As the dawn of 2008 unfolds, it’s time to take a step back and re-live the memories of 2007 by acknowledging our achievements and successes of the past year. As an entertainment journalist my retrospective will focus on the lighter side of life such as the delights of film and television.

I stayed up until the early hours of February 25 to watch the Oscar Academy Awards to see if justice would be served for Forest Whitaker. It would have been ludicrous for the best ‘Actor in a Leading Role’ award to go to anyone [sorry Will Smith] other than Whitaker for his breathtaking portrayal of Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin in ‘The Last King of Scotland’. In his acceptance speech he said, “I want to thank my Ancestors, who continue to guide my steps”.

The third month of the year provided much time for us all to thank our Ancestors, as on March 6, it was Ghana’s 50th anniversary of independence from colonial rule. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence. Ghanaians across the Diaspora partied hard to celebrate this milestone and all the great things the country stands for and, of course, recognise the achievements of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president and Pan-Africanist.

I attended the launch of the Ghana Black Stars Network [GBSN] – a consortium of young professional British Ghanaians at Ghana’s London High Commission. The network is committed to highlighting why British-born Ghanaians should be proud of their rich cultural heritage. They held a dinner and dance at London’s Porchester Hall to celebrate Ghana’s independence. The early afternoon part of the event featured an arts fair and photography exhibition showing Ghanaian history and memorabilia. The evening opened with a libation to bless the night which included a three course meal courtesy of Jollof Pot, a performance from NaNa, who co-hosted the night with 1Xtra DJ Ras Kwame, and a fashion show featuring designs by Tina Atiemo. Awards were given to Charles Thompson, Hugh Quarshie [Holby City] and Sway for their outstanding contribution to society. It was a special night.

On a more somber note, March 25 marked 200 years - to the day - that a Parliamentary Bill was passed to abolish the “slave trade” in the former British Empire. Up and down the country a wide range of activities by cultural, faith and community organisations marked the bicentenary throughout the year. David Lammy MP said: “It is an important opportunity to bring to the widest possible audience a range of narratives that have not been given proper weight in the past."

Lewis Hamilton added a whole lot of colour to Formula One racing. The success of this rookie attracted a new set of fans who wanted to join the team Hamilton bandwagon. As Hamilton mania gathered momentum in the media, how proud we were to see that his biggest fan and mentor was his Grenadian father. We all wanted to believe the hype and be part of the moment as Hamilton fever swept across the nation. People, who had never held any interest in Formula One before, were suddenly gripped. We desperately wanted Hamilton to win the title but it wasn’t to be; but no doubt his new fans will be tuning in for years to come to see if his hard work and determination pay off.

The unveiling of the Nelson Mandela statue on 29 August brought a big ray of sunshine to a country that was once more drowning in a British ‘summer’. Prime Minister Gordon Brown described the former South-African leader as the "greatest and most courageous leader of our generation". The statue faces the Houses of Parliament and tourists can be seen taking their picture next to the great leader who turns ninety in 2008.

With so many lives being lost to lack of bone marrow donors in the African community I wanted to raise awareness and funds for the African-Caribbean Leukaemia Trust [ACLT]. So in September, my friend Nike Adebowale and I joined around 100 other black women and ran [and walked] 5k for the ACLT as part of the Hydro-Active Women’s Challenge. Thank you to everyone who sponsored me and helped me raise £230.00 for the charity. I hope that more people will register with the Trust in 2008.

The annual Screen Nation Awards celebrated five years in 2007. The glitzy, star-studded event took place at London’s Hilton Metropole on October 5. This awards ceremony celebrates the achievements of black people in film and television and is the brain child of Charles Thompson. This year’s dinner was courtesy of ex-Ivy and award-winning chef, Anthony Cumberbatch of multi award-winning restaurant Caribbean Scene. One of the gongs presented on the night went to Moira Stuart, the first black female newsreader to grace British television screens. Freema Agyeman was awarded Best Female TV star for her role in Dr Who. Best Male TV star went to Aml Ameen for his role in The Bill. To commemorate the 25th anniversary since the release of Roots, Screen Nation paid homage by presenting Leslie Uggams [the actress who played Kizzy] with the Classic TV Award. To see the full list of winners, visit www.screennation.co.uk

Finally, how nice to be able to go into a mainstream card shop such as Clinton Cards and pick up a greeting card showing a beautiful picture of a black person on the front. Well done to Jessica Huie, ColorBlind Cards for her determination in giving us choice in the kind of cards we buy for our nearest and dearest. For more information on ColorBlind Cards, visit www.colorblindcards.com

Already, 2008 has got off to a great start with Barack Obama winning the first nominating contest of the 2008 US presidential election. Who knows, perhaps the US will see its first African American president.

Sophia Jackson