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, 15-year-old Claudette did the …
People in history
Friedrich Engels: The collaborator and theorist behind Marxism
Friedrich Engels was a German philosopher, political scientist, economist, historian, and revolutionary socialist who played a crucial role in the development of modern socialism and communism …
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 the LGBTQ+ …
Karl Marx: The revolutionary thinker and philosopher
Karl Marx (1818-1883) is recognised as one of the most influential thinkers and philosophers of all time. Born in Trier, Germany, Marx’s ideas would go on to shape the social, economic, and …
Kwame Nkrumah: The revolutionary leader who spearheaded Ghana’s independence
Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972) was a prominent Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary who played a crucial role in leading the Gold Coast to independence from Britain in 1957. As …
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 …
Maurice Bishop: A revolutionary leader in Grenada’s history
Maurice Bishop, born on 29 May 1944 in Aruba to Grenadian parents, was a charismatic leader whose life and political career left an indelible mark on the history of Grenada. Educated in Britain, …
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 Flore Bois Gaillard
Flore Bois …
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 about the women who helped to …
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 in Britain for as far back as …
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 in Angola.
Anna …