Leeds Girls Celebrate Their Roots and Heritage

Communities across East Leeds came together to celebrate Black History Month at a vibrant event organised by Getaway Girls. 

The event took place at the Leeds African and Caribbean Centre on Monday, 26 October, and brought diverse groups of women together to celebrate their heritage, share experiences and learn from one another.

Activities included arts and crafts, hair braiding workshops, DJing classes, henna tattoos, t-shirt making and performances.

Beyond the celebrations, the event carried a powerful message about the importance of cultural identity, community and the lessons passed down through generations.

One of the highlights was a Talkioke session – an inspirational roundtable discussion similar to Karaoke, but where participants take turns speaking into a microphone rather than singing. Under the theme ‘Honouring the Generations’, they shared stories about inspirational women, discussed the lessons learned from older relatives and reflected on their hopes for the future.

Community creative activist Paulette Morris, 63, facilitated the ‘Talkioke’ session. For her, the gathering was a heartfelt reminder that younger and older generations have much in common.

She said: “Today has been amazing. We’ve had all the generations here. We’ve had grandparents. We’ve had grandchildren. We’ve had daughters. So it’s been a real mix of energies, and yeah, it’s been fantastic.”

Paulette spoke about the importance of passing down the strength, resilience and values she learned from her mother to her daughters and granddaughters.

She also highlighted how older generations have much to learn from young people, particularly their confidence and willingness to express themselves, adding: “I think it’s important to bring the generation together, so we can see you are more similar than we realise.”

Her hopes for future generations were equally inspiring particularly when it came to women’s rights and standing up against injustice.

“I’m hoping for the next generation to keep speaking up about injustices,” she reflected.

Among the younger attendees was 15-year-old Ella Burns, who attends events and workshops at Getaway Girls.

She described the celebration as an opportunity for people from different backgrounds to feel included. She said: “It was great. I think it’s a great experience for just anybody that really wants to feel more diverse and included in the community. I think it’s a really good idea to bring us all together.”

When asked about the woman who inspires her most, Ella chose her mother, adding: “She’s a single mother of colour, so it just shows that no matter your colour, your age, what gender you are, you can really do anything.”

For 19-year-old Phoebe Emeribe, who is of Nigerian heritage, the event was an opportunity to celebrate her identity while learning about other cultures.

She said the celebration had exceeded her expectations, particularly because of the variety of people who attended.

Reflecting on the lessons passed down through generations, Phoebe spoke about the importance of remembering her roots and taking pride in her heritage, explaining: “I keep in mind that I should always remember where I come from.” 

A spokesperson for Getaway Girls said that the event had been a success: “Today has been fantastic, bringing together so many young women and girls from different cultures and backgrounds to celebrate Black History Month. We’ve had a wonderful range of activities for everyone to enjoy, from arts and crafts to dancing, steel pan music and much more.

“It’s been lovely to see everyone getting involved, celebrating together and enjoying themselves. The event ended on a real high, with some brilliant dance and musical performances that brought everyone together.”

Music was another major part of the celebrations, with steel pan performances helping to create a lively atmosphere.

Victoria Jacobs, a music teacher with 40 years of experience, was among those sharing their musical talents. She first discovered steel pans while teaching at Foxwood School in Seacroft during the 1980s.

The school had received funding through a government initiative designed to combat racism and promote multiculturalism.

What began as an opportunity to introduce pupils to steel pans developed into a lifelong passion for Victoria. She then went on to teach music across the country and in Lille, France. Her youth band also won a national Music for Youth award and performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Speaking about the importance of events like the Getaway Girls celebration, Victoria said they offered much more than entertainment: “What you’re really doing is working in little teams everywhere and finding your place, it gives you an opportunity to find something, but also find other people.”

Another attendee, Valerie Duffy, 65, reflected on the importance of bringing communities together to understand and respect different cultures.

Valerie recalled learning to sew from her mother and making her own clothes at just 12 years old.

She hoped future generations would learn to overcome differences and build stronger relationships.

“I’d like to see people getting on better in today’s generations. There’s too much conflict, whereas before everybody just hung out with each other,” she explained.

Her message was simple: “Just get on together and be respectful.”

The well-attended celebration also featured Caribbean food and refreshments, before ending with dance and musical performances.