This year's theme was announced on Thursday 21st March by Jasvir Singh CBE (Co-founder of SAHM), to much excitement, as 'Free to be Me.' It promotes the celebration of individual identities and voices, urging people to take pride in their cultural heritage and personal narratives.
The South Asian Heritage Month committee say ‘It's about embracing who we are, sharing our similarities, and honouring our differences. This theme encourages us to celebrate our unique identities and voices, and being proud of who we are.’
The event garnered overwhelming support, with a full room comprising representatives from various organisations, such as Boots, Jaguar/Land-Rover, Barclays and AVIVA and there were a number of individuals from different NHS Trusts.
The dynamic movements of the University of Birmingham Bhangra group, contrasted sharply with the interpretive storytelling of SAMPADs’ Hindu classical dancers, showcased the unique characteristics, aesthetics, and expressive styles of these two distinct cultural communities.
- Dr Shahmima Akhtar, Assistant Professor of Black and Asian British History, reflected on their education and career journey and research into anti-racist resistance within British Bangladeshi communities in the late 20th century with Birmingham as their focus. They conclude with the words ‘do feel free to be yourself, as who knows where it will lead?’
- Dr Manu Sehgal, Lecturer in South Asian History, commented ‘For a historians such as myself, that is ultimately the most satisfactory engagement - not just with living beings that we will encounter and are privileged to have, but also being able to observe across generations and perhaps how we will be observed’. His talk concluded with encouraging people to visit archives and speak to archivists.
The panelists speeches and responses to questions from the audience about what "Free to be Me" means to them were insightful and powerful. Many in the room found their perspectives relatable and thought-provoking, sparking an interesting conversation and I look forward to seeing what type of events people put on during SAHM 2024.
Overall, this launch event was an exciting and empowering start to this year’s South Asian Heritage Month. Mark your calendars as there will be plenty of amazing events and activities between 18th July and 17th August. You can also add any events you are doing which link to South Asian Heritage Month on their website.
