News & Views

As part of Black History Month UK, English Heritage has unveiled a blue plaque honouring Winifred Atwell, the pioneering Trinidadian pianist, television star, and entrepreneur who became the first Black artist to top the UK pop charts.

In the history of Black British activism, the Black Parents Movement (BPM) represents a pivotal chapter, connecting grassroots parent power, youth activism, and radical politics. Emerging in 1975, the BPM drew inspiration from the Black Education Movement (BEM), supplementary schools, and a growing network of Black community organisations. Its work continues to influence debates on race, education, and community agency, making it central to our Legacies of Action: Understandi

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

Dame Jocelyn Barrow was a pioneering British educator, civil rights activist, and public servant. As a founder of CARD and a champion of multicultural education, she helped transform race relations, media representation, and cultural heritage in the UK. Her work forms a central part of the “Legacies of Action: Understanding 60 Years of Change and Challenge” campaign, tracing the achievements of Black British activists over decades.

what to watch during uk black history month 2025

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.

The article examines the rise and fall of political Blackness in the UK, emphasising its role in uniting racialised communities, the effects of division, and the urgent need for renewed cross-community solidarity today.

The Campaign Against Racial Discrimination: Britain’s Civil Rights Experiment This article is based on original research by Alysha Robinson, University of Manchester History Department. We are grateful for permission to reproduce and adapt it.

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.

IBHM-UK launches their theme for Black History Month UK 2025 - Legacies of Action: Understanding 60 Years of Change and Challenge - and all the ways to celebrate it in October.

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.

In this blog post, we revisit the 1964 General Election, when a bitter campaign in a small West Midlands town became a defining moment in modern British race relations. The Smethwick election of that year is still remembered as one of the most openly racist political contests in British history. Sixty years ago, immigration — then as now — acted as a lightning rod for deeper economic and social anxieties. Smethwick, a modest town on the edge of the Black Country, became th

Reverend Clive Foster MBE has been appointed as the UK’s first Windrush Commissioner, a major step in the government’s commitment to right the wrongs of the Windrush scandal and ensure victims' voices are heard at every stage of reform. The announcement comes ahead of Windrush Day on 22 June, marking 77 years since the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush and celebrating the Windrush generation’s extraordinary contribution to Britain.

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.

The first of February marks the start of Pride month in the UK. Throughout the month of February, join us in learning about the Black Briton

February the first marks the start of Black History Month in several countries including the USA, Canada, and Germany.

In this blog post, we’ll explore how the concept of a ‘Black community’ in the UK has evolved and whether it remains relevant today. Has the

McQueen’s Blitz offers a different perspective by portraying the lives of Black Britons during the Blitz, moving beyond the myths and cliché

On 30th October 2024, English Heritage unveiled a blue plaque in Brixton to commemorate Olive Morris, a fearless activist and advocate for r