Black History Month: Film premiere at University of Bedfordshire explores what it means to be Black in the UK

This Black History Month the University of Bedfordshire is opening its doors for a short film screening exploring what it means to be Black in the UK.

Pathways, created by Emmanuel Afilaka and Ernest Forson, is an “exploration into people’s experiences of what it’s like to be black in the UK” – and will be screened at the Luton campus on Park Street on Wednesday, October 26 from 2pm to 4pm.

Emmanuel said: “The inspiration for our first episode of ‘pathways’ was extracted from many elements of both myself and Ernest’s upbringings and having to deal with the normalisation of covert and overt racial and cultural pressures and prejudice in London via TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and the administration/regulations of British uniformed institutions”.

”I felt very passionate about that subject because it speaks about myself and many of the people I grew up with.

“Judgements are always made from the outside, people always point their fingers but they don’t understand the cultures, traditions, practices or philosophies.

“Coming from Hackney, East London and being affiliated, through my upbringing, with criminal stereotypes and gang stigmatisation – I felt that people who don’t have or haven’t had a primary experience of the unseen warmth and comforts that come with community cohesion when there is a general sense and acknowledgement of melancholy, despair and social economic despondence, don’t have the right to play judge and jury with less than limited information”.

The creators say their favourite part of the process was working with and interviewing the participants.

Emmanuel added: “The speakers came from such diverse career paths and unique fields of proficiency, yet they all seemed to express a commonality when dealing with the subject of race, chicanery and discrimination”.

Their message for up-and-coming creators is to “always follow your heart, put actions to your thoughts and ideas, regardless of those who don’t believe in your vision, because resources and support vehicles always miraculously appear, to assist and provide necessary guidance incrementally until dreams are made tangible”.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A panel, featuring academics from the School of Applied Social Science’s Changemakers group, who will share thoughts and ideas with the production team, cast and guests.

Find out more at the university’s website. You can also book a free ticket through eventbrite.