The next step of the project is the one with the highest stakes, making contact with Lydia and seeing if she’ll fill in the factual elements of the narrative with the story.
It is important that Black women are allowed to rest, and in the past having been chased by various media and press Lydia has previously declined interviews as is her right to do so.
My hope with this letter (which is the second part of this blog series) is to not simply enquire about her journey, but also the effects of history and legacy in the community as well as tell her a bit more about me and the impact her narrative has had on me as a young Black artist living in the area.
Dear Lydia,
My name is Theophina Gabriel, I’m young writer and artist born and raised in Slough.
When I came across your story online, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe that I had grown up in Slough my whole life and never heard of you! I was even more shocked to know that my mum knew about you and she never told me. It makes me think about all of the full stories that are not being passed down to the younger generations in the community.
As a young Black woman who has recently graduated from university, I am learning more and more about asserting myself, in ways and dynamics I am not used to. I have often been hyper-aware of myself and my behaviour within institutions, making sure that I am not acting in any way that may allow me to be labelled angry or aggressive. However, this can often be tiring, especially when the places you are in require you to be strongly assertive to them to make any change. Your story of being elected in 1984 has inspired me so much. For you to have secured the mayoral election during a decade where there were no blacks signs in windows is nothing short of inspirational to me, the way in which you must have confidently inspired Slough and facing all the visibility that comes with being a Black woman is particularly resonant to me. I wonder what it must have been like, were you ever uncertain of yourself? What policies were you the proudest of and why? What advice would you give to up-and-coming young Black women looking to enter spaces of power?
As a young creative with a community led focus, I would like to write a poem about you. The poem would be two minutes and I would go around Slough and film some images to go with my words. Your presence wouldn’t be required for this as I have been made aware that rest is your top priority, but if you have the energy and the time, I would be so grateful if you could answer these three questions by either writing me back or giving me a call. If you would rather not that is also completely okay. I’m making this film to capture as much of the detail of your story as I can because we don’t often get to see women in political positions of authority, let alone Black women, and it’s so important
to not only capture the facts of the story, but the footsteps so the next generation can learn from them. While I am dedicated to preserving the full stories of the Black figures in our communities, and I know that you are currently frail. I also believe in the right to rest especially after providing so much service for the community. I have been feeling very much like a detective, gathering all the online content I can of community visits, interviews, and ringing Thames Valley Police and Slough Museum to try to find records of your policies.
Slough still gets a lot of negative press, and I think it’s because we are so unaware of the wonderful parts of our history, and I truly believe you are one of them. I think that a lot of our generation are not aware of the powerful figures in our hometown. I’m hoping my poem will provide more insight into your story and help this generation remember you as you want to be remembered and not simply as the first Black woman to be mayor but an incredible community organiser who believed in helping and uplifting her community because of the potential she saw it in.
I hope this letter isn’t too naïve or generalist, and if you cannot be involved, I understand completely. I would just ask that you permit me to send you my project when I am finished to make sure you are happy with what has been made. I would hate to tell your story in any way you are not happy with. I’m hoping that with your help I will be able to tell it as fully as possible so that my generations and the generations to come can have a fully rounded picture not just of what you’ve achieved but who you are and what you stood for.
Many thanks,
Theophina Gabriel
P.S: Do you know where your mayoral portrait is? I’d love to be able to see it and potentially include it in my poem’s film but nobody can seem to find it!
This is the second blog post in a series of three parts following poet Theophina Gabriel’s documentation and poetic preservation of Lydia Simmons through writing and film as commissioned by Slough Borough Council’s Libraries & Culture Black History Month Grants 2020.
The first post about Lydia's impact on Theophina can also be read on this blog.