Exhibition at gallery shows Bradford's first black library

The ‘The Black Agenda Bookshop’ exhibition at the Trapezium Gallery is central to Being Bradford's Black History Month celebrations.

Nagbea, who was one of the teams of volunteers at The Black Agenda Bookshop and is co-ordinating the exhibition for Trapezium, looks back on the bookshop and its local, national and international work.

He said: "Many people have commented on the great educational role our Afro-centric Bookshop played in providing useful books and other resources to support the education and confidence of our children.

"We are very pleased with the overall level of engagement and look forward to the exhibition perhaps being used as a valuable educational resource in the future."

People from across the district have come to take a look at what became a hub of activism in Bradford for anti-racism campaigns and source of education.

It was opened in Bradford in 1991 by parents of African and Caribbean parents who were concerned about the miseducation and excessive exclusion of their children from schools.

Images on display of the work and campaigns volunteers managed to get involved in (Image: Newsquest)

It was opened on the first floor of the building on Barry Street, initially above a record shop called Global Beat and later above the Hemp and Head shop Bagga Wiya.

‘The Black Agenda Bookshop’ ran for seven years and benefited both adults and children with access to a huge educational resource of books, audio/visual materials, cultural artifacts, and educational trips.

Corner of The Black Agenda Bookshop exhibition (Image: Newsquest)

It became a hub for anti-racism campaigns around Immigration, prison and police reform, and school and workplace racism.

It was an inclusive and supportive educational space for people facing and exposing what has recently been described as the “Hostile Environment”. 

One member representing the Library attended the first historically significant 1995 Million Man March in Washington DC, USA.

Letters sent to prisons by volunteers at the bookshop (Image: Newsquest)

Members of the Library regularly visited UK prisons in support of Black Men wrongfully convicted and imprisoned as miscarriages of justice.

DVDs on display at the exhibition (Image: Newsquest)

A spokesperson for Being Bradford said: “Being Bradford would like to take this opportunity to retrospectively really thank all the wonderful parents, library members, supporters and people of Bradford and Leeds who volunteered, cooked, helped raise funds, visited prisons, marched and campaigned, purchased books and participated in any way and generally helped the bookshop survive for seven special and transformative years.

“This exhibition is a testament to the enduring tenacity and contribution of Bradford’s African and Caribbean Communities and the stalwart support of many of Bradford’s wider Communities.” 

The Black Agenda Bookshop: Bradford’s First Afrocentric Bookshop & Library, 1991 - 1997 is at Trapezium Gallery, October 7 to November 4.