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

As part of our Legacies of Action: Understanding 60 Years of Change and Challenge Black History Month UK campaign, we explore the British Black Panthers, leaders of Britain’s Black Power movement. Their legacy of resistance, unity, and advocacy continues to shape racial justice today.

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.

UK Black Civil Rights Timeline (1940–1970) Key events, figures, and legislation that shaped the Black civil rights movement in Britain 1940 – Colour bar on military officers begins to be dismantled During the Second World War, sustained campaigning by groups such as the League of Coloured Peoples and the West African Students Union led to the removal of regulations preventing anyone not of “pure European descent” from becoming an officer in the British armed forces.

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.

Learie Constantine - was a cricketer, statesman, and Britain's first Black peer

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

Black History Month UK 2022 'Sharing Journeys' campaign - exploring the lives of Britons with Caribbean heritage

Black History Month UK 2021 'Black to the Past' campaign - African and African-Caribbean Georgians in Britain - William Davidson

Black History Month UK 2022 'Black to the past' campaign - John Blanke

Our book recommendations for Black History Month UK 2021

Una Marson was one of Jamacia's most influential feminist thinkers. She was a poet, playwright, editor, activist and broadcaster.

Olive Morris is widely recognised as a prominent voice of leadership in the fight against discrimination in Britain during the 1970s.

Guyanese-British firefighter and social worker Frank Bailey, who is widely considered to be the first Black firefighter of post-war...