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The Jamaican Society: Case Study
Marcia Hylton
Awareness of Afro-Carribbean Culture
Dual Heritage
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Awareness of Afro-Carribbean Culture
Location: Leeds
In Leeds, Our Journey! Our History!, was founded to record a living history of first, second and third generation Afro-Caribbeans in Yorkshire.
Using workshops, story telling and research, ‘Our Journey, Our History!’ captures the memories of the first Jamaicans to come to the UK, exploring the history, tradition and vibrant cultural influences that they brought with them.
Their HQ, at 277 Chapeltown Road was, as Melody Walker writes, ‘resurrected from the ruins of urban decay’ by Jamaicans in the area to become ‘a little piece of Jamaica on British soil’.
The group will record major social events, the structuring of their society and take a look forward to how Afro-Caribbeans can retain their heritage whilst being fully immersed in more traditional British culture. Contributors have access to IT and desktop publishing training to enable them to record their stories.
This LHI project helps cross the generational gap in the community, by encouraging younger generations, born in the UK with a ‘westernised’ culture, to explore their heritage, both Caribbean and European, and become aware of the influence which their families have had on their local environment, including their struggle to build a community, often in the face of open hostility and misunderstanding.
Marcia Hylton, a member of the Jamaican Society, said: “we (the second generation) have different values to the first generation; we have a different outlook". This project has created stronger links between the British born and the Jamaican born generations. As Marica said, "it's been good to share ideas".
Whilst discovering and recording the past, thIS project also works with local schools to encourage young Jamaican Yorkshire folk to interpret the present and to plan positively for their future.
ThIS project aims to strengthen community co-operation (particularly in younger generations) and further the awareness of Afro-Caribbean culture in the Leeds area.
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