African Stories wanted from healthcare workers

06 September, 2017

Africans Stories in Hull and East Yorkshire is a thought provoking community project of a little known aspect of British social history. It examines the presence and contribution of people of African descent from 1750 to 2007 in this region.

The timeline has been chosen because of this region's strong links to William Wilberforce; from the decade of his birth to the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. This project takes an inclusive approach that enables a broad range of people to participate and gain an insight into the lives of others. It explores the themes of migration and diversity in an innovative way.

The project comprises of research into the historic archives as well as contemporary accounts of people’s experiences through oral histories. Many families have also approached the project directly to share their inspirational stories with a wider audience and they have captured many themes within the project, but a significant area which is yet to be explored is that of health care workers. This is particularly important given that many people of African descent were directed into the health service when they were invited to emigrate to the ‘motherland’ after the war.

People working in the health professions have the opportunity to participate and share their experiences of how they came to be in this region and how they chose their career. Personal family histories would be welcomed as would any stand-alone photos; anything that gives an insight into their lives in Hull and East Yorkshire.

It has been evident that the bank of the stories within the project has been very well received and feedback indicates that both participants and readers have enjoyed accessing the project. Contact the project team via the website or at wilberforcemonumentfund@gmail.com and view the events coming up at http://www.africansinyorkshireproject.com/events.html