Black and Ethnic Minority Experience Project (BEME)

IDENTITY STATEMENT AREA

Reference code(s): DX-624

Title: Black and Ethnic Minority Experience Project (BEME)

Date(s): 1998 - 2000

Level of description: Fond

Extent and medium of the unit of description: 120 items

CONTEXT AREA

Name of creator(s): Wolverhampton Race Equality Council

Administrative/Biographical history: The Black and Ethnic Minority Experience (BEME) was a Millennium Festival Project funded by The Heritage Memorial Trust. Running throughout 2000 the project was led by the Wolverhampton Race Equality Council in partnership with the Lighthouse Media Centre, the University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton College, Wolverhampton Borough Council, GATE, the Adult Education Service, Wolverhampton Association for Music and Arts, and West Midlands Caribbean Parents and Friends Association. Presently BE-ME is a collaboration in partnership with: African Caribbean Community Initiative, Asian Womens' Adhikar Association, GATE, Light House, University of Wolverhampton, West Midlands Caribbean Parents & Friends Association, Wolverhampton Association for Music & Arts, Wolverhampton College, Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council, and Wolverhampton Race Equality Council.

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CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

Scope and content: The collection consists of notes related to the project proposal, steering group copy minutes, agendas, and related papers, project copies minutes and reports, and oral history training packs and papers. There are also publicity materials including posters, press releases, photographs and video recordings (ref:DX-624/7/1), as well as a booklet entitled The Church as I see It, by Lambert C Garwood on the New Testament Church of God, Wolverhampton (ref:DX-624/8/1). The majority of the Collection comprises of interviews that were recorded in three formats: Betacam SP, mini-DV (digital cassette), and minidisc. The collection of interviews focused on those who settled in Britain roughly between the years 1948-1965 and include recordings of women of African -Caribbean (24) and Asian (7) descent and men of African -Caribbean (38) and Asian (29) descent were conducted in English, Punjabi, Urdu, and Gujarati between January - October 2000. The issues covering include pre-migration, the experience of migration, arrival to Wolverhampton, settlement and early life, reminiscences and commentary on contemporary life.

The following is an excerpt taken from the BEME website:

'Oral history is to be used as a way of uncovering the previously silenced minorities - it is positive in acknowledging the contributions of `all' members of society, therefore, it can initiate the redefining of black history. The experiences were collated largely through reminiscences. A recording is to be made using either audio or videotape, to capture stories from birth (pre-migration; migration; settlement) to the present. On completion, there will be a unique archive of the black experience - detailing the social, economic and cultural contributions made by Wolverhampton's black communities.

Copies of the material are to be made available for the public, and it is envisaged that the data will be of specific interest to researchers, historians, teachers and learners.'

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CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE AREA

Conditions governing access:

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Language/scripts of material: English, Punjabi, Urdu, and Gujarati

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids: printed list

ALLIED MATERIALS AREA

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DESCRIPTION CONTROL AREA

Recorder's note: RSB

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:

Interest: Black

Specific group:

Subjects

Communities

Migration

Oral history

Personal/Corporate names

Wolverhampton Race Equality Council

Black and Ethnic Minority Experience

Places

Wolverhampton, West Midlands, United Kingdom