Women in Greenwich

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Title: Women in Greenwich

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Immediate source of acquisition or transfer: Greenwich Council, Local History Library, Mary Chang, Anita J Mckenzie

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

Scope and content: The Women of Greenwich Collection was created to celebrate the lives and achievements of women of African, Asian and Caribbean origin on International Women's Day, 8 March 2001. The Collection comprises biographies as well as images (see Women in Greenwich) - of leading women who live and work in Greenwich, London:

Mary Lucinda Rice

Mary Lucinda Rice was born in Plumstead 1882. Her father was Dr. George Rice, an African American born in 1848 who studied medicine in Edinburgh under Joseph Lister, then moved to Plumstead as Superintendent of the Woolwich Workhouse Infirmary. In Plumstead, he met and married Florence Mary Cook in 1881. Later, the family moved to Sutton where Dr. Rice took up a similar position. Mary Rice died in Sutton in 1967. We would know nothing of this family's existence were it not that Mary had preserved papers and photos recording hers and her parents' lives, and while the house was being cleared after her death, a Black workman recognised their importance and brought them into the care of historians.

Jaghir Sekhon, Mayor of Greenwich

Councillor Jaghir Sekhon was born and brought up in a small village in the Punjab, where she was educated and also qualified in General Nursing Training. She came to Britain in 1968 and gained her Health Visitor and postgraduate qualifications in Cardio Thoraxic Nursing practice. She became involved in local Labour Party politics from 1994 and has served on many local council committees since then. She is also a member of the British Indian Councillors' Association. She has lived in the Borough of Greenwich since coming to Britain and was elected mayor, first citizen of the borough in May 2000.Cllr. Sekon also enjoys writing and was a winner of the Golden Poet Award, from Sacramento, California in 1988.

Councillor Mavis Best

Councillor Mavis Best came to the UK from Jamaica, in 1961. She trained as a Community Develpment Youth Worker at the University of London, Goldsmith College, in 1974. Councillor Best is married with six children and grand- children. She believes that having a large family should not mean that women cannot achieve their potential and play an effective role in society. She has worked for North Lewisham Project where she set up a supplementary school for African-Caribbean children who were under achieving in schools in the Deptford area. She embarked upon a campaign to repeal the 1824 Vagrancy Act, used to pick up black under-age males in the seventies. The campaign lasted three years and the Act was repealed. She also worked as a Community Development Worker for Camden Social Services where she developed her skills as a trainer, and went on to become a national Co-ordinator for Health and Race Project over a period of three years. She became a member of a team charged with the responsibility of developing issues on health matters for Neil Kinnock. Councillor Best was the Chair of the Maternity Alliance, concerned with issues of childbirth and women's rights. Her family means a lot to her, as well as her faith and belief in God. She believes profoundly in helping to challenge injustice in our society, this belief underpinning all of her undertakings. Councillor Best has lived in the borough for nineteen years. She is a councillor for the Ferrier Ward and an Executive Member for Equalities, Social Inclusion and Justice. Six years ago, she was re-married, to Mr Fabian Best.

Baroness Howells

Rosalind Howells was born in Grenada in the Caribbean in 1931. She was brought up in a traditional, supportive family and learned early on about the value of education and the concept of service to others. Her personal sense of identity she attributes firmly to her pride in her slave ancestors, who rose above their circumstances to gain equality, recognising the value and importance of education in this achievement. Her community work experience began with the Mothers' Project at the Moonshot Youth Club in New Cross. She moved into introducing action for racial equality in the Greater London Council (GLC) and contributed advice on race relations to government and other agencies. Amoung her many roles she has been Deputy High Commissioner for Grenada in London, Director of Equal Opportunities for the Greenwich Council for Race Equality, Woman of the Year, the first black person to become Vice Chair of the London Voluntary Service Council, and the first black woman to become a member of the Court of Governors of the University of Greenwich. She has also been an active supporter for the New Cross Fire, Roland Adams, and Stephen Lawrence Family Campaigns. It was Ros Howells' contributions to the development of racial equality policies in Britain. and her personal involvement in community projects to enhance opportunities for black people, that led to being given the ordinary officer status of the Civil Division of Her Majesty's most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in December 1993. Although officially retired, she continues to be active in providing support to individuals and to address injustice.

Zeinab Mohamud

Currently a Somali Women's Co-ordinator. Zeinab came to Britain from Mogadishu, Somalia in 1987. She faced many of the obstacles that present themselves to a refugee in this country. One of these difficulties was in finding the right clothes for herself that would reflect and respect her traditions and religion. Zeinab took matters into her own hands and began a three year course in fashion and design at Lewisham College where she learnt to make the clothes that she needed. Over time other Somali women became involved and she began teaching them sewing skills. In 1998 they formed the Somali Women's Training and Development Organisation. The group had its first fashion show in July 2000, showcasing their work and celebrating their achievements as active members of the community on the Ferrier estate. Zeinab has become disabled due to a back complaint, but she still manages to organise activities and gives advice from home. Her advice to other women is: 'To improve your skills, learn to fight for what's important to you, within your culture. If I didn't learn these skills, I wouldn't be able to do what I want.'

Shola Idowu

Shola is an afro/hip hop artiste born in Britain. She is deeply influenced by Femi Kuti, Lauryn Hill, Jimi Hendrix, and Miriam Makeba, and is recognised as the woman who pioneered hip hop music in Nigeria and won proper recognition for hip hop in 1997 by picking up the very first award ever given to a hip hop artiste in Nigeria. She recently collaborated with Femi Kuti (Fela Kuti's son) recording a cover version of Fela Kuti's song title 'Palava.' Shola loves performing on stage and has had the opportunity to perform with Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Tony Allen and Ashly Beedle, and she has supported MC Lyte on stage. She writes, produces and composes most of her material, and also collaborates with other writers. One of her unique afro/hip hop songs ('African Woman') was recently licensed to a compilation project which featured songs by Orlando Julius and Snowboy. Shola's words to other women are: 'Stand tall, Stand.'

Mary Chang

Mary Chang was born in Hong Kong in 1952 and came to Britain when she was aged thirteen. She studied music in London, New York and Munich and is a concert pianist, painter, poet, writer, calligrapher and teacher. She has been a resident in Greenwich for nearly 20 years. She has performed extensively in many different countries and has her own recording company for recording classical music. More recently, Mary has concentrated on painting. She explains, 'When I had my son, I developed my painting as a quieter occupation, in comparison to the piano, in order to let him sleep. I call my paintings 'Diaspora Art' because I am intrinsically like a lot of other people with diverse cultures. Some of my paintings emerge from crises in my own life and that of friends. Some are social comments and others are inspired by children, religion and philosophical ideas. I want to spread the gospel through my life work to share with others, the glory of the truth in Christ.' Mary's motto is: Peace, peace, peace and only peace (quoted from the Virgin Mary at Mejugore).

Patricia Gonsalves

Patricia Gonsalves is the Executive Director of the Greenwich Mediation Project. She was born in Trinidad in 1953. She graduated in Philosophy and Cultural Studies in London. Patricia has been a community activist and development worker in the Not-For-Profit sector for over 20 years; she is passionate about the 'space in between' people - and how to express this in ways which lead to empowerment and growth. She comments that her role models are her articulate contemporaries, 'those black women who work to determine themselves with integrity in the face of strength-sapping barriers.' As she continues to learn how to 'walk positively and supportively alongside other black women' her words to other black women are that 'every act is an act of self-definition.'

Gloria Muikira

Gloria was born in Tanzania, East Africa in 1979. She studied for a BTEC ND in Fashion Design and a Certificate in Fashion Design and Marketing in London. Gloria then made the decision to 'broaden her experiences and areas for communication.' She is influenced by fashion photography, African landscape, dance, music and culture. Currently, her work has progressed to art, photography and freelance writing, where she is 'endeavouring to be a visible participant in the arts.' She also relies on spiritual practice as a basis for mental resilience. Her words to other women are: 'The airport won't take you anywhere, you have to get on the plane.'

Anmol Jivani

Born in 1967 Anmol Jivani started singing at the age of three, when she picked up a microphone at a show. She came to Britain in 1973 with her family, where she resumed her singing six years later. By singing publically, she was eventually introduced to two producers in the mid 1990's, who asked her to sing on their 'Bollywood' remix albums, 'Love in Bollywood' and 'Silsila.' She also appeared on Zee TV's 'Antakshavi,' a musical quiz show where she made it to the semi-final. Her most recent release, a traditional Gujarati album called 'Cool Gujju- Dandra with a twist' received great reviews last year. Anmol's greatest ambition is to sing playback for a major Bollywood blockbuster. Anmol's words to other women are: 'To all those ambitious women out there, I would say follow your dreams, dare to be different, and don't let the B's get you down!'

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Language/scripts of material: English

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DESCRIPTION CONTROL AREA

Recorder's note: This record wasfully indexed June 2002 MR

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, Asian

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Subjects

Photography

Photographs

Equal opportunity

Employment

Education

Asian peoples

African-Caribbean peoples

Ethnic groups

Cultural identity

Womens organizations

Womens studies

Women

Personal/Corporate names

Best, Mavis

Sekhon, Jaghir

Rice, Mary Lucinda

Howells, Rosalind (Baroness of St. David's)

Mohamud, Zeinab

Idowu, Shola

Chang, Mary (Chang Kuo Chuang)

Gonsalves, Patricia

Muikira, Gloria

Jivani,Anmol

Somali Women's Training and Development Organisation

British Indian Councillors' Association

Greenwich Council for Racial Equality

Places

Greenwich, London, United Kingdom