Tag: Race Equality

Black Horror: Pam Grier, Voodoo Queen

Author EDI Team | Posted on

By Jasmine Gurung

This is a picture of Lisa Fortier (played by Pam Grier) in Scream Blacula Scream 1973. The picture depicts Lisa Fortier stood in a dark shadow filled room. Her hair is in afro style and she dressed in black with a red scarf around her neck. She is holding what looks to be a male doll and is staring intently at it.
Lisa Fortier (Pam Grier) in Scream Blacula Scream, directed by Bob Kelljan, American International Pictures, 1973.

There has been a shift in horror in recent years with filmmakers like Jordan Peele flipping the script and writing horror with fully fleshed out Black protagonists. In his work, Peele often depicts Black people being misled or tricked by their white counterparts, as in the modern classic Get Out (2017). His stories are radical, highlighting the scary reality of living as a Black person in America. This wave of revisionist Black horror has been seen before with blaxploitation horror movies made in the 1970s – a genre of films influenced by the Black Power movement and with predominantly African American casts. Although controversial for their representation of crime, the films make a point to lean into and reclaim stereotypes that the white media projected onto them.

Perhaps the most important actress in the blaxploitation genre, Pam Grier played the powerful heroines in Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974) – and inspired Tarantino’s Jackie Brown (1997). By taking on these roles, Grier challenged both the racial stereotypes and sexism that Black actresses faced at the time. In Scream, Blacula, Scream (1973), the sequel to Blacula (1972), she plays Lisa Fortier, the apprentice of the Voodoo queen, Mama Loa. Recognising her rare combination of intelligence, strength, and respect for the traditions of their craft, the dying queen chooses Lisa as her successor. Lisa goes through an empowering narrative arc that symbolises the passing of knowledge and responsibility between women, one generation to the next. Pam Grier is fantastic: her portrayal of Lisa is fearless and sexy, and she brings both beauty and resilience to the heroine. Carving her own mark onto a genre that was pioneering in its own right, Grier is an icon you should definitely watch on screen this Black History Month.

Further Black horror viewing for Halloween:

Scream Blacula Scream (1973) available on YouTube

Ganja & Hess (1973) available via Kanopy

Sugar Hill (1974) available via Internet Archive

Get Out (2017) available via Box of Broadcasts

Candyman (2021) available via Box of Broadcasts

Stephen Lawrence Day 2022 – A Legacy of Change.

Author EDI Team | Posted on

In 1993, Stephen Lawrence was murdered by a group of white males in a racially motivated attack whilst waiting at a bus stop with his best friend. His death caused waves within the South London community he had grown up in and swept across the nation in the years that followed, where the mishandling of the case sparked the debate of the Metropolitan Police being institutionally racist. Seven years after his death this was confirmed by an inquiry, proving racial bias influenced the efforts to solve the case.

Thirteen years later in 2012, two men were found guilty of his murder after new evidence was discovered and both received life sentences.

For over two decades, Stephen’s mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, tirelessly campaigned for police reform and founded Blueprint for all, formerly the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust in his memory. In 2003 she was awarded an OBE in recognition of her efforts and in 2019, launched Stephen Lawrence Day on April 22nd to further commemorate her son.

Baroness Doreen describes her work across the last twenty-six years as the hope to create an “inclusive society for everyone to live their best life, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, religion, disability or background”.

Baroness Doreen Lawrence

For Stephen Lawrence Day 2022, you can get involved tomorrow by donating to the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation and amplifying and supporting their Instagram by liking, commenting and sharing their posts using the #alegacyofchange hashtag.

UWE Bristol also offers the following courses on My learning to raise your awareness around race and racism to work towards a cultural change across the institution:

  • Speak Up: talking about race and becoming an active bystander
  • Unconscious bias
  • Understanding bias: helping to eliminate prejudice in organisations.

Rt Hon David Lammy MP launches 2018 Equity Speaker Series at UWE Bristol

Author Vanessa Rennie | Posted on

Rt Hon David Lammy MP, author of the Lammy Review launched the 2018 Equity Speaker Series on Wednesday 24 January at the UWE Bristol Exhibition and Conference Centre. Lammy, who is an popular campaigner and outspoken social and political commentator, spoke on the topic of  ‘The Confidence to Be: What next for the BAME graduate?’ Following the talk, 200 delegates enjoyed networking and a Caribbean inspired canape reception courtesy of Calypso Kitchen restaurant , the brain child of UWE Bristol Alumnus Will Clarke.  A number of pro-diversity organisations were also in attendance as exhibitors to promote opportunities to BAME students.

About UWE Bristol’s Equity Programme

Equity is an innovative positive-action talent and professional development programme for home-BAME students at UWE Bristol.  It was launched in FBL at the University’s annual Link event in October 2017 which attracted approximately 300 students and professionals.  Its principal objectives are the improvement of graduate outcomes specifically in terms of increasing professional employment and self-employment rates as well as supporting them to aim for careers which offer promising earning potential.  Equity days take place once a month and include race and identity coaching and workshops entirely facilitated by external BAME professionals and entrepreneurs. Each Equity day concludes with a keynote speaker that reflects the best of British BAME talent.  (Equity Curator Dr Zainab Khan and Race Equality Programmes Officer Alex Mormoris are both based within FBL, any queries should be addressed to raceequality@uwe.ac.uk you can also follow the programme on Twitter @Bristol_Equity )

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