Meet our project activators
Meet our five project activators, who have researched, written, recorded and responded to Black Heritage stories in Ladywood and beyond.
Rayhanah Rowe
PROJECT ACTIVATOR
Hi my name is Rayhanah, I am a spoken-word artist/ poet. I’m currently in the process of completing my first book. I aspire to be a biomedical engineer as I fell in love with the idea of biology coming together with engineering to help aid the rest of the world.
When I was being interviewed for the project one thing, I said was that I wanted to create a dinosaur footprint, meaning I wanted to create change that sticks, makes a difference all while becoming unforgettable history. While engaging with the project I came to realise and comprehend the depth of our history in the very city we live in; areas I would never have thought to have such a significant part in black history today turned out to have some of the brightest storylines and it’s eye–opening, beautiful even.
Tia Damali Kore Hortin
PROJECT ACTIVATOR
My Name is Tia Hortin, and I am an all-around creative living in Birmingham. I’ve always been interested in Black History and lamented how inaccessible it was to the general public.
Getting involved with My Voice My Path project allowed me to change that. Unearthing and discovering the hidden portions of Birmingham’s black history was challenging for all of us, but has definitely been rewarding.
Amirah Harvey-Head
PROJECT ACTIVATOR
My name is Amirah, I am a social scientist and currently studying a joint honour in Sociology and politics. I took part in my voice my path project because I wanted to help showcase history in the black community that often goes undocumented. Not only have I discovered the great history in Ladywood but i have come to see just how important heritage is to me and the impact that it can have on the community.
Ilhan Adam
PROJECT ACTIVATOR
My Voice My Path was an amazing project that had an impact on me both professionally and personally. In terms of the work we did, I learnt a lot about the production that occurs behind the scenes of an audio tour. I had also learnt just how much research goes into a project of this calibre and the different ways to obtain such information, whether through primary or secondary sources. This project also meant a lot to me personally as it was focusing on a topic that I am passionate about.
One of the best things about working on the project was listening to people share their personal stories of how they came to Birmingham and what being Black and British means to them. It was also equally lovely to frequent the famous Granny’s Takeaway for a bite in between research!
One of the main things I hope people take from this project is just how much rich culture and history is sitting on our doorsteps and within our neighbours. I hope it inspires people to be curious at the history that we have right here!
Nina Ma
PROJECT ACTIVATOR
My name is Nina and I’m originally from Beijing, China. I just moved to London after living in Birmingham for 7 years which I feel like is my second home. I took part in the project because I’m really passionate about the diversification and decolonisation of the heritage sector.
As the second city of the UK with an incredibly diverse population including a significant Black community, I believe it’s important to and for the locals to tell Black stories of Ladywood and the wider Birmingham and reclaim the Black heritage space. I’ve learned so much about the Black history of Birmingham through of the programme and it has been an eye-opening and humbling journey for me.
