Blog – ROGER GRIFFITH

My Cultural Review of 2020 part two: Nos 11-20

No11: Icon. David OlusogaI could award this for his Twitter feed alone. In a year of racial reckoning his insights and cultural crusade stood strong. Book. Talks. Essays. Bristol TV… Read more
My Cultural Review of 2020 part one: No 1-10

No one needs reminding what an unforgettable year this has been. 2020 was the year health, race and economic pandemics joined the environmental pandemic a set of crises that I… Read more
Windrush Generations: Digital Community Legacy Project

Students and community members are being invited to help celebrate the Windrush Generation in Bristol in a joint project working with the local community from UWE Bristol. The collaboration will… Read more
Launching a new way of working: Creative Connex

Click the link to see the video from our team members Millie Wood Downie and Benjamin James https://bit.ly/YouTubeCCrebrand Creative Connex are a team of community consultants using social activism to… Read more
Back to Life The Murder of Emmett Till, I Have A Dream and Bristol Bus Boycott

CONNECTING HISTORY BACK TO LIFE – 28th AUGUST 1955-2020 THE DEATH OF EMMETT TILL, I HAVE A DREAM AND THE BRISTOL BUS BOYCOTT Today marks sixty-five years since the… Read more
Of Monuments and Men part 1 – Thomas Jefferson

One year after Obama’s election in November 2009, I travelled America searching for answers to major historical questions about slavery involving many places and people across the globe. It troubles… Read more
Windrush Generation: Animation of our great pioneers

Film-makers 8th Sense Media in collaboration with author Roger Griffith who co-wrote and was Creative Producer, have made a short animated film to celebrate the lives and achievements of the… Read more
Race & Covid 19 – ‘A Crisis Within A Crisis’

RACE AND COVID-19 – ‘A Crisis Within A Crisis’ Emerging Thoughts and Future Actions by Roger Griffith Coronavirus has devastated the global community, drastically changing our interconnected lives, how… Read more
Poetry: Of Riots and Rebellion – St Pauls Riots 40 Years On from April 2nd 1980

Just when does a riot signify a rebellion? Well, let me tell of a time when communities took to the streets to defend their dominions. The difference for some can… Read more
My Day at Buckingham Palace Tuesday 25th Feb 2020

Image: Roger meeting Prince William Reclaiming Empire part 2: My Day at Buckingham Palace On Tuesday 25th February on a beautifully crisp sunlit day, I collected my MBE at Buckingham… Read more
Roger awarded M.B.E. – Read Roger’s latest blog – ‘Reclaiming Empire’

Dear subscriber. I was delighted and honoured to receive an M.B.E. in the recent Queens Honours List https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/queens-new-years-honours-2020-3683178 I wrote these words to convey my feelings Reclaiming Empire Many thanks to… Read more
Roger works with TRACE at Bath Spa University

Roger is pleased to announce he has been a made an Associate Director at TRACE a part the Paper Nations and will be Independently chairing their governance group working with… Read more
What Black History Month Means to Me

Why Black History Month Matters ‘If a race has no History it has no worthwhile tradition. It becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it… Read more
Roger selected as contributor for 100 Years of Council Housing – Homes for Heroes

Roger was delighted to be selected as a contributor for the Home for heroes series by Festival of Ideas alongside BBC TV author and historian David Olusoga and MP Alan… Read more
Poets Urban Word Collective at Bradley Stoke Library 22nd October w/ Roger Griffith

Roger will be hosting Urban Word Collective at Bradley Stoke Library, Fiddlers Wood Lane, Bradley Stoke, South Gloucestershire, BS32 9BS – 22nd October 2019 7.30-9.30 Get your FREE ticket here… Read more
BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2019 EVENTS LISTING

The Black History Month 2019 online magazine is out now! https://issuu.com/cognitivepaths1/docs/black_history_month_magazine_online Bristol Black History Month Magazine provides an exclusive focus point for the city to celebrate the contributions and achievements… Read more
Black History Month 2019 – Roger Selected to curate Booklist 2019 by Libraries West

To mark Black History Month 2019 LibrariesWest have launched a reading list featuring books chosen by Roger Griffith (@rogerg44 ), a successful West of England author, social entrepreneur and local… Read more
Windrush Day 2019

Celebrating Windrush Day and achievements of the pioneers who came to rebuild Britain after World War Two and laid the foundations for future generations in business, politics, sport, music, culture… Read more
An Ode to the Champions League Final Spurs V Liverpool

MORE THAN JUST A GAME AN ODE TO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL 2019 SPURS VS LIVERPOOL These two clubs forged from working class stock Today both seek glory from that… Read more
BBC Film: The Macpherson report on the murder of Stephen Lawrence 20 Years On

A father and son reflect on their experiences with the Police over the decades the short BBC film https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p071qg5j The 24th February was the 20th anniversary of the publication of the… Read more
The Inauguration of President Barack Obama – 10 Years On

Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of Barack’s Obama’s inauguration which sparked my book. My American Odyssey. Here is part 1 of what I felt that day from my book My… Read more
Tribute to Aretha Franklin – A Natural Legend

Tribute to Aretha Franklin: A Natural Legend Aretha Franklin will always remain the Queen of Soul, but her voice, work and accomplishments stretch beyond music. With her vocal sound she… Read more
City Conversations on Race Equality – Join Us for Your Voice Your City

CITY CONVERSATIONS – YOUR CITY YOUR VOICE – 6.30 City Academy, 9th May 2018 In January 2017, the Runnymede Trust published a report stating that Bristol was the most segregated… Read more
50 Years On The Life of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. An extract from My American Odyssey.

Fifty years on from the death of a dream, here is an extract from my book and retropective of Dr King’s life from Chapter 7 of My American Odyssey. The… Read more
Roger Griffith awarded Bristol Lord Mayor’s Medal

Proud and Pleased. Announced today 22nd March I have been awarded Lord Mayor’s medal by Bristol for my volunteer & social activism work. Thanks to everyone who has supported, worked… Read more
Celebrating 100 Years of the Women’s Right to Vote

100 YEARS OF WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE IN BRITAIN – Westminster, London, England, 1918: Its 100 years since women gained the right to vote in the UK! In 1918 the Representation of… Read more
Commemorating the 200th birthday of Fredrick Douglass

FREDRICK DOUGLASS 200th birthday. Born February 1818 Virginia, USA Fredrick Douglass was the most prominent African-American of the 19th century. He was born on a brutal slave-plantation in Virginia in 1818.… Read more
HEADS OF COMMONWEALTH SUMMIT – 16th April 2018

HEADS OF COMMONWEALTH SUMMIT – 16th April 2018 The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018, also known as CHOGM 2018, is the 25th meeting of the heads of government of… Read more
The Truth About Migration

What do we think we know about migration? Join us for a panel discussion to have your say on topics such as how did migration affect the Brexit vote? How do… Read more
2018 THE YEAR OF CHANGE

Bringing the community together and finding ways to collaborate and support each other is the inspiration behind our name, Ujima, given to us by our founding Director Kevin Philemon. A… Read more
Read my newest article and attend my BHM event on the 26th of October

‘l Read my article in B24/7 this week callled Black History Month is vital to fight against the daily injustices of racism all year round’ And come to my event… Read more
Moving Monuments from Charlottesville, USA to Bristol

MOVING MONUMENTS IN BRISTOL AND AMERICA Events in Charlottesville, Virginia were a sickening reminder of why the past always remains present and can never be forgotten to prevent the same… Read more
Review of Black History Month & Autumn 2015

REVIEW OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH OCTOBER 2015 INTRO One month, 17 events in a collection of talks, TV appearances, radio programmes, debates and discussions, and appearances across the country from… Read more
Journey’s Through the Deep South – The Gullah Community in the Sea Islands

Roger was recently retracing some of his footsteps in Sea Islands where the twin sisters of the Deep South the charming Charleston and seductive Savannah reside. But in between these… Read more
pt 3: AFTER THE HURRICANE. AMERICA REMEMBERS TEN YEARS ON Rebuilidng Hope, Celebrating Resilience

AFTER THE HURRICANE. AMERICA REMEMBERS TEN YEARS ON Ten years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf-Coast region Roger Griffith visits America’s most unique major city New Orleans during the memorials… Read more
AFTER THE HURRICANE. AMERICA REMEMBERS TEN YEARS ON

Ten years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf-Coast region Roger Griffith visits America’s most unique major city New Orleans, during the memorials of the anniversary. In part two he describes… Read more
Journeys Through the Deep South 2015 pt 1 – 10 Years On Hurricane Katrina

AFTER THE HURRICANE. AMERICA REMEMBERS TEN YEARS ON Ten years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf-Coast region Roger Griffith visits America’s most unique major city New Orleans during the memorials… Read more
The Shootings in Charleston, USA – Slaughter of the Innocents

Today is going to be a sad, poignant day across America and my condolences go to the grieving families. The church is important to many in America generally and particularly… Read more
From The Windrush to the White House – Film Season

Author Roger Griffith gives his rationale behind choosing his double-film bill which was screened to a packed audience at the Watershed on 17th May 2015 http://www.watershed.co.uk/whatson/6564/nothing-but-a-man-short These films compliments his… Read more
Remembering Malcolm X in Bristol 2015

REMEMBERING MALCOLM X Malcolm X throughout his life was a controversial figure, pimp and preacher, illiterate and icon. Fifty years on from his assassination in New York, his legacy lives… Read more