Collections

Archive 

Our collections have been amassed by volunteers from the Black community since BCA began in the early 1980s. The archives span a period of five centuries and comprise a wide variety of material reflecting the history of the African diaspora and the presence of Black people in Britain. They include personal papers, organisational records, rare books, photographs and artefacts, and have been used to support our educational and outreach work.

The current content of the archive reflects BCA’s history as a local grassroots organisation which sought to promote and collect material encompassing the breadth of experiences of people of African and African-Caribbean descent. As our collection continues to grow, BCA will remain true to documenting this breadth of experience, whilst refining its focus to concentrate on preserving materials from the 20th century through to contemporary times.

Library

Our reference library currently contains around 1,200 books on subjects including the history and culture of the Black presence in Britain, post-colonial Africa, international pan-Africanist movement, late twentieth century radical politics and independently published literature.

Artefacts

We hold an eclectic collection of over 300 objects ranging from ethnographic to socially historic items, which reflect the diversity of expression by and about the people of the African Diaspora. Much of the collection was acquired through donations from the public, and many of the objects were created in recent decades.