But these efforts must be complemented by projects that capture the textures and sensibilities of the black experience, the moments that aren’t necessarily viewed as of major historical significance, but still define our lifetimes. The work of young campaigners, such as the founder of The Black Curriculum, Lavinya Stennett, to teach black history in our schools and universities is radical considering the opposition from government ministers against so-called “ woke” overhauls of school curricula. Attempts to recover black British history often focus on the marginality of colonial history, major events and moments of race relations in our curriculums, hoping to bring them to the fore of our education. With 27 years between Marc and I, the archive aims to show young black queer people like me that our history in this country has been rich and lively. A digital community archive that lives on Instagram, it’s dedicated to honouring and remembering black queer life in Britain, namely its sociality, friendships, intimacies, parties and pleasures. It was this photograph that Marc and I used to premiere “ Black & Gay, Back In The Day” on 1 February, the first day of LGBT+ History Month.
