News & Views

Born in 1958, Elizabeth “Liz” Obi became politically active as a teenager in London during a time of deep racial inequality and social tension. By 1972, she had joined the British Black Panther Movement, which was at the forefront of anti-racist activism in Britain. It was through this movement that she met Olive Morris, forming a close partnership grounded in shared purpose and radical vision. Together, they campaigned against housing discrimination, police harassment, and i

Explore Bernard Coard's legacy as an educator and catalyst for change in Black education. Discover how Bernard Coard's work reshaped UK policies.

In 1975 Mollie co-founded the Caribbean Parents Group (CPG) in Ealing. The group emerged in response to the local council’s policy of bussing Black and Asian children out of their neighbourhood schools, a practice designed to limit the number of “immigrant” children in any one classroom.

In 1962, she moved to Britain to continue her education, earning a BSc degree from the University of London. She later completed postgraduate studies in Social Anthropology at the London School of Economics, writing her thesis on a subject close to her heart - the Chinese community in Trinidad. While studying for her master’s, she worked as a secretary to the Quaker International Affairs Centre in London.

Writer, activist, and revolutionary thinker — Obi Egbuna helped spark Britain’s Black Power movement and gave voice to a generation determined to be heard. His story bridges continents and communities, linking Nigeria to Britain, art to protest, and imagination to freedom.

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) was a Black British composer, whose father was from Sierra Leone. He rose to acclaim during the 20th cen

Justin Fashanu – the first openly gay male professional footballer & first Black British footballer to command a £1 million transfer fee

Pearl Alcock - the outsider artist who provided a queer safe space for London's Black gay community

Yvonne Conolly - Britain's first Black female headteacher

Pablo Fanque – master horseman and first Black circus owner in Britain

John Richard Archer – the first Black mayor a borough in London and founding President of the Africa Progress Union

Ira Aldridge - the UK's first Black Shakespearan actor

Vivian Anderson- first Black Briton to play for the senior men's England national football team

Arthur Wharton (28 October 1865 – 12 December 1930) is widely considered to be the first Black professional footballer in the world.

Laurence Paul Cunningham was an English professional footballer and first British footballer signed by Real Madrid

Emma and her sister are known to be the earliest known Black women footballers in the UK

Lieutenant Walter Tull was an English professional footballer and British Army officer of African-Caribbean descent.

Ulric Cross was nicknamed 'The Black Hornet' and was a highly decorated RAF Squadron Leader who flew 80 operational flights over Germany