Caribbean Studies Seminar Series

CLACS Caribbean Studies Seminar Series actively promote intellectual engagement and knowledge exchange by providing scholars - including postgraduate students and early career researchers - with the opportunity to present their interdisciplinary, comparative and integrated research on the Caribbean.

The Future of Black Community Organisations in 21st Century Britain: An Engaged Ethnography

Speaker: Shey Fyffe  (Birmingham City University)

In the context of collective community responses to racially unjust societal conditions and treatment predominantly by the Afro-Caribbean community, and upon reflection of the surge of international attention and engagement with Black radical political thought and social action since the 2010s, this research explores the challenges facing Black community organisations with Black radical objectives in the political, economic and socio-cultural conditions of contemporary Britain. The key findings of an engaged ethnography conducted in a present-day ‘Bricks and mortar’ Black radical community organisation are presented, exploring the facets of disunity within the space. The obstacles that arise inform theorisation of the conflictions existing between the neo-liberal capitalist ideals that govern present Britain, and Black radical, anti-capitalist, revolutionary political ideals upon which the organisation was founded. In explicating the obstacles faced, this research seeks to highlight the necessity for the establishment, and preservation of Black community organisations as counter-publican institutions of Black radical unity, integral to the dismantling of oppressive systems at a grassroots level, and the bringing of Black radical visions of liberation to fruition. 

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Seminar Programme

Autumn term
4 October   
1 Nov            
6 Dec            
 
Winter term
10 Jan           
14 Feb          
14 March     

Organisers: Eve Hayes de Kalaf (ICwS) and Jack Webb (Manchester)

The Caribbean Studies Seminar Series is organised by the Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) in collaboration with Race, Roots and Resistance (University of Manchester)

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All are welcome to attend this free seminar, which will be held online via Zoom at 16:00 GMT. You will need to register in advance to receive the online joining link. Please click on the Book Now button at the top of the page to register.

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