Profile on Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, better known as Mahatma Gandhi, was the leader of India’s non-violent independence movement against British rule. Gandhi is often referred to as Mahatma, which is a Sanskrit …
People in history
His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I
Emperor Haile Selassie ruled Ethiopia between 1930 and 1974. He steered his country into mainstream post-World War II African politics through his modernisation efforts. Ethiopia was admitted to the League …
Sir Francis Kerr-Jarrett – Jamaican landowner
Francis Kerr-Jarrett was a landowner and sugar manufacturer in Jamaica. He served as Custos Rotulorum of Saint James Parish, Jamaica from 1933–1965. Custos rotulorum is Latin for ‘keeper of the …
Emmett Till – Life and death
The brutal abduction and murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till on 28 August 1955, brought nationwide attention to the racial violence and injustice prevalent in Mississippi. It also spurred the emerging …
Madam C J Walker
Madam C J Walker was an entrepreneur best known for inventing Black haircare products. She was a political social activist, philanthropist and the first female self-made millionaire. Early years Born …
Onesimus – the slave who helped quell the Boston smallpox outbreak
Onesimus was an enslaved West African man whose African teachings helped to reduce the impact of the smallpox outbreak in Boston, Massachusetts. Little is known about Onesimus before he was …
Claudette Colvin – the teenager that inspired Rosa Parks
You’ve heard of Rosa Parks but what do you know of Claudette Colvin? Nine months before Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, …
Celebrating Pride Month: Justin Fashanu – First out gay footballer
In 1990 Justin Fashanu stunned the football world as the first professional footballer to come out as gay. At this time racism and homophobia were endemic in football. Justin’s early …
Celebrating Pride Month – Marsha P Johnson
Marsha P Johnson was an outspoken transgender rights activist at the forefront of important moments in LGBTQ+ history. Her activism in the 1960s and 70s had an enormous impact on …
Abolitionists and revolutionaries – 7 Black women you should know about
Here are seven Caribbean and American women who were abolitionists, revolutionaries and activists. These women fought to free their people from the chains of slavery, discrimination and the lasting effects …
Flore Bois Gaillard – Saint Lucian revolutionary
Flore Bois Gaillard was a St Lucian runaway slave who led a band of free slaves called ‘Armée Française Dans Les Bois (French Army in the Woods). The life of …
Marie Sainte Dédée Bazile – Haitian revolutionary
Marie Sainte Dédée Bazile is notable as part of the Haitian Revolution. While there is much written about the men of the Haitian Revolution, not much is known or written …
The life of Francis Barber
Most people believe that black people came to Britain after the Second World War with the arrival of the Empire Windrush in 1948. But Black people have had a presence …
Queen Nzinga of Angola
Queen Anna Nzinga was a 17th-century African ruler who ruled the Ndongo and Matamba Kingdoms of the Mbundu people in Angola and fought against the slave trade and European influence …
Olaudah Equiano – Writer and abolitionist
Olaudah Equiano (c.1745-1797) was an eighteenth-century African writer whose experiences as a slave prompted him to become involved in the British abolition movement. Early years Equiano was born in c1745 …
Claudia Jones – Activist and Mother of Caribbean Carnival in Britain
Claudia Jones was a feminist, political activist, pioneering journalist, and visionary. She is known for being the ‘Mother of Caribbean Carnival in Britain’. Early years Claudia Jones was born on …
Sybil Phoenix OBE – community leader
Sybil Phoenix is a community leader who has devoted her life to helping other people, especially in Lewisham, the town she made home. Early years She was born Sybil Theodora …
Colin Kaepernick and the new salute – Take the knee
This post in is honour of Colin Kaepernick and the people who are currently participating in civil rights activities to highlight the injustices around the world. Whilst Black History Month …
Black Power Salute and Peter Norman – the third man
The picture of Tommie Smith and John Carlos giving the Black Power Salute is iconic and instantly recognisable to many. But few people know of the bravery and tragedy of …
Mansa Musa I of Mali – The richest person in history
Mansa Musa was the first African Muslim king to make the pilgrimage to Mecca. He was also the richest person in all history with a £321 ($400) billion fortune. Much …
Walter Tull: First British-born black army officer
Walter Tull was one of Britain’s first black footballers and a First World War hero. Walter Tull was born in Folkestone, Kent on 28 April 1888. His father Daniel Tull, …
This John Hanson was not the first Black President of the United States
There are many who claim that John Hanson was the first Black president of the United States, not Barack Obama. This tale is continuously shared on social media. Because many …
The death penalty is flawed: The case of Glenn Ford
On hearing that Clayton Lockett suffered during his botched execution many of you may have looked at his crime before deciding whether he was worthy of your compassion. That’s okay, …
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman escaped slavery to become a leading abolitionist. She led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom along the route of the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman was born in Dorchester …
