In 1492, an African carpenter stepped off an Italian galley onto the Southampton docks. Dr Abdoulie Sanneh, Community Cohesion and Diversity Officer at Southampton City Council, explores his story.
Black John was a free African carpenter who chose to make a living in Southampton at the turn of the 16th century. Dr Abdoulie Sanneh reveals John’s story and how he brought it to life with the Sarah Siddons Fan Club theatre performance company. Additionally, Dr Sanneh talks about his own story of coming to Southampton from the Gambia and founding The United Voice of African Associations (TUVAA), a non-profit organisation for blacks and Africans in Hampshire.
Born in the small west African country of Gambia, Abdoulie Sanneh came to Southampton University in 2002 to study for an MSc in Health Education and Promotion. He later completed his PhD at the same university. Abdoulie settled down in Southampton with his wife and four children. He has since worked with a wide range of voluntary organisations across the city and has been known as one of the inspirational community leaders in the city. Abdoulie is the chair and a founding member of The United Voice of African Associations and he is currently the Community Cohesion and Diversity Officer of Southampton City Council. He recently served as an ambassador for Southampton’s bid to become the City of Culture.
Further Resources
Watch Dr Sanneh play Black John in “Six Characters in Search of a History” - a video created by the Sarah Siddon’s Fan Club.
Join The United Voice of African Associations on their Facebook page.
Learn more about Sarah Siddons Fan Club via their website, or follow them on Facebook.
The book ‘Six Characters in Search of a History’ is available at Sea City Museum, God’s House Tower Museum and October Books in Southampton, and P&G Wells in Winchester.