Olivia Wyatt, Queen Mary University of London School of History PhD researcher speaks on the importance of Black British History for Black History Month.
Queen Mary University of London PhD researcher Olivia Wyatt, specialises in Black British History and spoke to Soji Jeboda for their Stories & Portraits series for this year's Black History Month.
In the interview, Olivia discusses her journey into becoming a historian and studying Black British History, starting from an interest in History as a young child. She touches on her involvement with the Young Historians Project, a UK–based collective which promotes the scholarship and popular understanding of Black History, and why it's important to understand Black British History.
In the interview, Olivia expressed: "It's important that we have an understanding of Black British History because it's so important to our understanding of ourselves in this country and particularly why we ended up here and also why we belong here."
Watch the full interview with Olivia on Soji Jeboda's Instagram here.
As part of Black History Month, Olivia also presented at the Hounslow Council for their event, 'Reclaiming Narratives'. She outlined Black women's activism in Britain, alongside colleague Dr Rob Waters, and discussed the role of Black businesses in Black communities.
When we asked Olivia about her PhD experience of Queen Mary, she said: “I’ve been very fortunate to write my thesis surrounded by so many lovely friends across PhD cohorts and the School of History. Despite the shifting circumstances of postgraduate students, colleagues have gone above and beyond to ensure that the department remains an inclusive space for researchers of history at all levels."
She continued: "The department and the doctoral college generously sponsored The Issue of Truth: Representing Black British History, which was an international and interdisciplinary conference that I organised alongside Deanna Lyncook at the Institute of Historical Research. The department also agreed to host a launch of Hakim Adi’s edited collection Many Struggles: Histories of African and Caribbean people in Britain, which featured my chapter on Black women’s community activism in Leeds.
Both junior and experienced colleagues have consistently supported my development as a historian, while demonstrating what a vibrant and considerate academic community can look like. I am delighted to see such a commitment to the promotion of Black British History during a time of funding cuts and hostility against descendants of immigrants, and I hope that it continues in the uncertain times that are yet to come.”