CEO BLOG #28 MAY 2026: THE AFRICA CENTRE IS A CHARITY!

  

Featured Artist: Vadu Rodrigues. Vadu is a photographer and social activist from Praia, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde). Through his ongoing project, Movement #PositiveAfrica, he aims to use his artwork to create a positive impact globally and engage with people committed to building a more inclusive society. See www.vadurodrigues.com.  

Yes, the Africa Centre is a charity. We have no rich benefactors, we have no core funding, we do not have a lucrative trading subsidiary that covenants its surplus to cover our expenses, and we do not have an endowment either. What we have is a great brand, a totally committed but ridiculously lean staff team, fantastic partnerships and programme ideas and a lovely building. As a charity, our accounts and annual report are a matter of public record, and one cursory look at that makes it clear that we are a struggling organisation, doing our best to keep head above water through the trading activities of venue hire, some consultancy and grant funding.  

 

I stress all this because from the requests for support that we get, there seems to be an assumption that we are a rich organisation. We are culturally rich, but cash poor, asset-fat and money-thin. The Africa Centre is not alone in this – most organisations in the charity sector in the UK are struggling, and sadly, Black-led charities are particularly hit by the combination of factors that have resulted in this state of affairs. Worryingly, prevailing political narratives, as can be discerned from events like the recent UK council election results and the insidious attempt to destroy organisations like 10,000 Black Interns, shows that things are not going to get easier anytime soon.  

 

It is interesting to note the community organisations that are not struggling so much at the moment, and the characteristics that they have in common. At the heart of it, is a community that cares about their heritage and culture enough to not just patronise them, but also take a fierce sense of protective ownership of them. Professor Gus John alluded to this in his contribution to our 60th anniversary film HOME. As we decry the struggles of our Black institutions, let us ask ourselves if we have as a community, cared enough about them to contribute to their sustainability. Our institutions are cultural assets that need ownership by, and accountability of, the community. Each time part of our infrastructure dies, a part of our community goes with it. 

 

There are myriad ways that you can support The Africa Centre – individually, you can make a donation, become a friend, remember us in your legacy. You can patronise us, share our content, attend our events. You can introduce us to the CSR/DEI teams at your workplace, encourage them to sponsor our events and programmes. Your organisations can sign up as corporate sponsors. And you can ensure that when your organisation wants to use our venue and resources, you commit to paying a fair price and not expect freeness.  

 

Our thanks to everyone who has been supporting us so far. We commit to continue making you proud of The Africa Centre and, within our resources, to continue to be that home away from home that advocates, educates and connects people of African descent and those interested in supporting our self-actualisation.  

AND SMADE RAN THE LONDON MARATHON!

 

One person who definitely gets the importance of why we need support and is committed to doing something about it, is our fantastic ambassador, Dr King SMADE! SMADE ran the London Marathon for us earlier this month, bravely completing the course despite an injured knee that had seen him in A & E just a few days before the race. Our sincere thanks to him and everyone who was Team SMADE supporting him through the process – special mention to his running coach and the man who ran the previous two marathons for us, DJ MDKay.  

 

The JustGiving page to support SMADE’s efforts is still open, so please still donate and forward to others.  

 

Coming Soon – THE TAC RUN CLUB! 

One of the by-products of SMADE’s marathon run is that we are now launching a monthly The Africa Centre Run Club! More information to follow – drop us a line at [email protected] if you are interested in this! There will be commUNITY runs to African and Caribbean embassies, After-run DJ sets at the Centre and a host of other exciting initiatives.  

 

Some Significant News Moments this month:  

  1.  3 More Black Women found dead in UK waters: Our hearts go out to the families of the beautiful sisters who were found drowned in Brighton recently. 36-year-old Jane Adetoro, 32-year-old Christina Walter and 31-year-old Rebecca Walter all perished in the water. May they rest in peace. A GoFundMe appeal to support their funeral costs has been started here:  Fundraiser by Adesoji Adetoro: In Loving Memory of Jane, Christina & Rebecca.  

And we need to have a conversation about the number of Black women who are being found dead near bodies of water in the UK, with the Police declaring them all as not being suspicious…? 

  1. Xenophobia in SA: It has been distressing to hear about the latest wave of xenophobic violence meted out by some South African vigilante groups against other African nationals. South Africa: New Waves of Xenophobic Attacks | Human Rights Watch. This is antithetical to the Pan-Africanist spirit we need. We call on the South African government to be more forthright in their condemnation of these attacks and bring the force of the law to bear on the matter. Most importantly,  marginalised South Africans need jobs, housing and good education opportunities.  

  1. Are Axel Rudakubana’s parents responsible for his terrible crime? It’s a question many families will fear to answer | Gaby Hinsliff | The Guardian. This opinion piece is troubling on so many levels – from parenting to the precarity of immigration status in the West.  

  1. Save Our Black Studies! The Africa Centre is concerned about the decision by Birmingham City University management to cut the final Black Studies course, MA Black Studies & Global Justice, without prior warning and without undertaking an impact assessment, thereby placing 5 Black staff members at risk of redundancy. As the VC has refused to discuss staff’s concerns that the process is discriminatory and likely illegal, they have put together and sent an open letter to the Board of Governors with over 150 signatures. The letter has now been added to Change.org and garnered over 6,700 supporters. Please find more information here: https://www.change.org/Saveblackstudies.  

  1. The Hounding of Harriman: The insidious coordinated smear campaign against celebrated photographer, Oscar-nominated filmmaker and the Chair of South Bank Centre, Misan Harriman, has been troubling. The distortion of his social media posts to present him as antisemitic is, at the very least, unfair and prejudicial. This has elicited a record number of complaints to the media watchdog IPSO. You can find out more about this campaign here: Take Action: Campaigns for Media Accountability | NewsCord. Below is an example of Harriman’s work, which is more typical of his stance on the contentious issue.  

Picture © Misan Harriman.  

 

 

THE AFRICA CENTRE’S EXHIBITION HAS BEEN EXTENDED TILL 14TH JUNE, 2026.  

 

Due to overwhelming public response, The Africa Centre is delighted to announce that our landmark 60th anniversary exhibition has been extended until Sunday, 14 June 2026. If you haven't yet had the chance to visit or if you'd like to return, there is now more time to experience this celebration of six decades of The Africa Centre and two thousand years of the African presence, creativity and cultural influence in Britain. 

 

 

My Cultural Moment of the Month: Witnessing the installation of Mrs Olufunsho Amosun as Yeye Moremi Oodua in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Watch the space for some exciting news next month!  

 

 

 

 

Have a Wonderful Month! 

Olu Alake. 

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