In what is a very significant time in terms of examining Black history and World history, it’s incredibly important to learn of the perspectives of those oppressed. During the height of the European expansion of empire, Britain established their intentions to also own parts of the world, the East India Company a strand of their colonial ambitions that would see them overthrow and uproot various nations in Asia before seeking domain across continents. During a voyage to South Asia in 1607, a crew of sailors on board the Matthew ship stopped off in Sierra Leone, the interaction recorded within a ship’s log, and one that involved the crew performing Shakespeare’s Hamlet – a questionable gesture that would play a part in their strategic ploy to colonise Africa.
Courtesy of Dan Fearon Designs.