Great Debate on Global History Matters on BBC and Black History
Start the Week @BBCR4 provided its platform to Black History Month around what could be described as the effectiveness of Black History + ( Month) feat. Historian Miranda Kaufmann, Poet Yomi Ṣode, Curator Christine Checinska, and Historian Peter Frankopan. Frankopan’s summing up point struck a chord.
Global History Matters. It attends to lack of global (Black) knowledge, transparent inter-connectivity between groups and big themes e.g. Climate Change. On the podcast he expands. Quite the separate issue but reminded me of @Channel4News SA feature I made in the 90s. There’s been an attempt at a transformative shift, but not a cultural one.
@BBCR4 point with strong artists/ talent informing public is there needs to be a “seismic shift” towards improving knowledge — not taught in schools etc. Why is Climate debate invariably headlined by Global North? Why are Black people in the UK still treated as aliens when they’ve been in the UK since the 1600s. This reminded me of a a period of Digital, Culture and Tech transition.
In 2006 I argued tech would allow everyone to be a broadcaster (yeah I know, but it was rad back then). I was featured in the Sunday Times @thetimes for my award winning work creating www.viewmagazine.tv . I had my answer which I put into practice. But how could the digital transformation embrace diversity at a big scale? How could cultural technology matter to effect change?
South Africa’s born free movement poses tangential, but nonetheless inviting answers, though histories differ. Post 1994, living outside of Apartheid there was a transformative change, but not a cultural shift (see 2). Tech needs consciousness shift.
Listen here for BBC Start the Week Podcast Black Britain and Beyond
