Paul Phoenix, of Black Parents in Education, criticised the poll for being inspired by the 100 Greatest Britons poll and copying the idea. There are many black politicians mentioned, which is great, but only the politicians of one particular party seem to get a mention.

Prince had her account transcribed while living and working in England at the home of Thomas Pringle, a founder of the Anti-Slavery Society. He's had many memorable moments, including a successful campaign to celebrate Windrush Day on 22 June. If you are talking about individual achievements, in the book we are celebrating people that we covered back in 2003-04, but there are new heroes that have been recognised – Lewis Hamilton wasn’t around in 2003-04, neither was Stormzy. Mary Seacole topped the subsequent list of 100 Greatest Black Britons, a nurse who helped soldiers during the Crimean War and who is often overshadowed by the work of her contemporary, Florence Nightingale and whose contribution was often ignored by the history books. Philippa's inclusion on the Black Britons list proved controversial, as historians dispute that she was "black" in any modern sense: see Criticism section above.We'd also like to set analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. For too long the contribution of Britons of African and Caribbean heritage have been underestimated, undervalued and overlooked' SADIQ KHAN, Mayor of LondonPatrick Vernon's landmark 100 Great Black Britons campaign of 2003 was one of the most successful movements to focus on the role of people of African and Caribbean descent in British history. Queen Charlotte, the German wife of King George III was not black; it's possible that she may have had a very distant ancestor from Africa, about 15 generations previous, but the idea that she was actually black is preposterous.

We covered both the abolition of slavery (portrayed as a great victory for British humanitarianism) and the Crimean War without mentioning Mary Seacole or any of the black abolitionists. Why include Stormzy, whose lyrics have glorified getting rich by drug-dealing, violence and sexism, in favour of Marcus Rashford, a wholesome, successful and skilled sportsman who has campaigned for poor children in the UK?While at the centre, Hall is credited with playing a role in expanding the scope of cultural studies to deal with race and gender, and with helping to incorporate new ideas derived from the work of French theorists such as Michel Foucault. For a person who is passionate about the history of Black people in Britain, I found this book to be rather disappointing, and very one-sided.

Alongside renowned and barrier-breaking Black artists, actors, musicians and politicians, Patrick Vernon and Angelina Osborne tell the stories of less well known or forgotten Black Britons, unravelling the pernicious myth that there is no Black British historical past. People can read about the individuals, particularly the historical figures and say: ‘There must be more, of course there’s more, I would like to learn more about those people’. Now, with this book, Vernon and Osborne have relaunched the campaign with an updated list of names and accompanying portraits — including new role models and previously little-known historical figures. Now, with this book, Vernon and Osborne have relaunched the campaign with an updated list of names and accompanying portraits – including new role models and previously little-known historical figures.Frustrated by the widespread and continuing exclusion of the black British community from the mainstream popular conception of ‘Britishness’, despite black people having lived in Britain for over a thousand years, Vernon set up a public poll in which anyone could vote for the black Briton they most admired. So absolutely pleased with my copy purchased of the 100 Black Britons book, which has wonderfully been released in time for Black History Month UK 2020.

People often aren’t having their questions answered as to why people of African and Caribbean heritage are here, no one’s giving a meaning to our presence. Hall was married to Catherine Hall, a feminist professor of modern British history at University College London, with whom he had two children.

If that can inspire young people around our own personal goals, achievement and fighting for equality in Britain and learning and educating then I think that would be a fantastic legacy. The origins of this book were a response to the BBC's poll of Greatest Britons - by expanding the scope to include the empire, and to uncover stories of black Britons on these islands, a wider understanding of both British History and Contemporary Culture can be fleshed out and the role of black people in it. Asked whether things had improved for black Britons since the list was last compiled, he said: “It depends what metrics you are using.