Threads of Legacy: Celebrating Black Leadership, Community and Contribution

BEMIS Scotland, in collaboration with RCCG Beautiful Gate Parish, proposes an evening event exploring the life, legacy and community contribution of Rev. Josiah Akindayomi, a significant figure in the history of the African diaspora whose life provides a starting point for a wider conversation about Black leadership, community-building, resilience, service and legacy.

While Rev. Akindayomi’s life has particular significance within the history of the Nigerian and African diaspora, the event will not be a religious service or faith-based celebration. Instead, his story will serve as a historical and community case study through which participants can explore broader themes relevant to Black communities across Scotland.

The event seeks to create an inclusive space where people from African, Caribbean, Asian and other racialised communities, alongside the wider Scottish community, can come together to:

• Learn about the life and legacy of Rev. Josiah Akindayomi.
• Explore the contribution of Black individuals to community development and social history.
• Reflect on the experiences of Black communities within the African diaspora.
• Consider how individual leadership can contribute to community resilience and social change.
• Create intergenerational conversations about identity, belonging, migration, community and legacy.
• Connect historical experiences with contemporary conversations about equality and inclusion.
• Reflect on how lessons from the past can help shape a more inclusive future in Scotland.

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Light refreshments included