When we think of Black History Month, we often think of iconic pioneers, changemakers, and abolitionists like Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X. But across the Atlantic, Black Brits celebrate their own Black History Month each October, honoring the individuals who made diversity one of the UK’s greatest strengths.
According to the BBC, Ghanaian journalist and activist Akyaaba Addai-Sebo is credited with establishing the first Black History Month UK in October 1987—the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the Caribbean. The tradition continues today, recognizing a new generation of Black historymakers who call the UK home. From historical figures who walked British soil long before the transatlantic slave trade to modern pop culture icons, this October, we’re looking at the essential names to know across the Black British diaspora. Search Black History Month UK for more coverage on these trailblazers.
John Blanke
It’s commonly thought that before the transatlantic slave trade, Black people were not present on British soil. That’s not entirely accurate. Black Brits have lived in the region since the Tudor period, during King Henry VIII’s reign. While little is recorded about Black British people living in the 15th and 16th centuries, one figure frequently highlighted to show how long Black people have been present is John Blanke, who served as a royal trumpeter for both King Henry VII and King Henry VIII.
Ignatius Sancho
Ignatius Sancho was an abolitionist, composer, and writer who became the first person of African descent to vote in a British parliamentary election. Born on a slave ship bound for Grenada in 1729, he was brought to England at age 2 and forced to work as a domestic servant.
Though denied formal education, Sancho taught himself to read and write. By 20, he’d escaped slavery and used his self-taught literacy to become a prominent voice in the British abolitionist movement.
Diane Abbott
Diane Abbott is a British politician and member of the UK’s left-wing Labour Party. In 1987, she made history as the first Black woman elected to Parliament, earning a seat in the House of Commons. In 2024, Abbott became the longest-serving female Member of Parliament and earned the title Mother of the House—a status she holds to this day.
Claudia Jones
Every year, London hosts its famous Notting Hill Carnival. Trinidadian journalist and activist Claudia Jones is the visionary to thank. Born in Trinidad in 1915, Jones grew up in Harlem, New York, and became an active member of the Communist Party, which ultimately led to her exile to England in 1955.
In London, Jones continued fighting racial inequality. Following horrific race riots in 1958, she founded the indoor precursor to the Notting Hill Carnival as a way to uplift the Black community.
John Edmonstone
Charles Darwin is widely credited with his theories of evolution, but without his Black taxidermist teacher, John Edmonstone, some of that foundation might have been missing.
Edmonstone was a formerly enslaved man from Guyana who learned taxidermy from Scottish naturalist Charles Waterton during expeditions. When his enslaver brought him to Scotland, Edmonstone gained his freedom and, according to the Natural History Museum, became a master taxidermist at the University of Edinburgh. It was there that he taught a young Darwin the art of specimen preservation—work that would shape Darwin’s career.
Selina Brown
Selina Brown is an author and founder of the Black British Book Festival, Europe’s largest Black book festival. It routinely draws over 100,000 attendees and strengthens support for Black British authors, according to the BBC. Brown founded the festival in 2021, and Queen Camilla awarded her a medal celebrating her role in championing literature across England. Each year, the festival takes center stage at London’s iconic Barbican Centre.
Kanya King
Kanya King was a Black British businesswoman and champion of the Black British music scene who famously founded the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards in 1996. She funded that inaugural ceremony out of her own pocket, according to the BBC. King’s dedicated stage for Black talent shifted the trajectory of the British music industry, broadening mainstream visibility and elevating legendary UK artists—including grime pioneer Skepta, who went on to win three MOBO Awards.
Paul Stephenson
Paul Stephenson was a British activist and prominent campaigner in the UK civil rights movement. In 1963, inspired by the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Stephenson led a boycott against the racist hiring practices of the Bristol Omnibus Company—where he lived as the city’s first Black social worker. The company refused to employ Black and Asian drivers, according to Black History Month magazine.
The protest lasted 60 days before the firm amended its policy on August 28. The timing is striking: that same day, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech across the Atlantic.
Malorie Blackman
Malorie Blackman is one of the most iconic names in British literature. Her young adult dystopian novel “Noughts & Crosses” confronted readers with the realities of racism and racial bias in the UK, earning multiple accolades before the BBC adapted it into a major drama series. In 2013, she became the first Black person appointed as the UK Children’s Laureate—a prestigious honor awarded to a renowned children’s author—holding the role until 2015.
Dame Elizabeth Anionwu
Sickle cell disease—an inherited blood condition that causes joint pain and breathing problems while leaving individuals more vulnerable to infections—disproportionately affects Black Brits. About 85% of UK patients are of African or Caribbean descent, according to City and Hackney Public Health.
In 1979, nurse Dame Elizabeth Anionwu co-founded the UK’s first Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Screening and Counseling Center in Brent, according to Pride of Britain. She remains an active advocate as a member of the Sickle Cell Society and the Nigerian Nurses Charitable Association UK, having also spearheaded projects for the NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Screening Program.
Arthur Wharton
Diversity is one of the greatest strengths of England’s soccer team, currently ranked among the top four in the world. Ghanaian-born athlete Arthur Wharton helped lay that foundation.
Wharton moved to England in 1883 to train as a missionary at Cleveland College in Darlington, but his athletic genius soon took over. He became the world’s first Black professional soccer player. Beyond football, Wharton was named the world’s fastest man after running 100 yards in 10 seconds—a world record that remained unbeaten for 30 years, according to the Arthur Wharton Foundation.
Lewis Hamilton
When we talk about pioneers in sport, Lewis Hamilton belongs in the conversation. He became the first Black F1 driver in 2007 at 22 and remains the sport’s only Black driver almost two decades later. Hamilton has broken multiple records: 106 F1 race victories, a tied-record seven world championship titles, and he founded Mission 44 in 2021—an organization dedicated to empowering Black youth in engineering and motorsport.
Margaret Busby
In 1967, writer and publisher Margaret Busby made history as the first Black woman to co-found a UK publishing company. Her firm, Allison & Busby, was a joint venture with English radical Clive Allison. Together, the pair championed Black authors who otherwise would not have had a platform to share their ideas, creativity, and uncensored politics, according to Black History Month magazine.
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