| Description | An interview with Dr. Roi KWABENA, a single man with Five children, who is a Cultural activist/publisher, born in Trinidad and now living in Birmingham. Dr. Roi KWABENA’s father was a Automobile engineer, born in Trinidad and his mother a Housewife/ florist born in Trinidad. In the interview, he talks about …
'ROI KWABENA MS2255/2/069
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My name is Roi Kwabena. I was born in Trinidad on 23rd July 1956….Describes the area where he grew up.
2.35 Attended St. Margaret’s Boys Anglican school.
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Stories about schooling.
1.05 Interested in watching boxing.
2.09 Describes moving to another area of Trinidad.
3.41 It was a period of time when people in my country were thinking about independence….
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Father’s background and occupation.
3.17 Started writing at school.
4.11 Then the big explosion came…it was 1970, the era of Black Power and I immediately immersed myself in it at the age of 13….
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Family history.
1.39 Well-known at school for organising concerts.
3.51 First book of poetry published at 18.
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I was a member of…the National Organisation of Revolutionary Students trying to promote the fact that African and Asian history was not being taught in schools….
1.16 Wanted to become an architect. Attended a technical school at age 16.
4.23 Conflict with parents over decision to become a writer.
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Studied mass communications at university.
Describes student activities at university.
3.36 Started work as a teacher in 1979.
4.22 Story about attempting to sell his poetry door to door.
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Continues story.
2.40 Relationships.
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Became interested in Islam.
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Debates in the country surrounding language and identity. Published a book on marijuana…vegetable juices….
1.20 Involved with a community known as the Nubian Islamic Hebrew Mission…Considered Sudan to be the home of our heritage….Decided to go into the community….Describes his experience.
3.16 Thoughts on marijuana.
4.22 Reasons for being interested in Islam.
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Continues reasons.
1.20 I got really frustrated with life in the community and I left because I recognise in there I lost my identity….
2.08 Conflicts between Islam and African history.
3.04 I became the editor of a newspaper called The Challenge…
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I never rushed into going out of my country….
1.01 A friend intrigued me….dropped some Caribbean newspapers published in England called The Caribbean Times….I made it part of my consciousness that I’m going to Africa via Europe….
Story about buying a ticket to Europe.
4.35 Received a letter from Grassroots in London…1985
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Story about arrival at the airport.
Story about using the Underground.
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Drug abuse in Trinidad.
Describes life in London.
1.43 Invited to Wolverhampton.
3.32 Visit to Wolverhampton.
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I worked with children at an Afro-Caribbean centre and lectured them on Caribbean history….I never went back to London until about 4 years later….
2.36 Performed at The Cave in Birmingham.
3.38 Lived in Handsworth.
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Story about Osaba Womens’ Centre in Coventry.
1.43 Went to Africa to study for a PhD.
3.13 Became a senator in Trinidad.
4.29 How he met Andy Hamilton.
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Attempts to initiate a black arts festival in Coventry.
1.32 Comments on the Handsworth Riots.
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One of the things that really disturbed me from my first visit in 1985….was the fact that black people had come over here and made their sacrifices for so long and still their was no equal power with other people…
Reflections on life in England.
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What has happened to those young people? They are now young adults. I am meeting people who are in their 20s, they were 5 when I was here the last time and they talk to me about lack of self-confidence….
1.16 Views on black history and politics.
3.45 Birmingham is poised to be a leading city in this country….
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Discusses Birmingham’s heritage.
2.00 Now lives in Erdington.
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Birmingham’s history.
3.01 The only misgiving I have about Birmingham is this…The Chinese have their pagoda, the Asian people have their mandir…mosques…,what do the African people have other than buying over other churches that were neglected by the European people….
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Carnival.
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Identity.
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Recites his poem.
ENDS |