On Sisters!: Pragna Patel & Meena Patel of Southall Black Sisters

Sisters in Solidarity: The Legacy of Southall Black Sisters 

University of Edinburgh students in conversation with Pragna Patel and Meena Patel  

This episode is one of three in a series accompanying the exhibition of Sisters!, a film by Petra Bauer, at the Fruitmarket: a collaborative film, documenting a day in the life of the Southall Black Sisters, a feminist organisation supporting Black and minority women in London with issues of domestic abuse and immigration. The film follows the organisation, exploring the day-to-day challenges and successes of running a politically charged non-profit.

This episode delves into the remarkable journey of SBS through its founder, Pragna Patel and early member, Meena Patel. Founded in the late 1970s, the group has played a pivotal role in addressing domestic violence, racial and gender injustice, and immigrant rights. The conversation delves into their activism, challenges, and the legacy of the Southall Black Sisters. The episode will go further to explore the making of Sisters! as a collaborative filmmaking process with Petra Bauer. Fifteen years after filming Sisters! we will ask Meena and Pragna to reflect on the film in its creation, presentation and impact. 

Further details about the show, including images and video, can be found at the Fruitmarket online archive.

To find out more about our current exhibition programme and upcoming events visit www.fruitmarket.co.uk or follow us on Instagram.

Produced by University of Edinburgh students on the MScR in Collections and Curating Practices, on which Fruitmarketis a partner: Lucy Beirne, Sara Kate Gregory and Greta Martyniuk.