The renowned historian and broadcaster, Professor David Olusoga OBE visited the University of Liverpool on Tuesday, 2 July to give a unique lecture to students as part of the University’s Widening Participation programme.
David delivered an insightful lecture to more than 100 students from schools in the Greater Manchester-based Laurus Trust about his book and BBC documentary series Black and British. David also answered questions from the students, who were part of their schools’ Apertura Programme for high achieving students.
The day was designed to provide students with an insight into university life and what they could expect from a university campus. The students also had a tour of campus with our Liverpool Advocates and visited Liverpool’s International Slavery Museum.
An alumnus and honorary graduate of the University of Liverpool, David graduated with a BA in History in 1994. After leaving university, Olusoga became a television producer, working on programmes such as Namibia Genocide and the Second Reich, The Lost Pictures of Eugene Smith and Abraham Lincoln: Saint or Sinner. He subsequently became a presenter, beginning in 2014 with The World’s War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire, about the Indian, African and Asian troops who fought in the First World War, followed by several other documentaries. His most recent TV series include the BAFTA award-winning Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners.
As well as his TV work, David is an award-winning author. His books include Civilizations: Encounters and the Cult of Progress, The World’s War, which won First World War Book of the Year, Black & British: A Forgotten History, which was awarded both the Longman-History Today Trustees Award and the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize and The Kaiser’s Holocaust: Germany’s Forgotten Genocide and the Colonial Roots of Nazism. He also writes for The Observer, The Guardian, The New Statesman and BBC History Magazine.
Peter Doyle, Widening Participation and Outreach Manager at the University of Liverpool said: “We were delighted to welcome Professor Olusoga and the students from Laurus Trust to campus.
“Our Widening Participation Team is committed to offering Educational Opportunities for all, and having passionate and inspiring speakers such as Professor Olusoga makes these events doubly memorable. Days like today are key to showing that a university education is an option for students of any background.”