New College welcomes Professor Hakim Adi for annual Black History Month Lecture

New College was delighted to welcome renowned Professor Hakim Adi to speak at the annual Black History Month Lecture last Thursday. Professor Adi spoke on his latest book, African and Caribbean People in Britain: A History. With a focus on 'The Last Ten Thousand Years', he led attendees through a journey of individual voices, including the Cheddar Man, William Ansah Sessarakoo and Olaudah Equiano. 

Adi emphasised the importance of cultivating inclusive histories: 

It is important that we have a history which is about everybody, which helps us understand the world in which we live, and change it for the better. History is very much the study of change and the role of human beings in that change. It shows that change is possible and humans are the agents of that change. 

Professor Hakim Adi is one of the leading black historians in the country. He was the first historian of African heritage to become a professor of history in Britain when he was appointed Professor of the History of Africa and the African Diaspora at the University of Chichester in 2015. 

Find his latest book here: