Meet the Keynote Speakers
2019
Barrister at No5 Chambers
2017
Africana and American Studies
"Beyond Homophobia: Place Matters"
UK Black Pride, in its commitment to fostering unity and cooperation among Black and POC individuals of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, and Latin American descent, as well as their friends and families within the LGBTQI+ spectrum, actively addresses the diverse and complex experiences of these communities in and beyond the Caribbean. Through collaborative efforts we challenge societal inequalities, advocating for a more inclusive and understanding world. Our approach at UK Black Pride, deeply rooted in collective work and solidarity, seeks to navigate and reshape the geopolitical and cultural landscapes affecting LGBTQI+ individuals. I will talk about fostering strong partnerships and promoting a unified front using an intersectional lens, championing the rights of diverse communities, amplifying their voices in the regional and global arena, and creating a more equitable and just environment for all. UK Black Pride understands that the Caribbean LGBTQI+ experience is deeply influenced by geographic, political, and cultural factors, requiring a nuanced and inclusive approach to advocacy and support: this is why “Place Matters”.
Keynote Speaker - 2024
Lady Phyll
CEO & Co-Founder, UK Black Pride
Meet our
Past Keynote Speakers
Keynote Speaker - 2019
Philip Dayle
Barrister at No5 Chambers
From Guerilla Warfare to Full Moral Citizenship : The Journey Not Finished"
Philip Dayle is a barrister at No5 Chambers, based in London, UK. He has worked as a lawyer at the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in Geneva, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in Washington DC and in his native Jamaica. While at the ICJ as a legal officer, Philip was a chief architect of the Yogyakarta Principles, which is an authoritative statement of principles on sexual orientation and gender identity in international law. He received an LL.B from the University of the West Indies and an LL.M from Essex University, UK, where he attended as a Chevening scholar.
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Some words from our keynote scholar as found in The Guardian:
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"However Buju's case is decided, it has already cranked up massive tensions. There is the obvious mutual suspicion if not downright hostility, between communities of urban music–dancehall reggae, in particular–and law enforcement agencies. It may be nigh impossible, to have any credibility within the value system of these communities and simultaneously cooperate with the criminal justice system. It is not clear how that gap can be closed, but these are serious concerns for law and order."
"Jamaica will restore authority to regional jurists on hot human rights issues such as capital punishment. It's a demonstrable vote of confidence in the nation's ability to conduct its affairs – and a final act for the promise of nationalism. At the same time, Simpson Miller has signalled an understanding of matters related to sexual orientation that are in keeping with existing international human rights law. Her courageous assertion on gay rights, at a time that it might have been politically costly to do so, is a clear and hopeful indication that Jamaica can do the right thing."
'So': Queer Life Beyond and Against Homophobia”
Professor and Chair of Africana and American Studies at the University of Bufallo, Rinaldo Walcott holds the Carl V. Granger Chair in Africana and American Studies. He is a writer and critic. His research is in the area of Black Diaspora Cultural Studies, gender and sexuality with interests in nations, nationalisms, multiculturalism, policy and education broadly defined. As an interdisciplinary Black Studies scholar, Walcott has published in a wide range of venues on everything from literature to film, to theatre to music to policy. His articles have appeared in scholarly journals and books, as well as popular venues like newspapers and magazines and media online sources. He often comments on black cultural life on radio and TV.
Walcott has edited or co-edited multiple works including Rude: Contemporary Black Canadian Cultural Criticism (Insomniac, 2000). Walcott is the author of Black Like Who: Writing Black Canada (Insomniac Press, 1997 with a second revised edition in 2003). He is also the author of Queer Returns: Essays on Multiculturalism, Diaspora and Black Studies (Insomniac Press, 2016) and co-author of Black Life: Post-BLM and the Struggle for Freedom (Arbeiter Ring, 2019). In 2021, Walcott published The Long Emancipation: Moving Towards Freedom (Duke University Press) and On Property: Policing, Prisons, and the Call for Abolition (Biblioasis) which was nominated for the Heritage Toronto Book Award, longlisted for the Toronto Book Awards, a Globe and Mail Book of the Year, and listed in CBC Books Best Canadian Nonfiction of 2021.
Keynote Speaker - 2017
Rinaldo Walcott
Professor and Chair
Africana and American Studies