EMBRACE

EMBRACE hosted a talk on Black Women in Leadership in celebration of Black History Month.

Dr Vanessa Iwowo, LSE Fellow in Management, explored the issues faced by the average woman and highlighted the deeper challenges of the black woman in particular.

EMBRACE screened the award winning film ‘Beauty Is’, and hosted a panel discussion with the director, Toyin Agbetu, to examine the concept of beauty from an African perspective. 

Throughout October, there was an introduction to African and West Indian cuisine. 

LSE Catering served the following dishes:

Thursday 1^st of October Lunch

• Goat Curry
• Jerk Chicken 
• West African Peanut Stew
• Jollof Rice/Rice & Peas
• Fried Dumplings 

Thursday 8^th October Dinner

• Chicken with Dumplings
• Smooth Pork
• Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Corn Rice
• Mash Potato 

Thursday 15^th  of October Lunch

• Cajun Beef with Sweet Potato
• Cajun Chicken with Corn Bread
• Vegetable Gumbo with Corn Bread 

Thursday 22nd^th October Dinner

• Chicken Andouille
• Creole Gumbo
• Creole Red Beans
• Jambalaya Rice 

Thursday 29^th October Lunch

• Jerk Pork
• Caribbean Fish Stew
• Sweet Potato & Black Bean Curry
• Rice & Peas

The LSE Alumni Entrepreneurs group held a talk with lawyer turned entrepreneur Dupsy Abiola.

'Avenue to Success: An evening with Lawyer turned Entrepreneur, Dupsy Abiola' featured Dupsy talking about her success and the rise of the female Entrepreneur.

The LSESU African and Caribbean Society and LSE Community and Welfare Officer, Aysha Fekaiki, organised a range of events for students to celebrate of Black History Month.

Activities included:

• Public Speaking Workshop 
• Film screening: Concerning Violence
• Middle Eastern Society presents: Just how African is North Africa? | 

For details on all the events, please see here. 

On Thursday 26 Febrary 2015, LSE EMBRACE is hosted a Chinese New Year celebration which featured Chinese arts and music, a talk on the Chinese 'Zodiac' and refreshments.

The event was supported by Confucius Institute for Business London (CIBL).

The summer party took place on Wednesday 23 July 2014 in the NAB. The event provided an opportunity for EMBRACE members and the wider LSE community to mingle. 

The LSE Space for Thought Literary Festival 2014: Reflections took place from Monday 24 February – Saturday 1 March 2014.

Continuing with the Festival’s theme of ‘reflections’, LSE Embrace/Spectrum invited guests to write (or draw) ‘reflections of self’ as they see themselves in relation to the ‘big wide world’.

EMBRACE held a film season on Wednesdays throughout September and October 2013. 

The informal social gatherings were organised to promote mutual understanding in cultural differences and diversity.  The films screened were:

• The Great Debaters
• Life is Beautiful
• In the Mood for Love
• Beloved
• The Last King of Scotland

In celebration of the first anniversary of its launch, EMBRACE is hosted a staff network conference with the theme "Experiences of BAME people in Higher Education and shaping the future" featuring guest speakers.

The event took place on Thursday 3 May 2012 and details can be found here.

EMBRACE also hosted an event entitled "Social Diversity within the workplace", with speaker is Rapahel Mokades, the founder and Managing Director of Rare Recruitment, an organisation whose mission is to “help the best employers in the world build workforces of brilliant people that reflect society's diversity.”  

EMBRACE hosted an event entitled "What were black people doing in World War I" as part of Black History Month. 

Tony Warner of Black History Walks gave a presentation of the crucial role played by men and women from Africa, Asia and the Caribbean during WWI.

EMBRACE held a Chocolate Masterclass and Tasting in May 2011 as part of Adult Learners' Week.

The event included a talk by Paul Wayne Gregory followed by a chocolate making demonstration and a chocolate tasting session.

For more information about Paul Wayne Gregory, please see here.

Also as part of Adult Learners' Week in May 2011, EMBRACE hosted Black History Tour of the St Paul's area.

The unique walk took in side streets and back alleys that one would never see from the main road. Hidden connections between Africa, the diaspora and the infrastructure of ancient and modern London were revealed, as well as how African names came to be given to streets and areas.

The visual imagery of London was observed, as were the obvious African influences, which are so often ignored or missed altogether.

On Thursday 31^st March, 2011 EMBRACE held its official launch. The Chair of EMBRACE, Daniel Beckley, opened with a heartfelt speech, outlining how the group was formed and arrived at this point, the dedication and commitment of members and its hopes for the future. 

Professor George Gaskell, Pro-Director (Research and Planning) welcomed everyone to the event.  He spoke about diversity initiatives at the LSE and the School's stance on equality and diversity issues. He also spoke about the new Equality and Diversity Ad-Hoc Committee, how and why it was formed and its membership. It was encouraging to hear that the School looks on equality and diversity with such positivity and importance, and the progress being made in these areas at LSE.

The evening's keynote speaker was the Honourable Mrs Justice Dobbs. Justice Dobbs is an LSE alumnus and member of the LSE Court of Governors.  She holds a number of honours which include being the first black person to be appointed a high court judge in the UK.  Her speech focused on the Equality Act 2010; its background, importance and place at LSE. She spoke of how encouraging it is to have a network of this nature at LSE, and the importance of networking and mentoring amongst peers, which is very much at the heart of EMBRACE's ethos.