Description
- Abstract:
- Interview with Dorothy and Alfred (Tundi) Zak (Zack) Williams on migration, work, and community in Liverpool. They recount U.S. and Sierra Leone family histories linked to slavery, experiences of racism in nursing and public life, civic/educational activism, and views on Liverpool’s slave-trade legacy. Includes family tradition of “jumping the broom,” and reflections on freedom, responsibility, and non-oppressive resistance. The views and opinions expressed by the speaker(s) do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Global Curatorial Project, Brown University, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, or the project's institutional partners. For questions or concerns please contact library staff at [email protected] or +1-401-863-2146.
- Notes:
- Immediate form of acquisition: A2025-025
- Biographical/historical note: Alfred 'Tundi' Zak-Williams: Alfred Babatunde 'Tundi' Zak-Williams born in Freetown, Sierra Leone was a British Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Research Degrees Tutor at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN). He is an Africanist and a political scientist. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Liverpool and a MSc at the University of Salford, both in sociology. His PhD thesis with the University of Sheffield was entitled Underdevelopment and Diamond Mining in Sierra Leone. Previously, Zak-Williams taught sociology at Bayero University Kano in 1979 and the University of Jos in Nigeria, and performed fieldwork research in Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. He published extensively on Sierra Leone and West Africa. Zak-Williams held a Fellowship of Trinity College Dublin and was a Feldman Engaged Scholar at Brandeis University, US. In 2013 he received the Amistad Award for distinguished service on human rights from the Central Connecticut State University and won the ASAUK's Distinguished Africanist's Prize in 2020. He was secretary and president of the African Studies Association of the United Kingdom, Chair of the Fage and Oliver Book Prize and a long-time member of the British Academy Africa Panel. Zak-Williams chaired the Granby Mental Health Community Group, was a member of the editorial board of the journal Social Work Education and is a co-editor of the journal Review of African Political Economy. Dorothy Zack Williams: Born in the United States, Dorothy Zack Williams is a retired midwife and community health visitor who dedicated her career to serving families in Liverpool, particularly through her work at Abercromby Medical Centre in Toxteth. Over the decades, she has cared for and supported five generations within the local community. A founding member of Liverpool’s Female Multicultural Group, Dorothy has also been a clinical nurse specialist in blood disorders, with a particular focus on sickle cell anaemia. Her expertise and compassion have made her a trusted figure for individuals and families navigating complex health needs. Dorothy serves as lead governor at Liverpool Women’s Hospital and is an active member of the Liverpool FGM Group, working to protect women and girls and promote health awareness. Her lifelong commitment to public health, cultural understanding, and community wellbeing has left a lasting legacy in Liverpool.
- Alfred (Tundi) and Dorothy Zack-Williams Oral History Interview, Global Curatorial Project: Unfinished Conversations oral histories and records, Ms.2022.010, Brown University Library
- Digital object made available by: Brown University Library, John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts, Box A, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, U.S.A., (http://library.brown.edu/)
Access Conditions
- Use and Reproduction
- The duplication and reproduction of materials in this collection outside of Brown University, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and project partner institutions requires the written consent from the interviewee or their assignee. Please contact the John Hay Library at [email protected] or +1401-863-2146 with any inquires.
- Rights
- This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
- Restrictions on Use
- Collection is open for research.
Citation
Brown University. Ruth J Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice, and National Museum of African American History and Culture (U.S.),
"Alfred (Tundi) and Dorothy Zack-Williams Oral History Interview"
(2025).
GCP Liverpool.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:d47dd9xp/
Relations
Has Parts:
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Alfred (Tundi) and Dorothy Zack-Williams Oral History Interview
- Type: Stream
- Order: 1
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Alfred (Tundi) and Dorothy Transcript
- Type: Transcript
- Order: 1a
