We wanted an organisation that celebrated the living and gave legitimate voice to the work and skills we bring to the table as community workers who deliver to our communities in a range of ways, but who have made a difference, as pardna managers, writers, cooks, project managers, dance coordinators, educators of youngsters, business women and such like.
Of course Ubele has gone a long way since our table top planning, but we never forgot the idea to celebrate those women who often get forgotten or missed out from wider recognition and who can often be stood right before or alongside of us.
It’s been a few years in the making but 2024 is here and this year The Ubele Initiative has chosen International Women’s Month to launch the project and celebrate our chosen ‘Seasoned UK Black Queens’.
The brief was to seek out, capture and record some women in their chosen glamour outfits. Make up, music, time out, fun and chatter being the order of the day and i think it worked, if the women’s feedback was anything to go by.
Watch out for these movers & shakers during the month of March 2024, as we proudly present:
- Loreen
- Mia
- Rameri
- Ruth
- Aba
- Deanne
- Elizabeth
- Palorine
- Bertha
- Joyce
- Loretta
One more very important point.
As a *seasoned earth traveller myself, this programme would not have been possible without buddying up and working alongside some very talented and creative youngers (than me and our targets!) that brought this work to fruition.
During the last months, we have worked, produced and created so well together, I call us –
The Dream Team
Peggy Warren – Work Team Support and Advisor
Lorna Phillip – Work Team Support and Advisor
Shanice Brown – Make Up
Denise Maxwell – Photographer
Olubukola Akinmadeyan – Makeup Artist- Scotland
And of course, ME! – Yvonne Christie. Work Team Programme Lead
Ps it’s hard to find comfortable all embracing generic terms, for people over 60…many of us reject the term elderly- ok I do!
So Peggy, Lorna and I brainstormed words, meanings and terms and we all loved *Seasoned. It means so many positive things, as well as linked to Black people’s love of proper food in our age groups, we thought it fitting. What do you think?
Yvonne Christie
Project Lead
Black Women in Action
