Back to the Past to See the Future. The Archive Find and Relevations in History.

Oh! This just landed! Very pleased. Thank you to everyone that helped on the way in getting this published in one of the leading journals.

If you’ve been through the peer review process you’ll know what I mean. Some bit more work to do. But I hope you like it when it’s out. It includes a considerable section on the pioneer of radio for Black people in the UK ( particularly London) on BBC Radio London Mr Alex Pascall. I met him for the first time some months ago. Deep respect.

The story principally surrounds a find of archive in my garage during lockdown from a show I used to co-present and produce called Black London. It was a show in which we interviewed Spike Lee, Alice Walker, The Jacksons, Bernie Grant, Norman Beaton, Eartha Kitt, Fela Kuti, Louis Farrakhan and so many more.

It featured one of the early schemes trying to get Black and brown people in Oxbridge, and documented race relations, the police and judicial system with Peter Herbert a regular guest. And includeds a series of stories from South Africa (still then an Apartheid state). Later on I would relocate to South Africa. The photo at the top is me in Soweto having been accosted by a Caspir with an soldier training his gun on me.

The tapes for this BBC radio show were dumped when we left.

During Lockdown I found copies and further searches with the professional Archive specialist knowledge and production skills of Jose Velazquez, MA it was submitted as to a global competition FIAT/ IFRA ( thanks to Brid Doodley). Against eight competitors from around the globe, some national archive networks, the collection won and was deemed historically important.

There’s so much we plan on doing with the archive that we haven’t set off yet. But take this example. Many of you will know Kwame Kwaten, originally with D-influence and a powerhouse musician working with and managing a galaxy of stars. In 1994 out of the blue they were asked to support Michael Jackson.

With the help of Kienda Hoji I played him his interview from 30 years ago. The response is audio gold. click here ( 1.20 minutes)

Thank you for the images Kwame.

Big thank you too to Professor Kurt Barling who first alerted me to the conference The BBC 1922–2022 Navigating the Waves of Change from where this journey started and has by no means ended.

The things that really pleases me is that as an academic piece of history, others can now reference and build upon the narrative. Thank you all.