Black History Activity Book Launch 2
During the month of Black History there are many events to attend, if you were looking for somewhere to attend, you may have been tempted by The Black History Activity Books Launch 2, at The Bingley Hall.
Although named a launch the event was not actually a launch at all. The books the event was named after, were launched last year. It was so popular the the event organiser decided to bring it back again this year, and extending it to a cultural market place also.
With over 2000 attendees the hall was full of black businesses showcasing everything from personal care, education, fashion and and cuisine.
The event started in 2018 as a launch for the Black History Activity Books where the attendance was so heavy that decided to run the event again at a venue over 5 times bigger than the original one.
Lioness I and Haile Zacchius travelled all the way from Palone in Italy to attend the one day event.
Lioness I said “My husband is from Jamaica, we live in Italy but there is nothing like this there, so when I heard about this event, I just had to attend. I enjoyed the event very much and will definitely be back next year, maybe with a group of my friends from Italy”.
Andrew Lindo the Author of the Black History Activity Books said “An event like this was needed for many reasons, not only to showcase many different types of Black Businesses under one roof, so that children can see some of the businesses that may be otherwise invisible to them, but to promote other businesses throughout the cultural market and also to push the Black History Activity Books further”.
“I created the activity books after I did a workshop on fun based learning. I saw a need for them because I felt young people need to understand more about where they are coming from and I did not see enough choices in the market for this.
There is a saying that if you know where you are coming from you know where you are going, a bit like the ideology of the sankofa. These books teach young people about black history in a fun and enjoyable way”.
Eight new books of black figures from history were released on the launch. The books are also accompanied by other merchandise such as water bottles, masks and book marks.
Vendors came from all over the UK including Woke Babies, who caught the eye of many attendees but the look of their very busy stall.
Woke Babies runs a subscription based book service that delivers 2 to 3 books per month to subscribers, featuring black characters from various authors. Why is this needed or important? It gives black children the representation of self they need in a world that can still be very Eurocentric. They include books about financial awareness, the solar system, and every subject you can imagine. They also produce educational Posters such as Body Parts posters featuring black bodies and simple everyday educational tools. Surprisingly for some most of these still do not represent the diverse society they are meant to educate.
Kelly Jade Nicholls Director of the Company said “we recognised felt it was important for kids to see representations of themselves in books, which is why we set up the company. We source books that are fun and engaging so children can develop a love of books and self from early. I am also an illustrator, so I can use that skill int he creation of some of our educational tools”.
The launch also included entertainment from up and coming local artists such as S.Rica.
The event will be happening again next year. Contact Black History Activity Books to enquire about the event, exhibit your business or order one of these fabulous books.
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