The social vocabulary of Hidden Presence: British History and the need to talk through the silence and acknowledge true stories of African presence

Sobers, Shawn

Abstract

When British spaces, rural and otherwise, are full of celebrated and re-told myths and legends – from sites such as Stonehenge through to character based fables such as Robin Hood – why do some resist to allow true stories, which are no less fantastical than the fictions, to also have a space at the story table?

Explored from the perspective of a filmmaker not a historian, this paper argues that the notion of story is an important one to consider, and that telling the truthful stories, even when uncomfortable to our status quo idea of national histories, is the healthier position to take. The paper touches on some of the projects I have been involved with which have addressed the subject of the legacy of the slave trade and Black presence, as well as anecdotes and observation. I try to make the case that enlarging our sense of our connected histories can enlarge our worldviews, and the social vocabulary of how we articulate and position ourselves in relation to others.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Start Date: Oct 15, 2013
• End Date: Oct 15, 2013
• Publication Date: Oct 15, 2013
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 7, 2019
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: hidden presence, black presence in Britain, slavery, transatlantic slave trade, Nathaniel Wells, Sarah Forbes Bonetta, Leonora Casey Carr, African disapora, social vocabulary, British history, myths, feelings, facts, Chepstow, East Tytherton
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/926902
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : Historicising & Re-connecting Communities: Black Presences and the Legacies of Slavery and Colonialism in Rural Britain