The Wilberforce Institute's Wiseman Khuzwayo Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Dr Ndiweteko Jennifer Nghishitende, reflects on her recent experience at the Museums Association Conference, alongside other Wilberforce House Museum Advisory Board members.
On 13 November 2024, I attended the Museums Association Conference 2024 alongside other Wilberforce House Museum Advisory Board members, Dr Dominic Chirwa, Stella Munthali, and Siddi Maju. This year’s conference theme was "The Joy of Museums", held on 12-13 November at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds and online. I chaired the panel discussion we gave on "Voices of Power: Amplifying the Black Voice in Trauma". My fellow Board members, delivered insightful talks and engaged in a Q&A session, providing practical suggestions for making museum operations more inclusive of the communities they serve.
The Advisory Board, which is composed of a total of eleven individuals of African and Afro-Caribbean descent, was born out of a visionary series of co-produced exhibitions developed in partnership with the Wilberforce Institute at the University of Hull and the Wilberforce House Museum. At its core, the Board is dedicated to amplifying and empowering Black voices, ensuring that the experiences and stories of Black communities are told authentically and powerfully. The Board receives support from Dr Nick Evans of the Wilberforce Institute, Robin Diaper, curator of the Wilberforce House Museum, and heritage consultant Ali Bodley. Both Nick and Ali, pictured below, attended the conference with us.
Collectively and through individual efforts, the Board has created exhibitions at Wilberforce House Museum and other museums in Hull. Our work was honoured at this very conference last year, when we received the prestigious Museums Association 2023 Changing Lives Award for Decolonisation. The Board’s collaborative efforts with the University of Hull and the Wilberforce Institute have earned additional recognition, especially for the highly acclaimed Homelands Exhibition. You can find out more about what we do by watching this introductory film.
During our panel, we proudly shared our work and our vision for the future of museums. We emphasised the importance of collaborative working and the spirit of Ubuntu, an African philosophy that embodies the principle "I am because you are." Through meaningful partnerships and shared efforts, we believe museums and all spaces where narratives are shaped can achieve greatness.
Dr Dominic Chirwa spoke on the necessity for Black communities to actively reshape museum narratives, underscoring the importance of Black voices. Dr Dominic is an accomplished plastic and reconstructive surgeon with additional specialties in gynecology and obstetrics, general surgery, and orthopaedics. Beyond his medical expertise, Dr Dominic holds qualifications in business management, law, project management, and quality control and assurance. His career includes notable roles such as clinical director, CEO, and medical superintendent. In addition to his professional background, Dr Dominic is a passionate advocate for refugee rights, using his expertise and compassion to support vulnerable communities.
Stella Munthali discussed making anti-racism an active force within organisations, asking how we can keep fighting against racism in museums, even if people disagree with the need for change. Stella brings a wealth of experience in racial equality and community advocacy. As a community leader, social work professional, and founder of The Black Heritage of Hull Collective, she is deeply committed to amplifying Black voices and ensuring inclusivity within our cultural institutions. Stella also recently hosted a successful two-day arts festival in Hull, The Sound of Our Skin, which celebrated diversity, promoted racial equality and amplified marginalised voices. The festival is set to become a yearly highlight in Hull’s cultural calendar, further solidifying Stella’s dedication to inclusivity and community empowerment.
Siddi Maju spoke about moving from tokenism to genuine power sharing in museums, emphasising the importance of promoting inclusivity. He reflected on the question, what positive changes would you like to see in the museum sector over the next five years? Siddi is a community historian from Sierra Leone, whose capital city, Freetown, shares a unique connection with Hull as its twin city—a place he now proudly calls home. He is also the co-founder of the Matturi and Wilberforce Legacy Project, a remarkable grassroots initiative dedicated to fostering knowledge exchange between the UK, Sierra Leone, Amsterdam, The Gambia, and Guinea Conakry. Siddi bridges cultures and histories through his work, contributing to a deeper understanding of shared legacies and connections. More on Siddi’s work can be found here.
Our panel was well-received, sparking further conversation and meaningful new connections.
Reflecting on the experience, Dr Dominic added, “I really enjoyed the day. It was truly a learning curve, exploring everything happening in museums, organisations, and other public spaces across the UK, especially in anti-racism, tokenism, and empowerment...”
As a Board, we are committed to continuing our work with the Wilberforce House Museum. We believe that through these meaningful partnerships and shared efforts we can achieve greatness within our museums and in all spaces where narratives are shaped and shared. We hope to inspire other museums and similar spaces to embrace this vision and take action to achieve it.