Visits of Bob Marley and Ben E. King to Hackney remembered for Black History Month

Hackney Museum and libraries across the borough will hold exhibitions, film screenings and dance classes as part of Black History Month in October

A centrepiece of the month-long annual celebration of the contribution of black African and Caribbean communities to Hackney is ‘Reggae Rebels’ which charts the rise of reggae and its journey from Africa to Jamaica and profiles The Four Aces, a legendary Dalston club which hosted international stars including Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder and Ben E. King.

The exhibition, open at Hackney Museum in Reading Lane until next January, includes the work of influential photographer Dennis Morris, who grew up in Dalston and who was only 14 when he befriended reggae legend Marley in 1975.

It also features photos owned by Newton Dunbar, manager of The Four Aces, which was closed down in 1999.

His photos feature in Legacy In The Dust, a documentary made by Stamford Hill resident Winstan Whitter, who will present the film at the musuem on November 18.

Real reggae fans can test their knowledge at the Reggae Bizz quiz on October 14 at the same venue, where director Horace Ov� will screen and talk about his 1976 film Pressure about a second-generation Trinidadian immigrant on October 28.

A selection of photos from the collections at Hackney Archives showing Hackney life in the 1970s and 80s will also be on display at Homerton Library in Homerton High Street throughout October.

At Hackney Central Library in Reading Lane there will be the opportunity to create vibrant African-themed masks on October 2 while author Kwame McPherson will hold a creative writing workshop on October 6.

For full listings and information, visit hackney.gov.uk/Black-history-month.