Seeking the pioneers

The Seeking the Pioneers: Routes of Resistance exhibition has been at the Library of Birmingham for the past two months. The project celebrates the lives and work of those who fought to make Birmingham, and Britain, a more just and equal society.

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the generosity of lottery players, the exhibition shines a light on people who dedicated their lives to fighting racism: teachers and writers, doctors and nurses, bus drivers and foundry workers—those who stood up to injustice, often at great personal cost. Their courage and conviction helped shape the foundations of the anti-racist movement we inherit today.

The exhibition has been in the main foyer of the library, a space with excellent footfall, allowing it to be seen by many people from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions. It has received some fantastic feedback, for which we at BRIG are grateful. This feedback reinforces the aims and objectives of the heritage project. It supports BRIG’s mission to hold institutions accountable by keeping race on the agenda and passing the baton to future generations.

Initial Feedback includes:

·       “Thank you for such an inspiring exhibition, that while highlighting pivotal incidents, also showcases and celebrates people who fought back and continue to fight against racism and fascism.” — Tracy Abrahams

·       “Every step that we make needs to be captured and remembered. We must remember, we must talk our history, we must talk our experiences.” — Dean T. Huggins

We would like to thank Tom Epps at the Library of Birmingham for their support in hosting our exhibition and accommodating a second exhibition, which will open on 2nd February 2026 and remain in the library foyer until the end of March 2026.

For the second instalment of the Seeking the Pioneers exhibition, we will continue to offer interactive walking tours with our Heritage Officer, Ibrar Hussain, at the main library foyer on the following dates:

·       Thursday, 5th February 2026

·       Thursday, 19th February 2026

·       Thursday, 5th March 2026

·       Thursday, 19th March 2026

Alongside the walking tours, we are also running another cohort of our Race History Detective Programme in the new year. To express interest, please contact our Heritage Officer at ibrar@wearebrig.co.uk. This course offers lessons on history, workshops on using equipment, support for activism, and leadership skills.

We would like to remind people that we are still seeking nominations for anti-racist pioneering individuals and organisations for the project. We are working on an exciting website that will continue to showcase and highlight the work of those helping to make Birmingham an anti-racist city by 2035.