The Postal Museum works with Royal Mail Culture Bearers on new exhibition

As part of the Voices of Resistance exhibition we worked in partnership with a group of seven African, Caribbean and diaspora women who work at the Mount Pleasant Mail Centre. The women involved were Asmeret, Carol, Ernestine, L. Aikens, Medinat Bolaji, Serena O and Sylvia Lartey.

With the help of Ella Phillips (creative consultant) and Georgina Tomlinson (one of our curators) the women explored the letters found in our archives that were exchanged between Jamaican plantations and the UK. Through close reading they uncovered what the letters can tell us about the experiences of some of the enslaved women who were coal workers. They were especially interested in the story of Nancy Brown, who protested about the conditions of enslaved people. This led them to think about their own stories of resistance and community building.

Out of their conversations arose themes of food, culture, resistance and freedom. Drawing on the archive and their own lived experiences, words and phrases were written onto ribbons and threaded onto a map of the route taken by the postal steam ships. While the letters largely excluded the stories of the enslaved women themselves, this activity helped to relocate them at the centre of the story.

The artwork is now prominently displayed in the Voices of Resistance exhibition.

Some of the women will be attending the Postal Workers Open Day on Sunday 7 September to talk to visitors about their involvement in the exhibition.

“The workshop was really powerful and I learned about the people’s suffering as well as how the women fought for our freedom.” – Asmeret

“The workshops made me reflect deeply on the resilience and strength of the women during the slave trade period. It was inspiring to think about their contributions and sacrifices, which are often overlooked.” – Serena

Artwork displayed in the Voices of Resistance exhibition.