NUS Black Students Campaign celebrate BHM

Marking Black History Month, the NUS Black Students Campaign and Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, supported by the Venezuelan Embassy, are hosting a special meeting to celebrate the advances made by the Black communities in the new Venezuela.

Venezuela is an incredibly diverse society, situated in the Caribbean, three quarters of its population are of mixed heritage, of African origin or indigenous origin and has a past dominated by the slave trade.

The government of Hugo Chávez has done more than any other in Venezuelan history to challenge the racism that has affected Venezuela and to celebrate Venezuela’s African heritage.

Hugo Chávez is the first president in Venezuela's history to honour his indigenous and African ancestry and has said:

Hate against me has a lot to do with racism.

A huge range of measures have been taken to give rights to Afro-Venezuelans and to indigenous communities and to tackle racism.

The meeting will look at how the social progress in Venezuela under the government of Hugo Chávez has benefited the Black communities in Venezuela and the wider Caribbean.

Some of the speakers include Diane Abbott MP, Doreen Lawrence and Ambassador Samuel Moncada, former Higher Education Minister will look at the legacy of historic racism in Venezuela.

The event will take place on Monday 22 October, 7.30pm, Bolivar Hall, 54-56 Grafton Way, London, London W1T 5DL, (1 minute from Warren Street).