This is not America: why black lives in Britain matter

7 Dec 2023 1-2pm

Overview

Author Tomiwa Owolade introduces his recent book This is Not America: Why Black Lives in Britain Matter that was chosen as a 2023 non-fiction highlight in The Times, Guardian and Observer. In this lecture, Owolade examines how, across the west, racial injustice has become one of the most divisive issues of our age. In the rush to address inequality and prejudice, and to understand concerns around identity, immigration and colonial history, he argues Britain has followed the lead of America, and judges itself by America’s standards, absorbs its arguments and follows its agenda. This is Not America argues that too much of the conversation around race in Britain today is viewed through the prism of American ideas. Owolade provides a bold new framework for understanding race in Britain today. In this lecture, he references historical and contemporary events represented in the Gallery’s Collection.

Tomiwa Owolade is a writer and critic. He has written for many publications, including the Times, the Sunday Times, the New Statesman and the Observer. He has also been on BBC Radio 4 and Times Radio. This is Not America is his first book.
 
 

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