Kerry James Marshall, Henry Louis Gates Jr, 2020. Acrylic on PVC panel in artist’s frame © Kerry James Marshall. Courtesy the artist and David Zwirner, London; Photo: Anna Arca
The opening event of Celebrating Black Minds, held at the Fitzwilliam Museum on 29 January 2026, marked the launch of a year-long programme dedicated to celebrating and amplifying the intellectual, cultural and civic contributions of Black scholars at the University of Cambridge.
The evening brought together students, academics, cultural practitioners and members of the public for an in-conversation moderated by Lisa Anderson (Associate Director of Museums London and former Director of the Black Cultural Archives), with Sir Keith Ajegbo and Tyra Amofah-Akardom. The discussion explored the politics of visibility, the labour involved in sustaining Black intellectual life within academic institutions and the responsibilities universities hold in moving beyond recognition toward structural care and long-term commitment.
The conversation moved fluidly between personal reflection and broader institutional discussion. Sir Keith reflected on continuity and change within the University across generations, drawing on his extensive experience in education and public policy. Tyra foregrounded care and relational knowledge, challenging frameworks through which Black scholarship has often been understood and valued.
Opening remarks by programme manager Brian Maina framed the programme as both celebratory and future-facing, situating contemporary scholarship alongside historic Black scholars of Cambridge while emphasising that these intellectual histories are not static or archival, but living, ongoing and generative.
The event concluded with informal discussion and exchange, reinforcing the programme’s commitment to dialogue and continued celebration.
As the first in a series of creative and research-led activities including symposium and student-led initiatives. This opening evening set a clear tone: that celebrating Black minds is inseparable from reshaping the conditions under which knowledge is produced, shared, and valued within Cambridge University and beyond.