The past is not simply something behind us. It is the foundation upon which we understand who we are, where we come from and how we see the world today. History is often presented as a single story, shaped by those with the power to record, preserve and define it, but what happens when something disrupts that story?
Join us for a talk with Dr Onyeka Nubia to see a rare 1530’s draughts set which depicts people from different social, economic and ethnic backgrounds. This object from the Portland Collection gives us a starting point to explore the diversity of Tudor society, and learn about some of the people whose stories are often overlooked in traditional histories.
During the event, the draughts set will be brought out of the display case, giving visitors an opportunity to see them up close and discover the details that inspired this talk.
During the talk, Dr Nubia will delve into the histories that surround us, revealing the people, communities and experiences that have shaped our shared past. Because history is never one story. It is many voices, and every voice matters.
Dr Onyeka Nubia
Dr Onyeka Nubia is a pioneering and internationally recognised historian, writer and presenter. His books include England’s Other Countrymen: Black Tudor Society and Blackamoores: Africans in Tudor England: Their Presence, Status and Origins. He is the leading historian on the status and origins of Africans in pre-colonial England from antiquity to 1603.
