Meet the Trustees: Marie-Claire Amuah
Marie-Claire Amuah
My decision to apply for a position as a Trustee of Black Cultural Archives (BCA) was inspired by the mission, vision and work of the organisation: to collect, preserve and celebrate the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK and to inspire and give strength to individuals, communities, and society.
In April 2021, I found myself looking at a black and white photograph of Brixton 40 years earlier. The photograph is centered by an upside down police car. The car’s back windows are smashed and flames spill from its insides. At the back, the flames mix with heavy black smoke which billows from the tyres and out of the left side of the frame. There are people in the distance - black people. I cannot read the expressions on their faces. There are traffic lights that indicate no right turn and a railway bridge which spans the width of the photograph. To the right is an advert for hand rolling tobacco which boldly encourages people to ‘get the economy rolling’. The photograph was taken during the Brixton Uprising in 1981. It is just one example from the 50 sq meters of archival material in BCA’s archive which is one of the most comprehensive collections of material that documents the history and cultural heritage of Black Britain.
I don’t need the road sign underneath the advert in the photograph to tell me that it’s a photograph of the junction where Atlantic Road meets Brixton High Street; I know it instinctively. I know the building that is now Marks & Spencer. I know the clock under which H Samuel stood for many years. And I know that Bon Marché was once a busy department store on Brixton High Street. I know this because I was born and raised on Dalberg Road, SW2. I attended Corpus Christi primary school on Trent Road and I was baptized in the adjoining church. I am a British Ghanaian South Londoner. My heart and life and identity is rooted in all: Brixton, South London and Ghana. If you walk in the direction of Morleys and cross the road at the traffic lights, you will come to the Ritzy and the library next to which you will find the home of BCA at 1 Windrush Square.
It is an honour to sit on the Board of BCA and to contribute to the vision and strategy of the organisation. To compliment my professional career with meaningful voluntary work is a means of personal fulfillment that I have always enjoyed and prioritised. As a criminal barrister, I am a trained advocate with prosecution and defence experience in the Magistrates’ Court and Crown Court. As a Trustee, I am able to lend my skills as an advocate and litigator to provide legal advice to the Board and operational team. An example of this might be in relation to the ongoing response and action of the Home Office to the Windrush scandal; or establishing a partnership between BCA and a law firm to provide pro bono assistance and support to the organisation.
One for Sorrow, Two for Joy
I am also an author, whose debut novel One for Sorrow, Two for Joy was published by Oneworld Publications in Autumn 2022. One for Sorrow, Two for Joy tells the story of Stella, a child of Ghanaian parents, born and raised in Brixton. Stella is born into the chaos of domestic violence and struggles to make sense of the world around her. She touches wood so that bad things won’t happen to her or her family - until she learns a poem about magpies, ‘one for sorrow…’ In my writing, I draw on my experience as a British Ghanaian South Londoner to explore the identity of Brixton, the myriad ways it has changed over the years and the impact on the community while offering a sensitive portrayal of the ripple effects of domestic violence, and a defiant story of friendship, resilience and hope.
As a Trustee of BCA, I am proud to share that there is a wealth of talent, knowledge and ambition across the organisation’s operational team and Board. There are a multitude of educational opportunities available at, and through, BCA via its archives, workshops, events and exhibitions. I hope that people inside, and outside, the local community are inspired to get involved with BCA, support its mission and take advantage of all its offerings. I am particularly looking forward to seeing our young people (I think that makes me ‘old’?!) at the BCA Pathways career event: 'Seeing Ourselves, Hearing Our Voices' at the Museum of London on 15 September 2022.