Black Family History

The shared geographies, histories and contemporary legacies of the abduction and enslavement of Africans continues to be revealed, researched and written into public understanding. With the veil of denial and amnesia in the UK being slowly lifted, Black people are increasingly being confronted by, and are reckoning with, complex and traumatic stories and family ancestries inseparable from these transatlantic connections with slavery. Yet the research required to excavate those ancestries, and their associated narrative histories entails complicated transnational genealogical craft, as well as careful ethical consideration. Bringing those stories to life for a broader public requires deep thought around the politics and responsibilities of transatlantic storytelling and visualisation.

This conversation between journalist and filmmaker Keme Nzerem, and genealogist and author Bernice Bennett reflects on these issues in the context of their work together on a documentary film project tracing Nzerem’s own complex ancestry. They discuss the genealogical craft required to navigate archival gaps and silences, as well as the ethics of unearthing and sharing histories of enslavement. What are our responsibilities and duties of care with respect to telling these stories, in particular to descendants of the enslaved? How do people - especially Black Britons - process their own personal connections with the enslavement of Africans? What are the deeply felt imperatives for Black people to discover, share and heal, without imposing uninvited trauma on fellow Black citizens? And what indeed is the value and role of uncovering and sharing stolen ancestries in contemporary British society?

Keme Nzerem is a news anchor and correspondent who is making a documentary about discovering his white ancestors were enslavers, and his long and complex search for the descendants of the people his family had enslaved. He decided to start filming the process, as it unfolded, nearly 5 years ago with cameraman and co producer Piers Leigh. Keme’s mother is white American, and his father is Nigerian. During filming, Keme learned that not only were his US ancestors involved in the trade, but his Nigerian forebears were also connected to the abduction and kidnap of people who would be sold as slaves. To help trace and connect with his complicated and unsettling ancestry, Keme enlisted the help of renowned African American genealogist Bernice Bennett.

Bernice Bennett is one of America’s most renowned Black genealogists, who made her name helping African Americans trace their stolen family histories. She has received many awards for her genealogical writing and research, including the Elizabeth Clark-Lewis Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) Genealogy Award in 2019. Bennett hosts a radio show exploring and celebrating Black genealogy and is a former member of the Board of Directors for the National Genealogical Society. She is the author of Black Homesteaders of the South (2022), and Tracing Their Steps: a memoir (2019), and Our Ancestors, Our Stories (2014). Her paternal family is from the same small town in SouthCarolina as Keme’s mother’s.

The event will be chaired by Professor Matthew Smith, Director of UCL’s Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery.

Please note, the event will be filmed and footage from the event may be used in post-production of the documentary film coming out of this project.

Followed by a Drinks Reception.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

G22 Lecture Theatre, UCL North-West Wing Building, G22 Lecture Theatre, London, United Kingdom