| Title: | R1138 Esme Lancaster |
|---|---|
| Description: |
Birmingham Black Oral History Project R1138 Oral History Interview - Esme Lancaster 01/02/1992 Interviewee: Esme Lancaster Interviewer: Doreen Price This is an oral history interview with Esme Lancaster, recorded in 1992, discussing her life in Jamaica and the UK. Esme lived in Jamaica until 18th December 1950 when she travelled to England with the aim of improving her education. She worked as a teacher, social worker and supported children and woman through playgroups and fostering. She spent time living in Bristol, Birmingham and South America, returning to Jamaica on occasion. These recordings include racially explicit content, including discussions of racism, prejudice and violence; and language and phrasing that we would not use today. Some of this content might be unsuitable for younger listeners or triggering for People of Colour. We recommend reading the description for each track before choosing to listen. Track 1: Introduction Esme introduces herself and her immediate family describing where she lived in Jamaica. Track 2: Family Business Esme describes the family business which produced banana and sugar for export. Track 3: Great-Grandfather Esme describes her family's shop and her great-grandfather who was a hugely important figure in her early life. Track 4: Great-Grandfather Cont. Esme continues to talk about her great-grandfather and his experience as an enslaved person. She begins to describe her early education. Track 5: School Years Esme continues to describe her early education and struggle with recovering from Typhoid Fever. She discusses the difficulty with continuing her education. Track 6: First Job Supported by a 'Sugar Estate' Esme talks about managing to continue her education and beginning to work as a teacher. Track 7: Jamaican Education System Esme describes the education system in Jamaica in the 1920s-1950s and touches on the impact of colonial rule. Track 8: Religion Religion was an extremely important part of Esme's life. She describes her experience of church in Jamaica and of being refused entry to a church in England. Track 9: Colonial Rule Esme talks about the impact of colonial rule on Jamaica, in particular on language and exporting resources. She begins to talk about her experiences of colourism and racism. Track 10: Class and Race Esme discusses her experience of class structure in Jamaica, colourism and her identity as a Black person. |
| Keywords: |
Birmingham Museums Trust/Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, British Empire, Sound Archive/ Oral History, Social history/ BBOHP, Social history/ Birmingham Black Oral History Project, Black History/ Windrush, West Indies, Colonialism |
| Usage Rights: | CC BY-NC 4.0 - Attribution-Non Commercial You are free to share & adapt this material. Credit: © Birmingham Museums Trust, shared under CC BY-NC 4.0 licence |
| Credit Line: | Birmingham Black Oral History Project |
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