The University celebrated the launch of the Black Studies library collection on Thursday 30 May, drawing together Black community history, education, and literary voices with Sussex researchers and librarians for a symposium event at the Library.  

The collection, which has over 750 rare and/or unique items related to Black British history and culture, has been curated by final year student Myisha Box (BA History and International Relations) for her Junior Research Associate project, with colleagues in the Library and the Schools of Media, Arts and Humanities, and Global Studies.  

In inaugurating this collection, Sussex joins a small handful of universities housing Black British archives, including the Ahmed Iqball Ullah Race Centre at the University of Manchester and Manchester Public Library, Warwick University, Exeter University, Birmingham University and the Institute of Historical Research's Wohl Library. 

At the launch, attendees explored and contextualised the collection, celebrated Myisha’s work as the student at the heart of the project and considered possibilities for future collaborations. Guest speakers included Carolynn Bain from Brighton-based Afrori Books, which was named British Bookseller of the Year 2023. The University also welcomed Georgina Parke, community writer, lawyer and psychotherapist and Bert Williams MBE, Brighton & Hove Black History. Lorraine Anim-Addo, postgraduate researcher in Education, and Valerie Kporye, Black at Sussex alumna, also featured as speakers.  

Speakers reflected on an object of their choice from the collection. Lorraine Anim-Addo examined The Second Annual Report of the Afro-Caribbean Educational Resource (ACER) Project from 1979-80. ACER was founded by Sussex alumnus Len Garrison to provide educational resources related to African and Caribbean experiences to schools that served students from these backgrounds. Myisha Box reflected on 'The Road Make to Walk on Carnival Day: The Battle for West Indian Carnival in Britain'. Georgina Parke examined 'Unequal Access: The Housing Experience of Black People' by Beverley Prevatt Goldstein. Valerie Kporye reflected on 'Where's my Mum?' by Ivis Lasson, about children in care. Carolynn Bain examined 'Talking Blues: The Black Community Speaks About Its Relationship With the Police'. 

The launch was sponsored by the School of Media, Arts and Humanities Research Institute and the Library. Research for the collection was supported by the Junior Research Associate Scheme and the Black at Sussex programme which aims to improve the experience of Black students and staff at Sussex and celebrate our Black alumni. The collection is also part of the Media, Arts and Humanities Research Institute theme 'Beginnings'. 

Myisha Box, curator,said:  

“The Black Studies collection project has been a great opportunity to develop my knowledge and skills in library and archival work, as well as forming the basis of my History dissertation, which will become part of the collection too. We’ve also secured further Research Culture Seed Funding from Sussex to develop the collection and community engagement with it, which I’m looking forward to working on with support from the School of Global Studies and the Sussex Humanities Lab. Overall, this has been a wonderful experience for me; I’ve learned a lot, it’s made me grow as a person, and it’s impacted my own personal identity.” 

Liz James, Interim Dean of Media, Arts and Humanities, said:  

“This rich collection charts key moments in Black British history, and it was remarkable to hear our guest speakers reflecting and critiquing objects in the collection. This wonderful launch event represents the beginning of ongoing dialogue and collaboration around the collection and I want to thank everyone who has contributed to its formation.” 

About the Black Studies library collection

Since Sussex was founded in 1961, University librarians have collected materials relevant to Black Studies and modern Black British history. Recently, a group of colleagues and students in the Library (Chloe Dobson and Danny Millum) and the Schools of Media, Arts and Humanities (Gavin Mensah-Coker and Anne-Marie Angelo) and Global Studies (Alice Corble) have collaboratively unearthed a number of rare and culturally important materials from across the existing themes of the University of Sussex Library Legacy and Documents print collections of pamphlets and ephemera which address the roots of Black history and social movements in Britain and beyond. By bringing the materials together they have created the University’s first Black Studies library collection. This is the beginning of what will hopefully become an expanded Black Studies collection at Sussex, linking with relevant materials in other relevant library and archival collections, with collaborative input from Black communities at Sussex and local partner organisations.