Women from both the Edgbaston community group and Saheli hub took a great deal of interest in the issues presented by this exhibition, sparking discussions about the continuity of issues around equal pay in the current world. Two women who were born during this period reflected on their personal experiences in light of such issues surrounding women in work, which was great to listen to – “My mother…worked until the day she had me”.
Perhaps most insightful was the conversations I had with two women from Saheli Hub after the museum visit, surrounding representation and diversity within contemporary portrayals of history. Despite definite improvements in recent years, history as a discipline is undoubtedly ‘whitewashed’. Whilst the period the museum focuses on is prior to the influx of immigration from the former commonwealth countries, black communities in cities did grow during both World Wars, with the arrival of men from the Caribbean and West Africa as wartime workers and servicemen. Perhaps we can further explore the impact of the Representation of the People’s Act on the political representation and activity of people of colour in Birmingham, in later discussions.