Manchester’s inspirational black activists of past and present celebrated at University event

The history of inspirational black activists from Manchester’s past and present were celebrated at an event for secondary school children at Manchester Metropolitan University. 

The University welcomed 60 students from three local schools onto campus for the event Roots in Manchester: Then and Now which aimed to connect black and biracial students to their local history.

The event – which took place during Black History Month UK - kicked off with a digital presentation of the pioneering exhibition Roots in Britain: Black & Asian Citizens from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II produced by Dominican-British writer, community historian, and black activist Ziggi Alexander CBE, who has funded the event. 

The exhibition launched in London in 1980 – seven years before the first Black History Month event in the UK – and showcased the diverse lives of inspirational Black and Asian activists through a display of annotated images of paintings, drawings, newspapers, and photographs spanning more than 400 years. 

Students were later shown a film by Karen Gabay, broadcaster, award-winning filmmaker, and social historian, which documented the black experience in Manchester in the 1970s and 1980s, which was followed by an engaging discussion with Gabay and the school students. 

Students also learned about the Reno nightclub in Moss Side, Manchester’s first racially inclusive club which was an important social space that challenged racism and was attended by many celebrities – both local and international – including boxing legend Muhammad Ali. 

Lisa Ayegun - the daughter of Phil Magbotiwan who founded the nightclub – shared her personal memories of her father and the history of the club, speaking alongside Dr Shirin Hirsch, Senior Lecturer in History and Haseeb Khan, History PhD student at Manchester Met.

Later in the day, students took part in creative workshops where they created their own poem, artwork, or blog responding to the inspirational stories they were told during the event, or about an influential figure in their own lives.  

Dr Marie Molloy, Senior Lecturer in American History and Departmental Lead for Schools Liaison and Widening Participation at Manchester Met, who organised the event, said: “This event has offered a wonderful opportunity to connect black and biracial students in Manchester to their local history. We were keen to engage young people in a different way, from the inspiring personal stories shared at the event to participatory creative workshops. Students have gained a renewed sense of wellbeing and a greater connection to their history that goes beyond the school curriculum.”