The work behind the work at
Brighton & Hove Black History
Sarah Naomi Lee
Some people shape a city’s cultural life by being the loudest voice in the room. Sarah Naomi Lee has done it a different way. She has helped build lasting work through care, steady judgement, and a focus on what matters: people’s stories, handled properly.
If you have been to Brighton & Hove Black History events over the years, you will have felt her influence, even if you did not know her name. Sarah is one of those people who keeps things moving. She listens closely, asks the right questions, and helps turn memories and research into something the wider city can learn from.
Where it began
Brighton & Hove Black History
Officially launched in Brighton in October 2002.
Sarah Naomi Lee has been a committed volunteer since 2002, when she co-founded the community group with Bert, with the purpose of challenging racism by raising awareness of Brighton and Hove’s multicultural history.
A practical kind of leadership.
A lot of people can come up with a strong concept for a heritage project. The harder bit is the day-to-day: planning it, keeping it organised, making sure people feel welcome, and checking the detail so the story is told properly.
Sarah brings that practical leadership. Her work sits between research and public-facing events, helping to turn notes, memories, and archive finds into talks, activities, and resources that make sense.
That is where her wider background helps. Plenty Productions describes her as Creative Director, with a degree in English Literature and a mix of community, creative, and research work. It also notes her writing for BBC radio and a touring theatre piece called Snakes and Ladders.
In simple terms, she knows how to shape information into something people will actually read, listen to, and remember.
Working with museums on South Coast histories
Brighton & Hove Museums acknowledges Sarah’s involvement in this work through a podcast episode titled “Reframing South coast Colonialism with Dr Helen Mears and Sarah Lee”, shared as part of its wider work on decolonising practice.
It is the sort of contribution that does not always show up in headlines. But it often makes the difference between a project that only looks good on paper and one that feels real and respectful.
Time in Ghana
Sarah worked in Ghana for 4 years on a DFID funded development education project called the Fiankoma project which used co-created digital media projects between schools and community in both countres to challenge racism and cultural stereotyping.
A long working relationship, and a shared standard
People sometimes ask how Brighton & Hove Black History has lasted. Part of the answer is that it has always been built through relationships, and through a shared standard about how to do things.
Sarah and Bert have worked together for a long time, and that partnership, along with efforts of others, has helped keep the work grounded. It is not about chasing attention. It is about putting the record straight, adding depth to the city’s story, and making sure younger people can find themselves in the history of where they live.
You do not get that by cutting corners.
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