David Lammy MP will be joined by writer and curator Ekow Eshun to explore the colonial organisation of society and why it needs to change.
In 2020, at the intersection of a global pandemic, and an international resurgent Black Lives Matter movement, critical questions are being asked about how our societies are organised. From our white-washed understanding of history, to the dangerous colonial narratives that underpin the representation of people in public art and images, there is an urgent need to revise the myths that maintain the status quo.
In a meeting of politics and culture, Lammy and Eshun will discuss the issues that surround aspects of storytelling, and how they are often influenced by unearned privilege and power. Exploring the recent toppling of statues to a focus on photographers shifting the powers to their subjects, how do we continue to reconcile with these elements of British history? How do we tell stories that truly reflect the subjective experience of people from all parts of society around the world?
Ekow Eshun has worked alongside international charity, the Fund for Global Human Rights, to try to change the stereotypes embedded in NGO storytelling. He recently curated Face to Face a free, public exhibition of social documentary and portrait photography, showing in King’s Cross, London until the end of November.
David Lammy has been MP for Tottenham since 2000 and is currently the Shadow Lord Chancellor and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice. When: Thu, 26 Nov 2020, 19:00 GMT
