Is the ’Art’ of History Axing Britain’s Expert in African History?

Can Art Save Us?

Have you ever thought about the Art of History? Not the history of art but how history is painted to tell us about the past; to document historical events, people and movement, power and conflict, control and beliefs, to tell us how to understand our lives, identity and the world today. How history is painted and told in any form, can include propaganda, fact, fiction, embellishment and absence. But who has told and been able to tell their histories? Currently in the UK, we have a significant news story in education that spotlights the importance of history, how and what is told, investigated or re-examined and by whom. Professor Hakim Adi, is the first British person of African heritage to become a professor of history in the UK. He was appointed Professor of the History of Africa and the African Diaspora at the University of Chichester and he’s just been shortlisted for the Wolfson history prize for his book published in 2022, entitled African and Caribbean People in Britain: A History. The Wolfson Prize is the UK’s most prestigious history prize. Here comes the strange part. At Chichester University, Professor Adi’s course, was recently axed without consultation. Despite being appointed years before this particular course, he was also made redundant. We talk about the need for truth, transformative history to help combat racism, respecting struggle and to never give up. He is internationally recognized as an expert in the history of Africa and the African diaspora. This is the best history lesson I've had. What we're not taught is staggering; the courage, the honour, the excitement, the inspiration, the giants that are absent. This is a voice raising a poorly painted landscape to the bolder truth of Africa.

Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.

Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb

Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview, news, reviews and your host are here: https://www.canartsaveus.com

Discover Professor Hakim Adi: www.hakimadi.org/