Inspirational People
Celebrating Black History Month
Black History Month has been marked in the UK for over 30 years, during the month of October. We hold it to highlight and celebrate the achievements and contributions of the black community in the UK. Throughout history, black people have made huge contributions to society in the fields of art, music, science, literature and many more areas. Here are 4 inspirational people that have achieved great things.
From Hackney to Hollywood. Idris Elba is a multitalented man, actor, writer, musician, Boxer and singer – born and raised in London. His father, Winston, is from Sierra Leone, his mother, Eve, is from Ghana. Idris attended school in Canning Town, where he first became involved in acting. He gained a place in the National Youth Music Theatre – thanks to a £1,500 Prince’s Trust grant. He has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor, winning once, and has also been nominated five times for a Primetime Emmy Award.
Idris Elba was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2016 New Year’s Honours for his services to drama.
Denis Lewis was born in West Bromwich to Jamaican-born parents, athlete and tv presenter, she won the gold medal in the heptathlon at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, was twice Commonwealth Games champion, was the 1998 European Champion and won World Championships silver medals in 1997 and 1999. She was the first European to win the Olympic heptathlon, though Europeans.
Lewis was honoured with an OBE in the 2001 New Year Honours. Since retiring from athletics, she has undertaken various television and media work and is now a regular athletics pundit for BBC Television. A sports hall was later built and named in her honour Pendeford, Wolverhampton where she grew up.
Edward Enninful was born in Ghana, and at a very young age, emigrated to Ladbroke Grove, London, along with his parents and five siblings. His mother worked as a seamstress and inspired him with the vividly patterned colours and fabrics she used. He finished college, earning a degree at Goldsmiths, University of London. His impressive career working for magazine and advertising from fashion director at ID, contributing editor for Italian and American Vogue, style director for W, and finally confirmed as the new editor-in-chief of British Vogue on 10 April 2017, as the first black editor-in-chief of the magazine. His influence was also recognised regularly in the annual Power list, seeing him ranked in the Top 10 of the most influential British people of African Descent in both 2019 & 2020.
Maggie Aderin-Pocock a British MBE Space Scientist and Science Educator born in London on 9 March 1968 to Nigerian parents and was raised in Camden, London. She has dyslexia and, as a child, when she told a teacher she wanted to be an astronaut, it was suggested she try nursing, “because that’s scientific, too”. She gained four A-Levels in maths, physics, chemistry, and biology. She studied at Imperial College London, graduated with a B.Sc in physics in 1990, and completed her Ph.D in mechanical engineering. Her research investigated the development of an ultra-thin film measurement system using spectroscopy and interferometry to the 2.5 nm level. This involved improving the optical performance and the mechanical design of the system, as well as the development of control and image processing software. Aderin-Pocock was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2009 New Year Honours for services to science education. She also was awarded an honorary doctorate from Staffordshire University for contributions to the field of science education.Â
