black oxford untold stories
High Wycombe
Hello and welcome. My name is Pamela Roberts. I am an award-winning creative
producer, historian, Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, Fellow of the
Royal Historical Society, Eccles Centre Visiting Fellow at the British Library,
and the Founder and Director of Black Oxford: Untold Stories. BACKGROUND I set
up Black Oxford Untold Stories after a crude insult from a member of staff at
the Oxford City Tourist Information Centre. They blatantly refused to
acknowledge that Black people studied at the University. Instead, stating the
only contribution Black people had made to the University city was to the
transportation system in driving the buses and working in the car factory. The
insult was my impetus to find out more information about the university's black
scholars. What I found was the university was known for its numerous heads of
states, academics, writers, scientists, politicians, philosophers. The name of
Percy Bysshe Shelley, Oscar Wilde, C.S. Lewis, Margaret Thatcher, Harold Wilson,
and Bill Clinton are familiar to many. But what about its Black scholars? Oxford
University has seen many African, African-Caribbean, African-Americans, and
Black British scholars pass through the hallow halls and colleges of the
illustrious university. Christian Frederick Cole, the first Black African
scholar at the university in 1873; Kofoworola Moore, the first African woman to
achieve a degree from St Hugh’s College in 1935, Alain LeRoy Locke, the first
Rhodes Scholar to attend the university in 1907, Grantley Adams, a student of
St. Catherine’s, went onto become the first Premier of Barbados. The list is
endless. Black Oxford Untold Stories was born. BLACK OXFORD UNTOLD STORIES Black
Oxford Untold Stories celebrates the contributions and legacies of Oxford
University's Black scholars from the turn of the 20th century to the present
day. Over the years, Black Oxford Untold Stories has contributed significantly
to disrupting the traditional narrative and visual imagery of Oxford University
by challenging the attitudes and perception of the University's staff, students,
faculties, and broader communities that historically Black students did not
study at the University. I facilitate this work by delivering workshops, lecture
programmes, on-line lectures, producing events and creative projects and through
my book, Black Oxford the Untold Stories of Oxford University's Black Scholars
(Signal 2013). Black Oxford Untold Stories achievements include My seminal work
as the initiator for formal recognition for Christian Frederick Cole, the
University of Oxford's first Black student, 1873. The acquisition of the first
Black Oxford memorial plaque at University College. The plaque was unveiled in
2017 by Sir Ivor Crewe, Master, University College, to commemorate Cole's
significant achievements. Writing, producing, and directing the first film about
Christian Cole, England's first black barrister, filmed on location at
University College, University of Oxford, The Inner Temple, and honour of
filming and hosting the screening at the Old Bailey. Initiating the placing of a
photograph of Kofoworola Moore, Oxford University’s first African woman scholar
at St Hugh’s Colleges. I had the honour of unveiling the photograph with the
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford and the Principal, Dame Elish
Angiolini. I have worked with the following organisations, universities,
colleges in delivering workshops, seminars, lectures, events, and creative
projects.
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