Dr. Olive Vassell: Black British Women - the Power of the Pen

At the Edge: Think Culture

Three Black British women from different centuries who are pioneers in using the power of the pen and in doing so have highlighted the Black experience in Britain: Mary Seacole 19th century - First Black woman to publish an autobiography Claudia Jones 20th century - founder and publisher of the first Black commercial newspaper Bernadette Evaristo 20/21st century - first Black winner of the Booker prize Olive Vassell was born and raised in London. Her research interests focus on the African Diaspora, especially Black Europe and the Black British media. A journalist for more than two decades, Olive has worked both in the UK and the US. In 2009, she founded euromight.com, the first Black pan-European news site. Most recently she authored a chapter on the Black British and Irish Press for the pioneering, three-volume, Edinburgh History of the British and Irish Press, 1641-2017 (published November 2020). She is currently writing and editing a book, Mapping Black Europe: Monuments, Markers, Memories. In 2020, she was awarded a Fulbright Specialist award during which she will partner with the Namibia University of Science and Technology. Olive is an associate professor at the University of the District of Columbia where she heads its Digital Media program.