Manx National Heritage (MNH) has marked Black History Month by collaborating with Google Arts and Culture.
Now in its 34th year, Black History Month is marked in the month of October and celebrates key figures who have made substantial contributions around the world.
The Google Arts and Culture ’Black and British’ project aims to make Black History Month 2021 personal and unique to individuals, families and communities, focusing on how we’re all making history in our own ways, as well as marking the contributions and achievements of black people throughout history.
The project collaborates with partners across the British Isles to shed light on the Black history and celebrate the unique Black culture, creativity and achievements of today.
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As part of this project, MNH has created an interactive ’story’ online to reflect on last year’s Black Lives Matter protests in the Isle of Man.
The story focuses on rapid response collecting and the behind the scenes work of MNH in saving, conserving and preserving protest banners gathered from participants attending the Black Lives Matter protest in 2020.
Anthea Young, education officer for MNH said: ’On Tuesday, June 9, 2020, the Isle of Man’s community stood up to stamp out racism.
’The sense of unity even though protesters were socially distanced will resonate for decades.
’The banners, photographs and stories associated with the protest are an important part of our national memory.
’Holding these in our collections and sharing their story with worldwide audiences via Google Arts and Culture helps ensure the aims, passion, creativity and resourcefulness of the island’s Black Lives Matters protesters are never forgotten.’
Speaking about last year’s historic protest, Black Lives Matter protestors Olivia Toombs, Neve Johnstone and Elisha Harvey said: ’We will be telling the story of the time our little island stood to make a difference in such a big world for a long time.
’We have to change and show people that it’s not okay to be ignorant to the racism that is happening here.
’As a community we can fight and show racists that it is they who are unwelcome in our home on the Isle of Man.’
l To find out more about the island’s Black Lives Matter protests, visit Manx National Heritage on Google Arts and Culture, you can view the interactive story at: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/8gWBNzytPpyMBQ
Further stories are also available including ’Manx Maritime Connections to Slavery’ as told through a museum object and archive; ’Captain Crow and Colonel Wilks’, two Manxmen involved in the slave trade; and ’James Brown (1815-1881)’; reformer, journalist and founder of the Isle of Man Times who was almost certainly descended from a former slave.