One of the two African British histories presentations taking place at Battersea Library has a very local connection.

On April 16 at 6.30pm, history consultant will be delivering an audio-visual presentation entitled John Archer & Black Politics. It tells more than the usual story of Archer becoming the first African London mayor 100 years ago in 1913. His involvement in a range of activities across Battersea, now in the borough of Wandsworth, his pan-Africanism, and his work as an agent for an Asian elected MP for Battersea North in 1922 and 1924, are some of the areas explored.

The NARM African British Histories presentations does kick off on March 19 with Paul Stephenson & The Bristol Bus Boycott, which tells the little known story of a bus boycott in Bristol 50 years ago in 1963, which partly led to the first Race Relations Act of 1965. There is an interesting connection of the boycott to Martin Luther King's 'I Have A Dream' speech.

The events are free. For more details, visit www.narm2013.eventbrite.com.

Based on information supplied by Awula Serwah.