People of African Descent in the 21st century: knowledge and cultural production in reluctant sites of memory

拟议的网络将成为人权委员会作为联合国非洲人后裔国际十年活动的一部分，并将利用核心的艺术和人文研究重点来探索与非洲人后裔具体相关的问题，并将涉及与非洲人后裔研究人员和社区的接触和参与。通过对与非洲人后裔的历史和经历相关的记忆地点的跨学科综合，该网络将探索特定的环境，以展示他们如何不情愿地讲述非洲，亚洲和欧洲人民之间殖民遭遇的遗产故事，以及他们如何提供非洲人后裔积极参与塑造他们被迫迁移到的社会的例子。这个网络将通过一系列的研讨会，包括创意表演和会议，阐明在这些不同的记忆地点工作的文化生产机制。它将涉及非洲人后裔的研究人员和艺术从业者以及非洲人后裔社区团体的参与。汇集学术和社区参与者的国际网络，跨越学科界限，将有机会对与非洲人后裔有关的历史提出更全面的看法和分析。该网络建议将记忆地点的概念扩展到“不情愿的记忆地点”的概念，这些地点呈现了关于非洲人后裔经历的各种微观历史。选择多义词“不情愿的记忆地点”是为了强调“不情愿”引起少数群体和多数群体的一定程度的抵制。我们将考察一些不情愿的记忆地点，包括与非裔加拿大历史遗址等国际地点的比较。关于英格兰东南部和南威尔士与非洲人后裔之间的联系的文章很少。然而，卡迪夫是虎湾的所在地，虎湾是英国最古老的多元文化地区之一，而巴斯的费尔菲尔德庄园是对非洲人后裔历史感兴趣的游客的重要一站。该网络的真正目的是揭示不情愿的记忆地点，该网络将超越学术界，与社区合作，探索非洲人后裔之间的联系，参与跨大西洋奴隶制的历史，黑人在英格兰东南部和南威尔士的存在以及殖民遗产。

The proposed network will form part of the AHRC's activity as part of the UN International Decade for People of African Descent and will use a core arts and humanities research focus to explore issues of specific relevance to people of African descent and will involve engagement with and the participation of, researchers and communities of African descent.Through a cross-disciplinary synthesis of sites of memory related to the history and experiences of people of African descent the network will explore specific settings in order to show how they reluctantly tell the story of the legacies of colonial encounters between people of Africa, Asia and Europe and how they provide examples of active participation of people of African descent in shaping societies they were forcibly moved to. This network will illuminate the mechanisms of cultural production at work in these various sites of memory through a series of workshops including creative performance and a conference. It will involve the participation of researchers and artistic practitioners of African descent and community groups of African descent.Bringing together an international network of academic and community participants and crossing the boundaries of disciplines will afford the opportunity to present a more holistic view and analysis of histories that are relevant to people of African descent. This network proposes to extend the notion of sites of memory to the idea of "reluctant sites of memory" that present a variety of micro histories regarding the experiences of people of African descent. The polysemic term "reluctant sites of memory" was chosen to emphasise that "reluctance" evokes degrees of resistance from both minority groups and majority communities. We will examine a number of reluctant sites of memory including comparison with international locations such as African-Canadian historic sites. Little has been written about the links between South-East England and South Wales and people of African descent. However, Cardiff is home to Tiger Bay one of the oldest multicultural areas in Britain and Fairfield House in Bath is a crucial stop for visitors interested in the history of people of African descent. The very purpose of the network is to shed light on sites of reluctant memory and this network will reach beyond academia to work with communities to explore connections between Afro-descents, the history of involvement in the transatlantic slavery, Black presence in South-East England and South Wales and colonial legacies.