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British people are pitifully undereducated in our country’s Black history, according to a recent survey by Snap, the Black Cultural Archives and Research Without Borders. Less than a third of Brits recognise famous Black historical figures (32 percent), just half the number that recognise similarly famous white historical figures (63 percent). And a measly 21 percent said they learned the most about Black history in schools, with most relying on TV, the news, or books to find out about important Black cultural figures. Well, hopefully all that’s about to change with a new project, run in collaboration between Snapchat and Black Cultural Archives.
London’s Trafalgar Square will fill up with monuments to ‘forgotten’ Black Britons, such as boxer Bill Richmond (1763-1829) or sailor George Ryan, who served at the Battle of Trafalgar. But there’s a twist. Instead of being physical statues, these monuments will be available to view digitally via a new ‘immersive lens’, made in partnership between Snapchat and Black Cultural Archives. The way it works is simple. Just point your phone at different locations around Trafalgar Square. Then text and images will pop up, offering an instant Black history lesson. As well as telling hidden stories, the lens will also showcase works by four Black British contemporary artists. Plus, it’ll bring to life two rare existing statues of Black historical figures: Nelson Mandela (in Parliament Square) and Mary Seacole (in St Thomas’s Hospital gardens).
To experience this lens, open up Snapchat, navigate to the lens carousel, and then tap on the ‘Black History’ book icon. It’s available from today onwards, so make like a pigeon and flock to Trafalgar Square for a free digital history lesson that you hopefully won’t forget.
Visit the Museum of London before it closes for four years.
Cheese! You can get a photo of your family in the National Portrait Gallery.