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About

Introduction to Black USAF

​​​​​​​Between 1950s and early 1990s – the Cold War years – the East of England was home to multiple Royal Air Force airbases which hosted the United States Air Force (USAF).

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Among the thousands of American personnel – known as airmen – were African American men and women. Despite their cultural impact on local communities, including British Black communities, their post-WWII stories remain undocumented.

These remarkable stories are within living memory, giving us an opportunity to hear firsthand accounts of how the Cold War era Black Air Force personnel mingled with locals, unrestricted by the racist segregation laws of the USA in the '50 and '60s.

 

This cultural exchange shaped our arts, fashion, language, politics and more.

 

Amid ongoing challenges to equality, diversity and inclusion practices, this project is a vital response, celebrating African Americans' contributions to our shared cultural heritage.

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We’re thrilled to be funded by Arts Council England with match funding from Essex Cultural Diversity Project. Their support is enabling us to begin the research process, and capture and preserve people's stories. 

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The project is also being supported by a host of partners, and pro bono expertise donated by team members and friends of the project.

Black and white photo of 3 young Black US airmen who are smiling, chatting and smoking with white people at a dance at RAF Lakenheath in 1952. The white people are drinking of tea cups.

The above photo shows United States Air Force personnel at an officers' club dance at RAF Lakenheath, which is host to Britain's largest USAF base, at Lakenheath, Suffolk, England, June 1952. Original Publication: Picture Post - 5927 - 'The Yanks In England' - pub. 28th June 1952, Vol 55, No 13. (Photo by Haywood Magee/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Our approach

The inspiration behind the project

Led by project manager, Elma Glasgow, an award-winning inclusive engagement specialist and a mixed heritage (Black Caribbean / White British) cultural producer, the team will collect stories in the form of images and audio.

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Inspired by her own and her family's experiences of life alongside the USAF service people in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk from the ‘50s to the ‘90s, Elma has nursed ideas of telling these stories for years. Especially the unrecorded, Black-focused history.​​​

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But it wasn’t until her involvement in the acclaimed Power of Stories in Suffolk between 2020-23, that she realised there was a way of bringing these stories to life! And through Power of Stories, she met experienced heritage and arts professionals who are committed to telling authentic Black-focused stories. Some are on the project team.

Our approach

Using local and online archives, and interviewing people about their memories, stories will be added to this website in the future. â€‹

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Creating an accessible archive, this project is phase one of a longer-term initiative - we've already attracted strong interest from key cultural organisations, venues and reputable Black arts practitioners. 

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Also, the people who contribute their stories will have opportunity to co-develop future cultural activity. We also aim to explore the potential future creation of traineeships for people of African heritage who wish to break into the cultural heritage sector. â€‹

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Thank you to our project partners

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We’re proud to have the support of the below organisations who are offering to share

information with their networks, allowing us access to archives and other sources of information, and/or providing space for project meetings.

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Ancient House Museum of Thetford Life

Anglia Ruskin University

Association for Suffolk Museums

Bentwaters Cold War Museum

Essex Cultural Diversity Project

GI Trace

Imperial War Museum Duxford

National Centre for Writing

Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum

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Norfolk Museums Service

Suffolk Libraries

The Broadway Theatre, Catford

The Mixed Museum

University of Cambridge

University of East Anglia

University of Essex

University of Suffolk

If you’d like to be involved, please contact us: projectblackusaf@gmail.com. 

Or complete our contact form.

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