COVID-19 means we couldn't attend any Pride events, and though there's been lots online, we took the opportunity to reflect on the past year and to think about the true meaning of Pride and Black History Month. For heritage projects like Haringey Vanguard, a Black and Asian LGBTQ+ History project, this communal remembrance and conversation is vital to the preservation of our histories. The oral histories and materials we collect will go into an archive knowing it will inspire, inform, and provide context to whoever stumbles on it in 10 or 20-years’ time.
All that has happened this year has shown us that we have to show up, stand up, and consider what connects us to each other. We will soon be back to celebrating Pride, hopefully later this year. But in the meantime, let’s take a moment to take stock as we're seeing that history is not set in stone - it is an ongoing conversation. Making use of local archives, joining local history groups or simply following one of the many historians on social media, is one way to better understand the world.
We are happy to be working with the London Metropolitan Archives and Museum Services based at Bruce Castle Museum, and with our volunteers to carry out this work.
Though Covid means we can't meet with our volunteers right now, we look forward to the time when - in the words of Vera Lynn - we'll meet again!