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Historic prison to host Black History Month event

BBC Exterior of Shepton Mallet Prison, with a grey cloudy sky in the backgroundBBC
The prison will host a Black History Month event

Shepton Mallet Prison is holding an event celebrating Black History Month, exploring the site's "complex history".

The Somerset establishment was the UK's longest operating prison until its closure in 2013, and was run at one point by the US military in the later stages of World War Two.

A number of US servicemen were executed there, over accusations of rape and murder, with a Channel 4 documentary discovering that despite the force being 90% white, a disproportionate number of black and Hispanic soldiers died there.

As part of a month-long event, a talk is set to take place on Wednesday evening by Susann Savidge, chair of Somerset African Caribbean Network (SACN), called Evening Behind Bars.

Shepton Mallet Prison A black and white photograph of a line of eight children looking at the cameraShepton Mallet Prison
The discussion will centre around the children of black army members held at Shepton Mallet prison

Ms Savidge will look at the stories reflected in a book by Lucy Bland, who wrote about the children born to black US soldiers, as they passed through the area, and white women during World War Two.

There will also be a discussion on the lives of those children, who were often referred to as "Brown Babies", and organisers say there will be first-hand accounts and insights into their unique struggles in the face of adversity.

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