Junie James

Junie James is a founder member, and currently, Director of ACKHI. Junie was born in Jamaica, but moved to Oxford in January 1964 and has lived in the city for most of her life since then. She has been involved in the voluntary and community sector since her teens, particularly in the field of 'Race Relations/Race Equality' education, health, housing and employment. In the summer of 1986, Junie and her colleagues organised Oxford’s first Caribbean carnival – the precursor to today’s Cowley Road Carnival – with the event then being part of a year-long national programme recognising Caribbean culture, organised in connection with the Commonwealth Institute. Her more recent work with ACKHI has included developing and managing its 'Connections: People & Places' project (researching Oxfordshire's links with the system of slavery and the slave trade); as well as the 'Their Voices' oral history project, which recorded the narratives of local people of African heritage living in Oxfordshire. To work with the ACKHI team, get in touch with Junie via email at ackhi03@gmail.com.