UK Black History
Celebrating Black History Month
During Black History Month it is important to look back and reflect on UK history and see what achievements and landmark events have happened in the Black community. You can watch the video below to find out more about UK black history.
Timeline:
125 AD – The first Black Briton know to us was a woman of Sub-Saharan African descent
1507 – John Blanke, a court trumpeter of Henry VII and played at both Henry V and VIII’s Funeral
1833 – Slavery was outlawed in the UK and the colonies
1862 – Sara Forbers Bonetta was he ward of Queen Victoria
1913 – John Archer became the first Black Mayor in Battersea. He was also the first black person to hold civic office in Britan.
1939 – 2,500,00 colony members helped service in the Second World War
1948 – Windrush Arrives – The Empire Windrush arrives in the UK carrying 492 first-generation post-war Caribbean settlers to Britain.
1958 – The First Black Newspaper set up by Claudi Jones.
1959 – The First ‘Notting Hill’ Carnival – It started as a small indoor showcase for Caribbean talent held at St. Pancras Town Halll
1965 – First Black person to play Othello at the Leicester Phoenix Theatre. He was also the first black presenter on TV and in the late 50s he sang calypso versions of the news on BBC Tonight.
1968 – Frist Black Head Teacher- Dr Beryl Gilroy became London’s first black headmaster at Beckford Primary in West Hampstead. She later became a successful novelist.
1973 – Frist Black New report – Sir Trevor Mcdonald joins ITN as a reporter from the BBC World Service and becomes Britain’s first black TV news reporter. H received an OBE in 1992 and a knighthood in 1999.
1975 – Lenny Henry’s TV debut- Lenny Henry makes his TV debut winning the New Faces talent competition with is stand-up comedy and impersonations. He has gone on to be the face of Comic relief and other merger TV programmes.
1976 – First black woman in vogue Iman Bowie
1978 – Viv Anderson plays for England – Viv was the first black British footballer to play for England in an international tournament
1981 – First black woman newsreader – Moira Stuart was the first black woman to read the news going on to become the Best Female Television Personality by the Black Journalists’ Association.
1987 – UK’s First Black MP – Bernie Grant won a seat for Labour in the General election.
1988 – At the age of 18 Naomi Campbell became the first black female to grace the cover of French Vogue.
1988 – Ainsley Harriot makes his TV debut
1989 -Desmond – a programme showing a family in Peckham
1992 – Lindford Christie wins gold at the Olympics for the 100m in Barcelona.
1996 – The MOBO’s Launch – The Music of Black Origin Awards was televised on Channel 4 to show the achievements of black music and artists.
2000 – Zadie Smith’s White Teeth- Her first novel about multicultural London told through three ethnic families. It wins five awards.
2003 – Valerie Amos became the first black leader of the House of Lords
2004 – Linda Dobbs becomes the first balck QC to be appointed as a judge for the British High Courts of Justice.
2005 – Johnson Beharry is awarded the Victoria Cross, the most prestigious award for a soldier, was serving in Iraq when his unit were ambushed twice. He risked injury to rescue others.
2008 – Lewis Hamilton wins his first F1 World Championship title and goes on to win 6 more.
2012 – Mo Farah, Jesscia Ennis, Nicola Admas, Anthony Joshua, Anthony Ogogo, Lewis Smith all won gold medals in the 2012 London Olympic
2016 – First Black Lives Matter march
2017 – Record number of BAME MP’s – 2017’s general election resulted in 52 BAME MP’s being elected to parliament
2018 – Edward Enninful becomes editor of Vogue UK
2019 – Stormzy headlines Glastonbury Festival
2020 – Our Learners
