Written by Bianca Danielle
Hello, it’s Bianca here, Project Manager for Rekindling Nello James. As we reach the six-month mark of this 12-month heritage project, I’ve been taking time to pause and reflect. We’re halfway through the journey, with so much still to come, but already Rekindling Nello James has been filled with powerful moments of connection, learning, and remembrance. Leading this project has been an honour, one that has been both emotionally moving and deeply grounding.
This feels like the right moment to share a warm round-up of what we’ve built together so far, leading up to what has been the beating heart of the project to date: Stories of Nello James, held on Saturday 29 November 2025.
Building Together from the Start
From the very beginning in May, I knew this project had to be shaped by the people who lived the history of the Nello James Centre. I reached out to five members of the community, all connected through activism, empowerment, wellness and education. Who each had lived experience and deep ties to the Centre.
Through monthly meetings, these individuals came together to form the Rekindling Nello James Steering Group, a space rooted in trust, honesty and collective care. Their insight has informed every activity and event we’ve held so far, from the launch event at the Kath Locke Centre which you can read about here. Right through to the vital Stories of Nello James event which I talk more about at the end of this article.
Having them on board has been invaluable, and their presence has ensured this project remains community-led, reflective, and accountable.
Why this matters:
To honour the Nello James Centre’s history of grassroots leadership by ensuring decisions are shaped collectively, not imposed — reflecting our commitment to community ownership.
Radical Readers
June marked the start of Radical Readers, a fortnightly book club we hosted at Rekindle School, led by Tasha McDonnell-Tanoh. In an intimate group of six, we read, studied and discussed books by Black authors – creating a space for critical thought, openness and shared learning. A full blog post about Radical Readers will be coming next month, but Tasha’s words capture its spirit perfectly:
“I knew the group would go well — there’s little room for error when it comes to good books, good snacks, curious minds and open hearts. Yet I could never have foreseen the depth of insight and connection that would grow from these meetings.”
Why this matters:
Because CLR ‘Nello’ James used writing and books as tools for activism, education and organising, this space brings people together to study, question and reflect collectively. By intentionally centring and investing in Black authors, Radical Readers builds critical consciousness while continuing a tradition of community learning rooted in the spirit of the Nello James Centre.
Guard Her Ground
Autumn saw Siarka ‘Simeon’ Murisanga, a member of our Steering Group, host Guard Her Ground – a series of self-defence classes specifically for women. These sessions were curated intentionally, foregrounding C.L.R. James’ love of sport and belief in community resilience. Every session sold out. Showing how much spaces like this are needed and wanted. Simeon wrote a piece about his experience which you can read here.
One participant of the sessions shared:
“I am so proud of myself for joining these classes. I was nervous, but I knew I needed to do something that made me feel strong and start to build back my confidence. Thank you to Rekindle and Simeon, you don’t know how much I needed this.”
Why this matters:
To echo the Nello James Centre’s ethic of protection and dignity, supporting women and girls to build confidence, agency and collective care – themes rooted in CLR ‘Nello’ James’ politics.
Learning to Hold Our Own Histories
We were joined by Laila Benhaida, Community Archivist and Project Lead at the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust, who delivered two oral history training sessions focused on storytelling and community archiving. Sharing practical skills that are rarely accessible outside large institutions.
Reflecting on the sessions, Laila shared:
“The first oral history training session was well attended, with people coming from a range of backgrounds. Some were involved in the project, others were working on personal heritage projects or were part of grassroots organisations keen to document their histories.”
“Others wanted to gain transferable skills in heritage and archives to further their knowledge and explore career options.”
“Participants gained introductory knowledge and interview skills for conducting good-quality oral history interviews for long-term preservation, and understood the importance of documenting heritage in this way, especially for Global Majority communities.”
Why this matters:
To give local people the tools to preserve their own histories, aligning with CLR James’ belief that knowledge should belong to the public and be shaped from the ground up — and to ensure the story of the Nello James Centre is recorded by the people who were there, in their own city.
Food, Memory and Intergenerational Joy
In partnership with local Cameroonian chef Ngwafu Tansie, we hosted an intergenerational cooking session bringing young people aged 5–12 into the kitchen to learn how to prepare a traditional Cameroonian meal. The room was full of laughter, curiosity and pride. A reminder that heritage lives through doing, sharing and passing knowledge on.
We documented the session and will be sharing photos and videos very soon.
Why this matters:
To explore how African and Caribbean food keeps culture alive, recognising meals as spaces of memory, politics and care. This mirrors the role the Nello James Centre once played as a hub of support and nourishment, and echoes CLR James’ belief that everyday life is deeply connected to collective liberation.
Final Event of 2025
All of this led us to Stories of Nello James – a day we curated as the emotional and historical heart of the project.
After our public launch in September, I felt a strong need to centre the voices connected to the Nello James Centre and create intentional space for people to come together. To share memories, be heard, respected, and documented. This gathering marked the beginning of the first ever Nello James Centre archive, ensuring that the building and the people who shaped its 30 year legacy can be named, celebrated and remembered for generations to come.
It was also about documenting this moment for ourselves. Too often, the stories within our communities are only recognised in hindsight. This time, we captured them, for our families, for future generations, and for safekeeping. The content gathered on the day will be shared within the community first, before being archived next year at the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre, where it will be preserved for learning, research and legacy.
And on the day itself? We discussed, reminisced, clapped, debated… then we ate, laughed and danced. The images in the cover of this blog were captured by young budding photographer Miriam (The Miren Collective) who is really talented and you can see the full album here. She did a great job of catching the wonderful energy of everyone on the day.
On the day, the whole building was transformed to echo the spirit of the Nello James Centre. Read below to see some of who was involved in the different areas:
- Laila Benhaida curated an exhibition of historic photographs and documents from Moss Side, Hulme and Whalley Range. Read a piece she wrote about the day here. We were also proud to loan and display the Abasindi Co-op Photographic Exhibition Panels, especially poignant as our building once housed their incredible mission and work in the 60s and 70s.
- The Rekindle Pantry was filled with steel pans by Francis, food from Chris and Ken at Boxco, and Caribbean cake by Dawn Panton.
- The Nello James Room was our central discussion space, held beautifully by Activist and Actor Lamin Touray as MC, with Cameron from Decibel Sounds as audio maestro.
- The Archive Filming Room was set up by Motayo and Josh from MTB Studios, offering a crucial one-to-one story sharing space to capture vital oral histories from our elders. With Rekindle family Darren and Nika hosting these vital interviews.
- The Ubuntu Space was a calm, reflective zone created by wellness expert Lorraine Ballintine (read her blog here) and had bun and cheese, a reflective playlist, alongside a herbal tea blend by Nicole Rosena.
- Plus a whole host of Rekindle staff, board members, volunteers, friends and family supporting in the lead up and on the day!
Why this matters:
Because too much of our history has gone undocumented or been told by others, Stories of Nello James created a space for people connected to the Nello James Centre to speak in their own words and in their own city. It marks the beginning of a community-held archive — recording this legacy with care, dignity and intention so it cannot be lost again.
Looking Ahead with Gratitude
As we pause for the festive season and prepare to return in 2026 for the next phase of the project, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been part of Rekindling Nello James so far.
The past six months have been exhilarating, emotional and deeply poignant. To lead this work, to hold space for memory, community and legacy is an honour I don’t take lightly. There is still so much ahead, but what we have already built together will stay with me forever.
