We all have that incredible vintage Polaroid of our mother or father in an outfit that you’d steal in a heartbeat if they hadn’t ‘lost it in a move’ or something else infuriating. Images of our parents and relatives from the past are a good way to reflect on our experience today, and add a unique sense of reality to the struggle they must have endured, especially in the case of first-generation immigrant families. That’s why I love the ‘Black In The Day’ photo project so much, which aims to create a ‘visual journey’ through the Black British Experience. It was founded by artist Tania Nwachukwu and graphic designer/videographer Jojo Sonubi and the concept is simple: they gather as many pictures as possible of black life in Britain – from the 1950s to early 2000s – to create an archive that reflects the true lived experiences of black Brits in an accurate, heartfelt way.
This Saturday July 15, at Southbank Centre London, Black In The Day is hosting a scanning social from 4PM till 8PM where you can bring along your family snaps to get added to the archive. If you don’t have pictures, items such as photo cards or bus passes and similar memorabilia are also accepted. The project’s only been running for a year now, so all the support they can get to keep the intergenerational conversation brewing and educate future generations, is more than welcome.
If you live outside of the U.K. you can always follow their amazing Instagram for #throwblack images of stunning auntie wedding looks or a seven year-old Stormzy being all smiles (missing baby teeth and all) on his way to school.
For more info or to submit scans, visit http://blackintheday.co.uk.
