For Black History Month, singer Arlo Parks, model and activist Eunice Olumide, disability advocate Ade Adepitan and photographer Vanley Burke share the books, artists, cultural moments and historical figures that influenced their identities and ambitions.
Parks, 26, credits bell hooks’s All About Love with helping her understand connection, desire and sensitivity. British music has also been central to her development: she cites Radiohead, Massive Attack, Portishead and Burial among the artists who shaped her approach to sound, genre and London’s atmosphere.
She identifies writers and artists including Zadie Smith, Steve McQueen and Donald Rodney as important Black influences. Parks says she is concerned by the rise of anti-trans rhetoric, while the Arts Everywhere fund and wider efforts to improve public access to art have encouraged her. If she were prime minister for a day, her priority would be protecting young people’s health and education.
Olumide, 39, highlights the anthology Loud Black Girls for its range of voices and experiences. Her work with artists such as Lauryn Hill, the Roots, Skepta, Wu-Tang Clan and Roots Manuva has reinforced her belief that people should not have to make themselves smaller to fit into society.
She describes grime’s emergence as a defining British sound as a particularly significant cultural moment, saying it brought the language and realities of marginalised young people into the centre of British culture. Nigerian women’s rights activist and politician Margaret Ekpo is the historical figure who has influenced her most.
Olumide argues for stronger links between education, culture and economic opportunity, including properly funded creative education, paid routes into industries and better careers guidance. She is also concerned about pressure on public services, education and the arts, although she welcomes greater recognition of the breadth of Britain’s history.
Adepitan, 53, says Adam Hochschild’s King Leopold’s Ghost deepened his understanding of Africa, racism and the historical roots of modern social and political conditions. His musical influences include Shut Up and Dance, Soul II Soul and Massive Attack, while the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics stand out as a celebration of Britain’s diverse culture.
Education would also be Adepitan’s first priority in government. He proposes protecting funding for state schools and suggests that highly educated people could spend time teaching as a way of contributing to society. He names James Baldwin as the Black historical figure who has influenced him most, praising the writer’s courage and ability to confront injustice.
Adepitan says political debate has too often been driven by anger about immigration, benefits, taxation and regulation. He believes the growing public attention to politics has been positive, particularly after a period marked by political upheaval and the Covid pandemic. Sports and family, he says, remain the foundations of a fulfilled life.
Burke, 75, points to the work of Black photographers Gordon Parks and James Van Der Zee as an influence on his visual style. Bob Marley’s Catch a Fire remains especially important to him, alongside music by Burning Spear, Culture, Stevie Wonder and Nina Simone.
The release of Nelson Mandela is the cultural moment Burke remembers most strongly, partly because he was in Africa when it happened. Marcus Garvey is the historical figure he admires most, describing him as both a visionary and an effective organiser whose ideas continue to influence Africa and the wider diaspora.
If he were prime minister, Burke would prioritise recognition of the history and consequences of the enslavement of African people and colonialism, alongside serious plans for reparations. He says no political development has truly uplifted him because Britain repeatedly returns to the status quo, citing the effects of privatisation, the sale of council housing and the decline of manufacturing under Margaret Thatcher’s legacy.
The four participants offer different perspectives on generational tensions. Parks believes generations can find common ground with care, while Olumide says older and younger people often underestimate the difficulties faced by one another. Adepitan points to the different pressures experienced by successive generations, including terrorism, social media and housing costs. Burke says limited communication and changing work-life demands make it harder for generations to support each other.
Sources: The Guardian Education.