Ishmahil Blagrove JR season: Frontline book talk plus Q&A

This event is organised by Black History Walks as part of 60 Years Since 1965 the first ever Race Relations Act, and 20 years of the African Odysseys film series. We present a season of Blagroves' films and books plus Q&A with the man himself

Independent filmmaker Ismahil Blagrove of made a raft of hard-hitting, pioneering documentaries that cover three decades of work which still have an important social justice legacy.Rice N Peas is an independent publishing and production company investigating social justice concerns, producing and publishing thought-provoking content RiceNpeas.org website HERE

Blagrove worked with mainstream media like BBC and Channel 4 but rejected their bias and chose to make his own self-financed films, show them at grassroots venues and sell DVDs direct to the audience.

Before phones had cameras in them Blagrove was getting incredible footage from inside crack houses, presidential palaces and civil war battlefields . He grew up in London schooled by civil rights activists like schooled by activists and creatives such as Roy Sawh, Frank Crichlow, Rhodan Gordon, Margaret Busby, Sonny Blacks and Maxwell Worrell. He took on police brutality, fought NF fascists, taught at Hyde Park university, negotiated with Sierra Leonean warlords and rode a fold-up Brompton bicycle for 6 month tour of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and Laos

He also spent three decades researching 'Frontline : a story of struggle, resistance and Black identity in Notting Hill' where he interviewed 160 elders, then self published his 800 page book of their stories. He presently lives in Cuba and this is a rare public appearance.

Frontline covers many subjects including:

• Mangrove 9 trial
• Gentrification
• Drugs and corruption
• The role of the Frontline
• Police brutality
• Speakers corner
• Music and clubs
• Documenting history, writing and film
• Windrush
• African/Caribbean diaspora politics

and much more

This author talk is linked to the screening of two of Blagroves films 'Cuba: with or without Fidel 'and 'Bang Bang in the Manor' on Friday 20th March 6.30pm details HERE

Other coming events from www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk

• Black History Steam train tour
• Afeni Shakur and the trial of the Panther 21
• Black History Bus Tour/ River Cruise
• Black Women Resistance Leaders
• 6 African leaders removed by the French
• Hackney, Harlem, St Paul'/Bank, Theatreland and Soho Black History Walks
• African Odysseys, Racism in Academia and @BFI Southbank
• Frantz Fanon weekender
• 60 years of Black British Civil Rights, racism @BFI with Professor Gus John
• Kung Fu and anti-racist street fighters with Professor Lez Henry
• Teaching Black history in China with Professor Deidre Osborne
• World Wars and Black soldiers. African Odysseys @BFI with Professor Patrick Vernon
• 60 years of Black history Success Stories 1-20
• Sign petition to save African Odysseys and Black film history at BFI Southbank HERE

African Odysseys is now hosting films across London due to systemic racism at the BFI There will be an updates at future events Full details HERE