Ifemu Omari Webber: This Book Was Not Meant For Us - A Fresh Look at the History of Mary Prince

Black History Month / Ifemu Omari Webber: This Book Was Not Meant For Us - A Fresh Look at the History of Mary Prince

As part of Black History Month the University of Wolverhampton is pleased to present a talk with Ifemu Omari Webber.

Since its republication in 1987 the History of Mary Prince has been hailed as the first slave narrative to be published by a black woman in Britain. In this talk, Ifemu reminds us that Mary’s book is actually made up of three texts: Mary’s own story; the editor, Thomas Pringle’s additional comments and a story of a kidnapped boy called Asa-Asa. Ifemu also reminds black readers in particular that ‘This book was not meant for us.’ It was designed as anti-slavery propaganda for nineteenth-century white readers. Therefore, she encourages readers to focus not only on Mary’s testimonials of slave brutality meted out to her and others, but also to consider Mary’s unspoken words about other parts of her life; such as her mother, her husband, her siblings and her religion. Ifemu argues that only by reading these ‘quieter’ parts of the History of Mary Prince, will we gain a more complete view of Mary and appreciate the relevance her stories have to black peoples in 21st century Britain.

Ifemu Omari Webber is a PhD candidate at the University of Wolverhampton. Her research looks at the supplementary writing in the slave narrative The History of Mary Prince (1831) as well as the nineteenth-century public response to the book. Using archival materials, Ifemu examines how Mary, a semi-illiterate black woman, and her book caused a furore both in Britain and the West Indies. Ifemu's PhD research and the work which emanates from it, embrace both her skills and passion as a teacher and a creative.
Ifemu Omari Webber was shortlisted for the BBC Radio 3/AHRC New Generation Thinkers in 2021.

This talk was recorded on 3rd November 2021.

Black History Month 2021

Rich Fann: American Higher Education's approach to Inclusivity / Elsie Gayle: How The Windrush Generation Helped Build The NHS / Machel St Patrick Hewitt: West Indian Cricket Culture in the 21st Century British Context / Rich Fann: Black Representation Beyond Black History Month / Ifemu Omari Webber: This Book Was Not Meant For Us - A Fresh Look at the History of Mary Prince / Reece McKenzie and Daniel Williams: Black Representation in Musical Theatre / Elizabeth Ivwurie: Cultural Appropriation in the Film, Music and Fashion Creative Industries

Black History Month 2020

In Conversation with Roy McFarlane / Restoring the lost history of Black theatre performers in the West Midlands 1900 – 1950 / Daliso Chaponda Joking about Race, Politics and Your Lovelife without Offending People, Getting Cancelled or Arrested or Divorced / Remembering Paulette Wilson / In Conversation: Dr Max Stewart and Glass Artist Chris Day / From Volunteer to CEO, Marcia Lewinson discusses the challenges facing women of colour / We Want Our Bodies Back – Jessica Care Moore / Windrush Generation Experiences Online, Talk and Q&A /100 Greatest Black Britons: Patrick Vernon / The Whip: In conversation with Juliet Gilkes-Romero