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 Marshall on 21 June …
Black in Europe
Suffrage in Britain: Women of colour and the right to vote
The history of the women’s suffrage movement is often depicted as a struggle predominantly led and fought by white women. However, this narrow perspective overlooks the significant contributions …
Enoch Powell and the “Rivers of Blood” speech: A catalyst for racism in Britain
Enoch Powell was a prominent British politician who served in various capacities from the 1950s to the 1970s. He is, however, best remembered for his infamous “Rivers of Blood” speech …
The Mangrove Nine: A landmark trial in Britain’s Black Power Movement
The Mangrove Nine Trial stands as a pivotal event in the history of Britain’s Black Power movement. This landmark trial exposed the racial discrimination and police harassment faced by the …
Darcus Howe: The radical voice of Black Britain
Darcus Howe, a Trinidad-born activist, writer, and broadcaster, played a significant role in the fight for racial equality in Britain. With his roots in the Black Power movement, Howe used his …
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, the son of a slave, had …
David Michael – Lewisham’s first black policeman
Former Lewisham Labour Councillor David Michael was also chair of the Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee. Before becoming a councillor, he spent decades working for the police.
David …
The rise and fall of the National Front in Britain
The National Front, a far-right political party, emerged in the United Kingdom during the late 1960s and 1970s, garnering attention and support from British citizens concerned about immigration and …
The construct of race: Historical underpinnings and modern implications
The concept of race, a classification system based on physical and genetic characteristics, has been a contentious and evolving aspect of human societies. Historically, the construct of race has been …
How David Starkey got it wrong – London’s evolving language
After the riots in August 2011, David Starkey appeared on Newsnight and ranted about white people becoming black as they spoke the same language as black people. Back then we called him a …
Princess Sara Forbes-Bonetta-Davies
Sarah Forbes Bonetta was the princess, born into the Egbado royal family of south-western Nigeria, who became a favourite of Queen Victoria and a regular visitor to Windsor Castle.
Sarah was captured …
New Cross Fire – 30 years on
This video details the “Remembering the New Cross Fire” Celebration gathering on the 14 January 2010, at the Albany Theatre in Deptford.
On Sunday 18 January 1981 a fire broke out in a …