Katie Rosseinsky (Stylist) writes about Jamaican poet, editor, producer, and broadcaster Una Marson and a brand new documentary about her life and profession in “Una Marson Our Misplaced Caribbean Voice: this new BBC documentary follows the story of a trailblazing Black broadcaster.” [Many thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this item to our attention.]
You may not have heard of Una Marson, however that’s about to vary because of a brand new documentary shining a lightweight on the extraordinary life and work of the BBC’s first Black producer and broadcaster on the BBC.
As a part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations, a brand new documentary is shining a lightweight on the pioneering work of Una Marson, the company’s first Black producer and broadcaster.
Although a lot of Marson’s work has been misplaced, that means that she has been missed by historical past, Una Marson: Our Misplaced Caribbean Voice will use her surviving writing and letters, in addition to particulars from her BBC personnel file, to inform her extraordinary story and provides this essential determine the credit score she deserves.
Seroca Davis performs the broadcaster within the programme’s drama segments, whereas lecturers and Marson’s mates will present perception on her life as a Black girl in broadcasting throughout the Second World Warfare.
Born in Jamaica in 1905, Marson grew to become the assistant editor of the political journal Jamaica Critic on the age of simply 21 in 1926, earlier than organising The Cosmopolitan Month-to-month Journal two years later, turning into Jamaica’s first ever feminine editor.
Her first poetry assortment adopted in 1930, and two years later she travelled to London, hoping to discover a wider viewers for her literary work. When she arrived, she discovered that her alternatives had been restricted by her race, prompting her to marketing campaign in opposition to discrimination as a part of The League of Colored Peoples. She additionally wrote in regards to the racism she and different Black girls confronted in England.
Marson was employed by the BBC Empire Service in 1941 to work on Calling The West Indies, a programme the place troopers’ letters could be learn out to their households, turning into the present’s producer the next yr.
She finally turned the present into Caribbean Voices, a programme which celebrated literature from the Caribbean, and wrote and produced At What A Value, a play a few mixed-race relationship, which was carried out within the West Finish.
Returning to Jamaica after the struggle, she went on to arrange her personal publishing firm, however sadly little proof stays of her work in her later years.
The movie, which has simply aired on BBC Two has been produced by Lenny Henry’s Douglas Highway manufacturing firm. Writing about Marson’s legacy for the BBC, the actor and comic mentioned: “After I consider Una Marson, I consider a trailblazer – a pioneer who linked the Caribbean to the world via her radio programmes. However most individuals don’t even know who she was, not to mention something about her work on the BBC.”
By making a movie about her life, Henry added, “My workforce and I are selecting to say her story is essential. She deserves to be lauded and I hope now we have added to her legacy.” The movie has additionally been broadly praised by viewers for shining a lightweight on a determine who has lengthy been forgotten by the historical past books.
[Above: Una Marson: Our Lost Caribbean Voice: Seroca Davies as Una Marson.]
For authentic article, see https://www.stylist.co.uk/leisure/television/una-marson-our-lost-caribbean-voice-bbc-two-documentary/721657 Additionally see https://www.bbc.com/information/entertainment-arts-63215113 and https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001dht8