Since she was a child Niomi Daley (aka Ms Dynamite) has been fascinated by stories of Nanny of the Maroons - an extraordinary Jamaican woman who successfully led a revolt by slaves against the British Army. It is claimed that her army of rebel slaves was never defeated by the British.

Niomi sets out to discover why, 250 years on, Nanny remains such an inspirational figure in Jamaica and its only national heroine. Nanny was leader of the Maroons, a daring group of slaves who ran away from enslavement in the British sugar plantations in Jamaica and set up secret communities in the mountains.

Did Nanny use special spirit powers to defeat the British? There are tales that Nanny could catch the British bullets in her buttocks - Niomi investigates these extraordinary claims. Ms Dynamite also discovers the way the Maroons used to camouflage themselves, dressing up as trees in a remarkable early use of guerilla tactics. To discover what Nanny may have looked like Niomi meets Renee Cox, an artist who has created her own provocative images of Nanny. Visiting an historic sugar plantation Niomi challenges a modern white descendant of the slave traders about his views on slavery.

Taking the pulse of modern day Jamaica Ms Dynamite begins to appreciate just how much Nanny Maroon and the legacy of slavery continues to influence daily life in present day Jamaica. The female warrior remains an important cultural icon more than 200 years after her original exploits against the British.

Uncomfortable Truths

The shadow of slave trading on contemporary art & design

An exhibition addressing the ways in which contemporary art and design is informed by the legacy of slavery takes place at the V&A Museum from 20 February - 17 June 2007. Admission is Free to Uncomfortable Truths, where a series of works by African, American and European artists will be displayed throughout the museum’s public spaces.

Featured artists from Britain (Anissa-Jane, Lubaina Himid, Keith Piper and Yinka Shonibare), Africa (El Anatsui, Tapfuma Gutsa, Romuald Hazoumé and Julien Sinzogan), the United States (Michael Paul Britto and Fred Wilson) and Europe (Christine Meisner).

A two-day interdisciplinary conference ‘From Cane Field to Tea Cup: The Impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade on Art and Design’ will be taking place on 24 and 25 February 2007.

London Councils £28 Million in grants for Voluntary Sector

London Councils will stage five special meetings over the coming weeks across London, to explain the new commissioning process for its £28 million grants programme for voluntary sector projects. Projects can learn how to submit bids, what commissioning means, funding priorities and the timetable for introducing commissioning across London Councils priority area. Read more

James Brown Tributes on Vibe.com

Music, video and, photographic tributes to the late James Brown are being featured at Vibe.com. The tributes include playlists featuring some of Brown’s top hits including “Livin’ In America,” “It’s a Man’s, Man’s World,” “Get Up Offa That Thing,” “Hot Pants,” “Super Bad,” “Cold Sweat,” “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” “The Boss,” “Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud), and, “The Payback.”.

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Creative & Cultural Skills on the road

Creative & Cultural Skills is the UK’s Sector Skills Council for advertising, crafts, cultural heritage, design, music, performing, visual and literary arts. We are an employer-led body, dedicated to improving the supply of education and skills to our industries.

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decibel Penguin Prize seeking talented writers of Non-fiction

Penguin and decibel are once again collaborating to produce two further books in the decibel Penguin Prize series. The popular book publisher and the Arts Council initiative, with specific aims to raise the profile of artists from culturally diverse backgrounds hope to launch the second run of this competition this month.

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Danceafreaka - Get Fit, Have Fun, with African Dance and African Drums

Forget about gym memberships, regular aerobics classes or exercise balls. If you’re in the know then the way to get fit for 2007 must be to try Danceafreaka. With classes in Fitness First^® gyms across London and a brand new home workout DVD, if you try this unique workout program, you’ll no doubt be dropping the pounds in no time.

Danceafreaka combines traditional African Dance with aerobic exercise to create an exhiliarating workout routine accompanied by the rythmic sounds of live African Drumming. Developed by Kwaku A. Mensah of Ancestral Hands Ltd, the DVD helps you to experience the “Kloga” routine in the comfort of your own home.

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Talking Abolition for a moment

2007 will be a year designated as one of rememberance! The UK Government seeks to recognise and celebrate the 200 year anniversary of the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Be clear on this, this is not 200 years since the forced enslavement of Africans ceased, the last colony in which this practice was outlawed was Brazil in 1888. This bicentenary marks the 200th anniversary of the parliamentary abolition of the slave trade.

According to former Head of Culture at the Greater London Authority (GLA), Baroness Lola Young this anniversary “presents us all with an opportunity to think about the historical forces that have shaped our current circumstances”

At Bambooo, we want to hear what you think about the upcoming anniversary and how you will participate in projects associated with marking the event. Does this bicentenary have significant importance to African British people? Are you boycotting it all together? If so why?

Get in touch using the comment form below or our contact form

Is Race slipping down the agenda

The first nine commissioners in the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) have been announced by Communities secretary Ruth Kelly this week. With the exception of Trevor Phillips, who has been appointed to chair the commission, there are no representatives among the new appointees who have a background in ‘Race’ equality.

What does this mean for ethnic communities within the UK? During his time at the Commission for Racial Equality, it could be argued that Phillips pushed for assimilation rather than integration, arguing that we all need to adopt ‘britishness’ and not try to maintain a separatist or isolationist view within our communities.

According to reports in the Guardian¹ , this view has set him in direct opposition to Mayor Ken Livingstone and his race advisor Lee Jasper. In addition the 1990 Trust Black Information Network reported ‘Work has already begun on a Race and Faith Manifesto and follow up for a new grassroots Coalition for Race and Faith Equality (CRFE).’

The government plan to advertise for a further five CEHR commissioners in January.

¹ http://www.guardian.co.uk/race/story/0,,1958967,00.html

Threshers offer shows the power of Internet shopping

Has the Internet changed our shopping habits forever? Are black business owners ready to harness the power that this global platform offers them in targeting their customers?

If you’re online then you cannot have escaped the plethora of discount vouchers being sent via email by friends and family over the past few weeks. The stores have caught on to the fact that we no longer want to pay high prices for our goods and services and are offering 20, 30 and in the case of Threshers the wine store a massive 40 per cent discount on their products.

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