Black Cultural Archives
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| Established | 1981 |
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| Location | 1 Windrush Square, Brixton, London, SW2 1EF |
| Type | Archive |
| Founder | included Len Garrison |
| Website | bcaheritage |
Black Cultural Archives (BCA) is an archive and heritage centre in Brixton, London, devoted to the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in Britain. Also known as BCA, it was founded in 1981, by educationalist and historian Len Garrison and others. BCA's mission is to record, preserve and celebrate the history of people of African descent in Britain.[1] The BCA's new building in Brixton, opened in 2014, enables access to the archive collection, provides dedicated learning spaces and mounts a programme of exhibitions and events.[2]
In 1981, Len Garrison and other members of the Black British community started a collection, housed in London originally in Coldharbour Lane, Brixton,] and later based in Kennington,[3] that sought to redress the historical imbalance of the representation of black people in Britain.[4]
In 2010, the BCA won major funding, including £5million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the London Development Agency,[5] and moved back to Brixton to become the UK's first national black heritage centre.[6] A site dedication ceremony took place in June 2013,[7] and the new BCA building – a Grade II-listed Georgian building, the former Raleigh Hall[3] – at 1 Windrush Square, was officially opened on 24 July 2014.[8][9][10][3] Designed by architects Pringle Richards Sharratt, it was named in 2015 as "Building of the Year" in the New London Architecture awards.[11][12][13]
On 16 February 2017, BCA received a royal visit from Charles, Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall,[14] during which Prince Charles praised the contribution of people from the West Indies and Africa in World War I and World War II.[15]
Paul Reid was BCA's director from 2006 until 2019, with Arike Oke taking up the managing director appointment in February 2019.[16][17]
In February 2022, Dr Yvonne Thompson was announced as new chair of the BCA's board of trustees.[18]
In 2024, the Len Garrison Master of Arts Scholarship in Black British History was launched in conjunction with the University of Leicester.[19]
Collections
In 2008, a two-year HLF-funded project called "Documenting the Archive" enabled the cataloguing of BCA's collections of books, objects, and archives, which "document the hidden stories and experiences of Black people either through personal and family journeys or through the rich network of Black-led community organisations", and "celebrate Black achievements alongside the strong sense of campaigning and resistance to racial inequalities."[4] BCA's records are also accessible through an online catalogue.[20]
