Mary Osei-Oppong - African and Caribbean Elders in Scotland

African and Caribbean Elders in Scotland is a group for people aged 60 and above to come together to celebrate shared cultural heritage and create a space of support, belonging and friendship.

This year ACES published a book of oral histories of our members. One Life Two Cultures is a collection of experiences – both good and bad – of African and Caribbean Scots over the past 50 years. It establishes African and Caribbean peoples’ experiences as integral to Scottish society. This project would not have happened without Mary. Already a published author (For the Love of Teaching: The Anti-Racist Battlefield in Education, 2020), Mary supported members through the writing process and undertook countless hours of editing and proofreading. Mary also tirelessly promotes the book, for example at Scottish Parliament’s Scottish Women’s Convention.