Police officers visit Black history exhibition in St Albans

Police officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary visited the Becoming Us exhibition at St Albans Museum + Gallery as part of the force’s work becoming an anti-racist service.

Officers from Police Constable to Assistant Chief Constable attended on Thursday (27 June), immersing themselves in the history and culture of Black residents living in the city.

The officers were hosted by Andrene McDonald from the voluntary organisation Active Lifestyles. Andrene is a member of the constabulary’s Race Inclusion Board that advises the force on its work around tackling racial disparities in policing. She also co-curated the exhibition with local charity LeeAnna’s Wish and gave the group a guided tour of the exhibits that document the lives of people from the “Windrush generation” who lived here.

HMT Empire Windrush sailed from the Caribbean in 1948 bringing Commonwealth citizens to Britain with the promise of jobs and helping rebuild the country after World War Two. They brought with them culture, traditions, hopes and aspirations. However, Becoming Us also reveals the challenges they met leading new lives, as in some quarters they were not welcome and were subjected to racism and discrimination. 

The successful exhibition saw more than 26,000 visitors come through its doors between its start in February and ending on Sunday (30 June).

Assistant Chief Constable Catherine Akehurst said: “We are committed to being a service that actively challenges discrimination wherever it is found and builds trust and confidence in policing among our Black communities.

“This visit was a small part of this work but shows our commitment to understanding and learning from the past to better understand the present.

“We want to learn about Black history and hear from our Black residents, listening and positively engaging with them. By doing this, we can hopefully better respond to the needs and the issues affecting our communities today.”

Andrene added: “I feel ecstatic to see this exhibition come to fruition. It’s a great personal achievement as well as a community one recognising the hard work, commitment and contributions given by the African Caribbean people in St Albans. The exhibition aimed to educate and bring people together through stories, artefacts and powerful imagery to overcome stereotypical ideas.

“I was delighted to welcome the police to the exhibition to see this celebration of who we are. As part of the Race Inclusion Board, I am aware that Herts police are trying to improve their relationship with the African and Caribbean community and will continue to work with them to highlight the difficulties these communities face on a daily basis.”

Would you like to join the force’s Race Inclusion Board? It is open to any Black members of the public from Hertfordshire. By joining you can help ensure that voices from the Black community are heard in policing and help bring about positive change.

To find out more information about the exhibition go to Becoming Us | St Albans Museums