The premise of this year’s diversity curator’s project was to represent Black voices beyond America. We felt that there tends to be an over representation of Black American experiences in the mainstream media and that the dominance of these narratives “Other” the experiences of Black people, globally. This, in itself, becomes oppressive as it assumes that Black experiences are relative to a blueprint established by Black American voices. By curating a selection of literature and reading material, we have aimed to challenge the homogenisation of Black experiences and offer a diversity of voices that decentres the Black American voices. In doing so, we are not suggesting that these voices should not be appreciated, but rather that they should form part of a wider tapestry of history and literature. Furthermore, by offering a selection of reading that covers a wider historical spectrum, we hope to emphasise that Black voices have always been present and all it takes is a relaying of the gaze to appreciate a broader horizon and plethora of voices that would otherwise by unheard without promotion.
