Dartford Celebrates Black History Month with Inspiring Community Event
The Dartford community came together on Wednesday 1st October at the Temple Hill Community Centre to mark Black History Month with an evening of powerful performances, inspiring talks, and community spirit around the theme of “Standing Firm in Pride and Power”
The celebration was organised by Cohesion Plus and the Kent Equality Cohesion Council, working in partnership with Dartford Borough Council, with support from Arts Council England. The event shone a spotlight on the positive contributions made by the Black community in Britain, both past and present.
The evening opened with a moving one-man performance by actor O’Shea Lamar, who brought to life the story of a Jamaican RAF pilot during World War II, exploring the challenges he faced as a Black man serving his country.
This was followed by an engaging talk from Karin Muya, star of Charlton Athletic Women’s Team, who shared her personal journey in football, speaking about the barriers in the women’s game and her hopes for more Black girls to pursue the sport at all levels.
Cedi Frederick, Chair of NHS Kent and Medway, inspired the audience with his reflections on working across the public, private, and charity sectors, and the reality of having to be “twice as exceptional” to succeed.
Entrepreneur and artist Ebonie G spoke about founding Black Bird Entertainment Agency, which has grown into a thriving platform for Black artists. Akua Agyepong, a respected Dartford community champion, shared her experiences of raising a family locally and spoke honestly about some of the challenges faced in light of recent unrest.
Human Resources and EDI consultant Ken Olukwu spoke about the importance of representation and resources for local Black artists, and the work his Radio Show ‘Wetindey Radio’ does in sharing and highlighting West African culture.
The event concluded with a rousing address from Michelle Bramble, Chair of Cohesion Plus, who emphasised the importance of communities standing together in solidarity.
Civic guests in attendance included Kelvin Holford, Deputy Lieutenant of Kent, Cllr Peter Whapshott, Mayor of Dartford, and Cllr Jeremy Kite, Leader of Dartford Borough Council, who each expressed their pride in supporting the event.
Gurvinder Sandher, Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus, also addressed the audience, reminding everyone that Black History is British History and that symbols like the Union Flag and the Cross of St George belong to everyone, regardless of ethnicity or faith.
In addition, there are music and singing workshops taking place in 6 local schools in the borough and there will be a programme of entertainment celebrating Black History Month on the High Street between 10am and 2pm on Saturday the 4th and the 11th of October.
Speaking after the event, Gurvinder Sandher said:
“This celebration brought together people from all walks of life to recognise and honour the contribution of the Black community to Dartford and to the country as a whole. Events like this are vital in promoting unity, respect, and understanding in our communities. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who took the time to attend the celebrations, as well as our partners Dartford Borough Council and Arts Council England for their continued support. Celebrating Black History Month is important as Black History is British History and only by learning from the past can we celebrate the diversity that we enjoy today.”
