Reggae Tree Ambassador
Hello, my name is Diane Shrouder-Johnson and I'm the Reggae Tree Ambassodor. Since 2021, I have been working with Kwaku and Brent Council to increase the visibility and importance of the tree as a valuable asset to the community. I have played a key role in organising talks about the tree, which occur on July 1st, with community members including dignitaries. With the Reggae Tree, I am one of the winners of “Faces Of Climate Change", awarded by Brent Council in December 2023.
Tree Planting Challenge
International Reggae Day continues its efforts to mobilize Jamaicans and Reggae lovers worldwide to join in the climate change conversation and plant trees of their choice on JulyOne in support of the One Trillion Tree Campaign, inspired by the life of Nobel Peace Prize Laureatte, Wangari Maathi, pioneer of the One Billion Tree campaign.
2018 Planting The Reggae Tree
On Sunday 1st July 2018 Dawn Butler Labour MP for Brent, Muhammed Butt leader of Brent Council, Kwaku BBM/BMC and supporters took up the International Reggae Day Tree Planting Challenge and planted a ‘Reggae Tree’ in Harlesden to underscore Harlesden and Brent’s claim to being the Reggae capital of British Reggae. It is hoped the ‘Reggae Tree’ will become one of the north-west London borough’s cultural assets by the time Brent celebrates its Borough of Culture status in 2020.
2019 Unveiling The Reggae Tree Plaque
The unveiling of a plaque by the Reggae Tree means Harlesden, Brent adds another notch to its claim of being the capital of reggae in Britain. On International Reggae Day (IRD) July One, Cllr Krupesh Hirani, BlackMusic.com/Black Music Congress (BBM/BMC) founder Kwaku, and artists with local connections, as documented in the ‘Brent Black Music History Project’ book and DVD – Osibisa band co-founder Teddy Osei, assisted by lovers rock queens Janet Kay and Carroll Thompson, officially unveiled a plaque.
2022 Talk Under The Reggae Tree
On Friday 1st July 2022 Brent Deputy Mayor Cllr Orleen Hylton, Reggae Tree Ambassador Diane Shrouder-Johnson, and invited special guests gathered around the The Reggae Tree, for a chat about the music history of the area, and the artists who've had an association with Harlesden, Brent – the capital of reggae in Britain.
Respect to Brent Council staff Martin Page for the hard work he put in, making sure that the flower bed at the base of The Reggae Tree evoked the colours and pattern of the Jamaican flag.
My Story
My name is Diane Shrouder-Johnson. I was born and raised in Brent. My late parents were part of the Windrush Generation; they moved from Kingston 13, Jamaica, to the UK in the sixties. My father was the former owner of Harlesden Minicab Service. My mother passed away on the evening of July 16th, 2018, followed by my father on the morning of July 17th, 2018.
On July 1st, 2018, former Harlesden Councillor Lloyd Mcleish invited me to the Reggae Tree planting. On that day, MP Dawn Butler made reference to me wearing pink and invited me to be in the photos, which I gladly accepted.
I met Kwaku, the founder of BBM (BritishBlackMusic.com) and BMC (Black Music Congress), who organises International Reggae Day. After a brief discussion, Kwaku expressed that he thought I’d be a good person to stay in contact with. A few years later, I was appointed "The Reggae Tree Ambassador".
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Activities were limited due to Covid19. In June 2022, Brent Council gave the tree a makeover by planting a beautiful flower bed of the Jamaican flag under it.
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The aim of the Reggae Tree is to have intergenerational discussions/events for educational purposes, climate, health wellbeing, and of course Reggae music, and more!
ONE LOVE! Diane 💚🖤💛