whatever you call the rich, moist alcoholic cake that hails from the Caribbean and is devoured over Christmas time... this episode is all about the history of the cake and why it is so loved and enjoyed today!

James Drax arrived in Barbados in the early 1630s looking for an opportunity to create wealth. He was the first of a long line of plantation owners who not only held slaves but ensured the institution would remain etched into the fabric of Bajan society forever. Whilst his descendent, Richard Drax is the next to inherit the 600 acre plantation, calls for reparations are being made once again.

In this episode we will discuss the Drax family in Barbados and think about the calls for reparations considering the part this family had to play in the enslavement and exploitation of so many.

TW: graphic violence and abuse

“Nothing we can do will alter the fact that the black man has begun to think and feel himself as good as the white.” - [Secret] Colonial Office Memorandum, 1919.

The men of the British West India Regiment (BWIR) were recruited as soldiers who would fight as part of the British regiment, during WWI. However, they were not granted the same freedoms as their white counterparts or celebrated in the same way, in fact they were given arduous and laborious tasks and denied equal pay.

The 1918 mutiny epitomising their discontent, adding to anti-colonial conversation in the region and marking the BWIR out of history for a long time.

In 1802 the 8th West Indian Regiment rebelled against their commanding officers and mutinied in Prince Rupert’s, Dominica. This episode explores the reasons for the mutiny, a timeline of events and the outcomes and consequences.

The British Army was the single biggest purchaser of slaves by the end of the 18th century. The enslaved African men they bought joined the West India Regiment from 1795.

This episode explores the creation of the regiment, the pushback and opposition from Caribbean legislatures, the perception of the of the regiment and the material conditions and pay for soldiers within the regiment.

This week we're launching a series of podcast with The History Matters journal, featuring a very special guest: A. S. Francis. This episode explores the origins of The History Matters collective and the journal and the way in which it continues to contribute to the dissemination of Black British History within public narratives.

An episode thinking about the role of African people in the transatlantic slave trade, featuring:

1. The Woman King and the [in]accurate depiction of the Kingdom of Dahomey.

2. Racism and Slavery.

3. William Ansah Sessarakoo.

4. Ayuba Suleiman Diallo.

5. The artworks that depicted their lives in London.

Racism in football is often portrayed to be an unfixable issue as it is a manifestation of societal racism and arguably won’t be fixed until racism in wider society is. In this episode we will uncover not only the covert racism of fans but also the racism within the institution.

We’ll be starting with the story of 1) Jack Leslie, the inspiration for this episode and looking at 2) the history of Black men in the sport in England. We’ll then be thinking about 3) the history of Black women in English football and why there are so few? The finally we’ll be having a somewhat intersectional conversation today and looking at 4) what are the barriers to Black girls in football today? 5) And whether or not we can see racism in football changing anytime soon?

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific. But following the death of Queen Elizabeth II can the commonwealth survive? Or will member states, with complex histories of being colonised by the British Empire begin to seek a different future?