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Event

Poetry against Slavery

On this guided tour at the Museum of London Docklands, learn about the role poetry has played in inspiring resistance against the oppression of African, Caribbean and Black British people.

The London, Sugar & Slavery gallery at the Museum of London Docklands is a unique resource for exploring London’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, and for understanding the trade’s present-day legacies. As part of the museum’s Black History Month programme in October, and during the nationwide Being Human Festival in November, this guided tour will explore how poetry has galvanised resistance against the oppression of African, Caribbean and Black British people.

 
From Africa’s rich heritage, through preservation of cultural legacies during slavery, to recent political activism, you will encounter and discuss poems that give voice to objects and images in the museum. Discover how African cultural origins have influenced language and poetry in the Caribbean, how poems inspired anti-slavery action in the Caribbean and the UK, and how later poets have drawn upon this history to oppose continuing racial injustices. The spoken and written word will emerge as powerful ways to build solidarity among and between communities.
 
No advance reading required – all texts will be provided on the day.
 
This guided tour takes place at 12pm and 3pm on Thu 4 Oct (National Poetry Day), Sun 14 Oct, Sun 21 Oct, Thu 25 Oct, Sun 18 Nov, Thu 22 Nov and Sat 24 Nov. All welcome with no need to book.
Dates and times
12:00 pm & 3:00 pm | various
Where
Museum of London Docklands
No. 1 Warehouse
West India Quay
E14 4AL
London
Pricing
Free