enfield unison black members group (eubmg) december ... newsletter... · enfield unison black...

Enfield Unison Black Members Group (EUBMG)

December/January 2017-18 Newsletter 6

1 | P a g e Check out UNISONS Website: https://www.unison.org.uk

elcome once again to our

sixth EUBMG newsletter. Our apologies for this edition of our newsletter being late. We have had a trying time meeting deadlines, but we have prevailed. Better late than never. We do hope you enjoyed Black History Month for October 2017? Do let us know if you attended any of the events held on the month of October as we would like to hear about it.

The Next National Unison Black Members Conference was held early January 2018 in Liverpool. More updates to follow in the next edition of our bi-monthly newsletter.

Update on setting up a surgery for Black Members: Our Chair of EUBMG Roland Thomas is spearheading the setting up of a surgery for Black members to discuss work-related issues on a one-to-one basis. This will take place at Enfield Civic Centre and will take the form of a 15 minute time slot for individuals. This will now take place sometime in the New Year 2018.

Newsletter Information Proposals (Motion

for Black History to be included in the

National Curriculum)

As previously stated in our last newsletter (March 2017), EUBMG members have been working on a proposed Motion for Black History to be implemented as part of the National Curriculum!

We at EUBMG will still continue on with our Motion for Black History to be part of mainstream education in schools! We were successful in submitting our Motion to the National Black Members Conference 2018, however, due to unforeseen circumstances; our Motion was classified as “Out of Order”. We will resubmit for year 2019.

EUBMG will be organising future projects! We thought others like you would like to

be part of our group moving forward with new opportunities? You may even have the opportunity to improve your skills, perhaps in Health & Safety? Or

become a Unison Steward! We especially welcome recruits for our EUBMG self-organising group. See contact details

for further information at the end of our newsletter.

Feedback from our Black History Month

Event (October 2017)

We at EUBMG held our annual Black History Month event on October 24th 2017 at the Dugdale Centre, Enfield Town.

W




Our theme was centred on Black History being taught as part of the National Curriculum in the United Kingdom. We had the following performers on the night: Touka Fernande from Narrative Eye. Fernande gave a presentation on some black women in history who seem to have been forgotten about in our educational system. Fernande pointed out that these noted black figures played a significant role in shaping our contribution to make positive changes in our society.

Platinum Dance Group- young performers did a dance routine centred around how being young and black is seen by the wider society.

Henrique Wooding a young Creative Director/Photographer gave a presentation by showing a video of other young black

entrepreneurs are making their mark in their prospective fields. However, due to some technical issues, the whole video could not been shown. This did not deter Henrique and the show went on. He was able to commence with a question and answer regarding what people would have seen in the video he made.

Dr. Trevor Udennis – Theology in religious literature of the Hebrew Israelites gave a lecture regarding Biblical characters in his new book in relation to man’s origins.

Pimento Grove Caribbean cuisine provided high-end quality food and everyone enjoyed the wide variety of choice of rice & peas/chicken /fried fish, salad and fruits.

Tesco’s provided a £100 voucher for our raffle- Many, many thanks to Tony Ujah –Store Manager, Enfield.

A big thank you goes out to the vendors who provided a variety of enterprising businesses/ stalls.

Kate Osamor (MP for Edmonton was one of our honoured guest speakers on the night. She gave a speech about how black history could be implemented into the National Curriculum from her view-Labour perspective.

Pictures courtesy of Henrique Wooding Photographer

Touka Fernande Audience Members




If there are any freelance businesses who wish to advertise in our newsletter, please see contact details below (Chair of EUBMG). Minimum charges will apply.

5 Things You May Not Know About Kwanzaa

Students light a candle

celebrating Ujamaa

Source:

http://www.history.co

m/news/5-things-you-

ma

y-

not

-know-about-kwanzaa

1. Kwanzaa is less than 50 years old.

Maulana Karenga, a black nationalist who later

became a college professor, created Kwanzaa as a

way of uniting and empowering the African-African

community in the aftermath of the deadly Watts

riots. Having modeled his holiday on traditional

African harvest festivals, he took the name

“Kwanzaa” from the Swahili phrase, “Matunda ya

Kwanza,” which means “First Fruit.” The extra “a”

was added, Karenga has said, simply to

accommodate seven children at the first-ever

Kwanzaa celebration in 1966, each of whom wanted

to represent a letter.

2. Many people celebrate both Kwanzaa and

Christmas. Though often thought of as an

alternative to Christmas, many people actually

celebrate both. “Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday,

but a cultural one with an inherent spiritual quality,”

Karenga writes. “Thus, Africans of all faiths can and

do celebrate Kwanzaa as well as those who follow the

ancient traditions of Maat, Yoruba, Ashanti, Dogon,

etc.”

3. Kwanzaa centres around seven principles.

The seven principles of Kwanzaa, as determined by

Karenga, are Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-

Determination), Ujima (Collective work and

Responsibility), Ujamaa

http://www.history.com/news/5-things-you-may-not-know-about-kwanzaa









(Cooperative

Economics), Nia

(Purpose), Kuumba

(Creativity) and Imani

(Faith). Kwanzaa also

has seven symbols–

Mazao (Crops), Mkeka

(Mat), Kinara

(Candleholder),

Muhindi (Corn),

Kikombe Cha Umoja

(Unity Cup), Zawadi

(Gifts) and Mishumaa

Saba (Seven Candles)–

that are traditionally

arranged on a table.

Three of the seven

candles are red,

representing the

struggle; three of the

candles are green,

representing the land

and hope for the

future; and one of the

candles is black,

representing people of

African descent. Some

families who celebrate

Kwanzaa dress up or

decorate their homes in

those colours.

4. Homemade and

educational gifts are

encouraged.

In order to avoid over-commercialization, gifts

handed out to family members on the last day of

Kwanzaa are often homemade. Alternatively, some

participants buy books, music, art accessories or other

culturally themed products, preferably from a black-

owned business.

5. U.S. presidents habitually wish the nation a happy

Kwanzaa. Despite not observing the holiday,

President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle,

issued a statement last December “to all those

celebrating Kwanzaa.” “We know that there are still

too many Americans going through enormous

challenges and trying to make ends meet,” the

president said. “But we also know that in the spirit of

unity, or umoja, we can overcome those challenges

together.” The holiday also has made inroads with

the U.S. Postal Service, which has issued four separate

Kwanzaa stamps since 1997. The latest, from 2011,

features a family dressed in traditional African garb

lighting the kinara.

Note: Kwanzaa in the United Kingdom was first

celebrated in England in approximately 1981,

organised by the Pan-African Congress Movement

and was held in Stanley Road, London N15. Since then

Kwanzaa celebrations have grown in the UK and

some organisations that host annual celebrations are:

~.

Kwanzaa UK Celebrations

26th December till 1st January.




Jean Michel Basquiat 22 Dec 1960 - 12 Aug 1988 (age 27) He has an exhibition at the Barbican Centre which ends on the 28th January 2018.

(UNTITLED)

Back from the Western Front exhibition – African Soldiers from World War I exploring the vital contributions made by African soldiers in WWI - at Willesden Green Library until 8th January 2018.

Did You Know?????

That one of Jean Michel Basquiat picture (UNTITLED) see above were sold for $110.5 million in 18/05/17and other items of $57.3 million also.

The SS Mendi sunk off the shores of the Isle of Wight, killing 646 lives, most of whom were Black South African troops. It was the cargo steamship Darro that struck the SS Mendi during foggy conditions a year before the ending of First World War. This was considered to be one of the worst maritime disasters of the 20th century in UK waters.

Answers to last

edition’s Questions for

Our Younger Audiences

and Did anybody

Complete the Dot-to-

Dot to reveal who the

person was?

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=81aZN5kM&id=FCD222D9BFE283295527A0674E31046019BCDF9E&thid=OIP.81aZN5kMQSsId7iBhY_2vAHaH4&q=Jean+Michel+Basquiat&simid=608006936857805017&selectedIndex=65




Competition:

Whoever can figure out the

name of the above man is

in with a chance to win the

CD “I Can” by Dwayne

Patrick. A great way to

build confidence with

music for children by

children.

Queen Nzinga (1583-1663)

Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=qgmSIjBz&id=3E56D633F7CFB2684A16403DDEFBFCDF6AF52513&thid=OIP.qgmSIjBzO1cu0S5VHgyjxgCqC4&q=nelson+mandela+dot+to+dot&simid=607999828691715836&selectedIndex=1




The Harlem Hellfighters by Max Brooks: is a true story based on an African-American platoon; a fictionalized account of the 369th Infantry Regiment, the first African-American regiment recruited to fight in WW1 for the French army because the United States military did not believed Africans could fight bravely in battle, many great achievements was attributed to this amazing fighting group.

Black Scientists and Inventors: in the UK

- Millenniums of Inventors and Innovations by Michael Williams and Manyonyi Amalemba: the title speaks for itself, highlighting all the UK inventors and innovations of the millenniums from an African British perspective

and I think this is the only book of such type.

SOCIAL WORK and AFRICAN-CENTRED WORLDVIEWS by Mekada Graham: this book

provides human service professionals and others with essential information that can be used to liberate families and communities of African descent from the persistent shackles of intergenerational oppression.

All these books are potentially very good reads!

Dates For Up and Coming EUBMG Meetings 2018 @ Enfield Civic Centre:

January 31st Room 137 B Block South

March 28th Room 1

May 30th Room 6

July 25th Room 6

September 26th Room 6

November 28th Room 6

Wednesday’s between 1715-1900, 2018.

Recommended

Reading




https://www.unison.org.uk/about/what-we-do/fairness-equality/black-members/ - Hard Copies will be at the National Black Members Conference.

Quotes for January 2018.doc

(Just click on the above icon to see quotes for

January 2018)

Womanhood Academy

Any Other Business?

https://www.unison.org.uk/about/what-we-do/fairness-equality/black-members/








Manhood Academy

GUARDING AGAINST STRESS.pdf

(Just click on the above

icon to see Guarding Against Stress)




Roland Thomas – Chair

[email protected]

Humphry Vaughan – Senior Secretary

[email protected]

GlenFord Watson – Assistant Secretary

[email protected]

Marcia Waterman – Information Officer

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]












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