Hello , I was getting in touch as I think I have a story that would be of interest to you. My mum partner Simon has just launched a book on black history. My mum and Simon live in Ham, Richmond. I don't think there is another book quiet like this.

The new book launched ‘History Through the Black Experience' charts the Black narrative. There is no other book on the market that captures the breadth and depth of the Black story, experiences and perspectives of Sub-Sahara Africa, Central and North America, the Caribbean, Australia and the Black European.

This unique book spans over 800 pages in two volumes. Written to engage the reader daily looking at what happened on this day, January 1st through to December 31st. Topics are often linked, an example being connecting the varied stories of Black people involved in the space programme and exploration.

The book champions Stories of courage and success, often against incredible odds. Featured are slave narratives, tales of invention, innovation, politics, science independence, military heroics, Civil Rights, the arts; film, theatre, authors, television, music and dance. There are numerous topics, events and people to discover and uncover. 'The Black Experience' aims to shine a light on an area of history often overlooked, redacted, hidden, ignored, sidelined, pigeon holed and frequently appropriated.

"History Through the Black Experience" is about providing insight and balance. All too often Black contributions have not been suitably acknowledged. In the 62 years of the Grammy Awards only a dozen Black artists have won the prestigious Best Album Awards. Since the inception of the Brits in 1977 not one Black artist has received the accolade; The Brits Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. The sporting arena is known for Black success. Starting in 1954 the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award has only seen 6 Black recipients, the first being Daley Thompson in 1982. The second recipient came a decade later in 1993 with Linford Christie. International sports winners have faired slightly better with 15 Black winners over the past 50 years.

Simon Hudson the author was born and raised in Southampton, before moving to London to become a secondary school religious Studies teacher. He taught for over 30 years. A lifetime prepared him for the books. As a teenager he was inspired by the stories of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights struggle in the USA.

As a teacher, before ‘Black History Month' had been adopted, Simon introduced ‘Cultural Awareness Week' where colleagues and pupils discovered diverse cultures and contributions made by people outside the European narrative.

Having sat down to research and write, eighteen months later (through lockdowns and COVID), Simon felt comfortable having provided a foundation, an understanding, and insight, and a springboard from which one could pursue further learning and build knowledge.