Photo Caption - Taste of Africa North East founder Sade Sangowawa, left, with Miss Black History North East 2023 Oluwaseun Akinola Esther
Black History Month, which is held in October every year, was extra significant for the charity, Taste of Africa North East, this year as it celebrated its 20th anniversary of showcasing the achievements of Black people in the North-east and providing invaluable support.
October was a packed month of events encapsulated under this year’s theme, Conquering the Unimaginable, which kickstarted the day before on Saturday, 30th September with a Taste of Africa Carnival Parade & Market held in Middlesbrough town centre with colourful costumes, traditional African food and live music. And, on the evening at Leonardo Hotel in Middlesbrough, the Miss Black History North East final saw 26-year-old Oluwaseun Akinola Esther crowned the new Queen.
“During my reign as Queen, I intend to introduce some educational initiatives on different academic levels such as workshops to highlight contributions of Black individuals to history, culture and society,” said Oluwaseun, who is studying for a master’s in film and television production.
The 10th year of the Black History Youth Awards were held at Middlesbrough Town Hall on Friday, 13th October, which saw a diverse range of winners from academic achievements to sporting stars.
On Saturday, 21st October, the ‘celebration of the year’, the Taste of Africa Showcase, was held at Middlesbrough Town Hall, an evening of live music, a fashion show, a cultural bazaar and traditional food.
Taste of Africa North East trustee Junior Masandi said: “I have been involved with Taste of Africa for 17 years. The Showcase isn’t just an event; it’s a chance for people to come together, to feel that they belong and to be a part of something special. It’s breaking down those barriers across the whole community and is a chance for everyone to come together to have fun.
“This year’s theme, ‘Conquering the Unimaginable’, was perfect because there was a time around 10 years ago, when we weren’t sure if we could continue to offer this free event. Thankfully, we fought our way through that time, and with funding from the Tees Valley Combined Authority, we could – and seeing it all come together makes it all worthwhile.
“One of the highlights of the show was a seven-minute video presentation we made for Auntie Sade [Sangowawa], the charity’s founder. It was beautiful.”
The special month of events also included the premiere screening of a documentary about the Windrush generation in the Tees Valley shown at Teesside University and a new exhibition at Dorman Museum in Middlesbrough called Behind the Smile, which runs until 26th November.
Following a spectacular month of events, the charity ended October on a high, having been shortlisted for three awards at the Tees Valley BME Awards: Taste of Africa North East was shortlisted for Community Organisation Award, Taste of Africa member Vaina Lumbiwa was shortlisted for a Community Individual Award, and last year’s Miss Black History North East Queen, Chikomborero Manoah, was shortlisted for the Woman of the Year Award.
Find out more about the charity at www.tasteofafricanortheast.co.uk