Saint Blaise was a physician and bishop of Sebaste in Asia Minor. it is believed he was martyred in 316 AD. People came ‘flocking’ to him because he was able to cure them of bodily and spiritual ills. Apparently he could also heal animals. l The Roman Emperor Licinius believed that arresting and punishing important leaders like Saint Blaise would prevent other people from becoming Christians. One of the stories told about him was that on his way to prison he cured a boy who had a bone stuck in his throat. The legend reads- As he was being led to jail, a mother set her son, choking to death of a fish-bone, at his feet, and the child was cured straight away. Regardless, the governor, unable to make Blaise renounce his faith, beat him with a stick, ripped his flesh with iron combs and beheaded him Up until 1825 a Bishop Blaize festival and procession were held at Bradford. A child would recite these words- Hail to the day when kind auspicious rays Deigned first to smile on famous Bishop Blaize. He is the patron saint of people with diseases of the throat. On February 3rd many parishes bless the throats of their parishioners in a special ceremony. Two unlit candles are held next to each person’s throat as the priest or deacon says - Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. His name is found on inn signs in towns which became centres of the wool trade such as Cirencester and Exeter. It is believed he was tortured by having his body torn apart with the iron combs then used by woolcombers, then beheaded. Saint Blaise is one of the 14 Holy helpers and became one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages.

John Herschel Glenn Jr. (18th July 1821-8th December 2016) was the first American to orbit the earth . He orbited the earth 3 times. He named his spacecraft ‘Friendship 7’ it happened on the 20th February because there had been 10 postponements because of bad weather or technical problems. During the flight a warning light came on to say that the capsule’s vital heat shield was loose but entry and splashdown went smoothly. He went on to become a democratic US Senator for Ohio (1974-1998). Aged 77 he flew into space again.

I found on Wikipedia 5 free simple poems about snow. To those I have added a vocabulary of rhyming words (large), a vocabulary and phrase page and a poetry aid. The pictures could be used separately. These might help the children with their creative writing during these cold snowy days. Let them try their sledges first!

In 1941 penicillin was used for the first time on a human. Albert Alexander was a policeman from Oxford. he had a sever facial infection. His condition improved but supplies of penicillin ran out and died. Alexander Fleming and Ernest Chain shared a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 for their pioneer work in penicillin. Source used On This Day The history of the World in 366 days

Nelson Mandela ( 18th July 1918- 5th December 2013) was released, after 20 years in preson, by F.W. de Klerk, from Victor Verster Prison on 11th February 1990. On 10th May 1994 he became the first President of South Africa. He is one of the most recognizable human rights symbols of the 20th century.

I have put together several vocabularies which I hope will encourage children to write about themselves. Self Portrait will get them to ‘draw’ in both picture and words themselves. Hobbies and interests They might even like to try and write a diary - useful phrases and word bank given. In lock down perhaps they have been asked to help with DIY. When I grow up - a chance to write down their dreams and ambitions. Pranks - they might like to try one and write about the outcome/consequences! Most children have or want a pet - 2 sets to choose from. Cycling - most, if not all children have ridden a bicycle. There is a chance to write either prose or attempt poetry.

The weather this winter in the U.K at times has been extreme. Is it because of climate change? I have put together work about, rain and snow. These two combined have resulted in a number of rivers flooding across the country. Very heavy rain plus thawing snow has meant we have had rivers serious flooding into property in different parts of the country. The canal system with their locks and weirs have also been overwhelmed - so there is information in diagram form showing how a lock works. Plus work on fog. While looking through my Geography notes I came across lots of weather symbols - these have been included. Added Rescue Vocabulary sheet.

A great deal has been written about Barack Hussain Obama 11, the first African-American president of the United States. I have selected just a few Wikipedia pages. Barack was the 44th president of the US from 2009-17. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to an American mother of European descent and an African father from Kenya. Recalling his childhood he said - *That my father looked nothing like the people around me - that he was pitch black, my mother white as milk - barely registered in my mind . His parents, Ann Dunham and Barack Obama Sr. had met in 1960 in a Russian language class at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. They married on 2nd February1961. Barack was born on 4th August 1961. They divorced in March 1964. His father returned to Kenya where he married for the third time. He only saw his son once-Christmas 1971. He died in a car crash in 1982. His mother Ann married Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian, on March 15th 1965.When his J-1 visa expired he returned to Indonesia. Mother and son followed. From 1970 they lived in the wealthier neighbourhood in the Menteng sub district of Central Jakarta. Obama went to local Indonesian language schools (6-10) where learned to speak Indonesian fluently. In 1971 he returned to Honolulu to live with his mother’s parents - Madelyn and Stanley Dunham. He attended Punahou - a private college preparatory school - aided by scholarship from 5th grade. He graduated from high school in 1979. He moved to Los Angles to attend Occidental College on a full scholarship. In 1981 he transfered to Columbia University in New York City as a junior. There he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations and English Literature. He graduated in 1983 with a BA degree and a 3-7 GPA. After graduating he worked for about a year at Business International Corporation, then as a project coordinator for the New York Public Interest Group. In 1988 he enrolled in Harvard Law School. He was the first black person to be president of the Harvard Law Review. In June 1989 he met Michelle Robinson, they married on 3rd October 1992. After graduation he became a civil rights attorney and an academic, teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School (1992-2004). He became involved with politics - he is a Democrat. Elected to represent the 13th district (!997-2004) in Illinois. He then ran for the US senate. He was the US Senator for Illinois from January 5th 2005-November 16th 2008 . In 2008 nominated for president after close primary campaign against Hillary Clinton. He chose Joe Biden as his Vice President. He became the 44 President of the US on 20th January, 2009. He was president for 2 terms of 4 years. Donald Trump, a Republican, replaced him on January20th 2017. I have included notes on his early life and career, education, family and personal life, legislative career, presidential campaigns the White House and his legacy. Ranked US’s 8th greatest president

I came across a list of 10 Black British Healthcare Pioneers I have found extra information about most of them. 4 more have been added which were found during my research. I could not find a picture for all of them. Dr. Charles Drew is the American surgeon who developed techniques to preserve blood plasma. He helped the UK save 1000s of lives during WW11. Mary Seacole travelled independently to the Crimea war where she setup a British hotel to nurse the wounded. John Alcindor refused place in RAMC. He was awarded the Red Cross medal for working with the wounded at London rail stations during WW11. Annie Brewster - ‘Nurse Ophalmic’ - was very skilled with treating patients with eye problems. She was one of the first Afro-Caribbean nurses to work in UK. Harold Arundel Moody - he fought for discrimination to end. Became very influential when appointed to government advisory committee on the welfare of non-Europeans. Leader of the ** League of Coloured Peoples (1931) with the support of the Quakers. Tryphena Anderson - she was the first black person to receive a bursary to train as a health visitor. She late bought and managed a nursing home. Derk Harty - joined NHS, aged 23, as a technician and went on to become technical manager of the biochemistry department of London’s Whipps Cross Hospital. Dr. Fnanklyn Jacobs came to UK in 1974. He co-founded the African Caribbean Medical Society with Lord Pitt and Dr. Eddie Simon. It raises health issues within the black community. Nurse Omo-Oba Adenrele Ademola was a Nigerian princess. She trained as a nurse in London in the 1930s and remained working there through .WW11. Professor Laura Serrant has over 35 years experience of health practice, research. policy development, training and management. At the present time she is on secondment with NHS England as head of evidence and strategy in the nursing directorate. Professor Jacqueline Dunkley- Bent has vast experience in healthcare provision. She is the Chief Midwifery officer in England. Her experience has seen her leading and influencing national maternity standards and guidance. Professor Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu was a British nurse, health care administrator, lecturer and Emeritus Professor of Nursing at University of West London. In 1979 became the UKs first sickle-cell and thalassemia nurse specialist, helping to establish the Brent Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Counselling centre. She retired in 2007. Dr. Titilola Banjoko in 2020 she joined International Rescue Committee (IRC) UK as Chair of the Board of Trustees. She has extensive knowledge of Global Health issues which will be relevant when responding to issues relating to the COVID -19 pandemic. Victor Olufemi Adebowale, Baron Adebowale for 20 years was the CEO of the social care enterprise Turning Point, which helps 77,000 unemployed and/or homeless persons each year. 2001 appointed a people’s peer. He an influential person in housing and the NHS…

Found this selection of 6 UK scientists/mathematicians. Clifford Victor Johnson (1968) is an English theoretical physicist and professor at the University of Southern California department of Physics and Astronomy. He is listed in the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education as the most highly cited Black professor of mathematics or a related field at an American University. In 2005 he was awarded the Institute of physics Medal and prize for his work on string theory and quantum gravity. He is particularly keen to get children of colour to realise that in science they can be equally successful rather than just in sports or music. You too can be a scientist. Professor Frank Chinegwundoh is the first ‘Black British’ urological surgeon. He is very much at the forefront of getting men, especially black men, to have their prostate checked- they have have a 3 fold excess risk compared to white men. In 2011, with Ricki Gervais, he took part in a Sky TV comedy to raise awareness of prostate cancer. He is a recognised expert in the field of prostate cancer. He is the only consultant urologist able to deliver prostate brachytherapy and prostate cryotheropy For 20 years he has chaired Cancer Black Care. He also on other committees. Most recently he has been involved with a 3 year project - Changing Lives- engaging Black African and Caribbean men at risk of or affected by prostate cancer. In 2013 he was awarded a MBE for services to the NHS Professor Kathleen Adebola (b. 1965) is a renown research mathematician. She was the first female Black mathematician to obtain a PhD (1991) from the University of California, Los Angles. In 1997 she was the black person to win a Sloan Research Fellowship award (worth $0.5 million. In the same year she was awarded a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers for her development of mathematics curricula for inner-city school children. She is currently professor of mathematics at John Hopkins University in the US Margaret Ebunoluwa Aderin-Pocock (b, 1968) is a space scientist and educator. Her research investigated the development of an ultra thin film measurement. She is a pioneering figure in communicating science to school children. She co-hosts The Sky at Night (2014-present) with Chris Lintott. She has written many books and won many awards ( see lists). Dr. Mark Richards is an atmospheric physicist and lecturer at Imperial College London. He is currently Head of Physics Outreach and wants to share his experiences with young people to help them prepare for further study and eventually find a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering Mathematics). Nira Chamberlain (b. 1969) is a Mathematician based in Birmingham UK. He is a principle Consultant as SNC-Lavin and is the President of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. He is the first mathematician to feature in Who’s Who since 1849. He has worked all over the world helping industrial partners.

For Black UK 1950s-80s I have taken Caribbean Music in the United Kingdom (Wikipedia) as my main source and given an example of each style. The Wikipedia entry defines all the different forms of Caylpso - Reggae, Ska, Roots, Dub, Punky Reggae Party, Loves Rock, White Reggae and Gospel very clearly. I have separated the definitions and found an example of either an individual or group who played that style of music. Calpso Lord Kitchener Reggae and Ska Millie Small Roors and Dub Jah Shaka Punky Reggae Party The Ruts Lovers Rock Louisa Mark White Reggae The Police Gospel London Community Gospel Choir I hope these sheets are of use to you.

This is a mix of rappers, hip hop, garage, grime, singers and songwriters based in the UK. Mis-Teeq were a girl group consisting of Alesha Anjanette Dixon. Su-Elise Nash and Sabrina Washington. A quartet originally with Zena McNally - left in 2000. This trio sang R&B, garage and rap. The 2nd lineup released their debut studio album Lickin’ on Both Sides in October 2001. It reached No3 in UK Album Chart and was certified double platinum . Their biggest hit Scandalous reached No2 in the US Billboard Dance charts. In 2005 they split to follow solo careers. Alesha (b.1978) after winning Strictly Come Dancing in 2007 made successful comeback in 2008 with The Alesha Show which spawned 4 singles. Arlo Parks (b. 2000), real name (rn) Anis Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho, is a singer-songwriter and poet from West London. She is known for her singles Cola, Black Dog and album Collapsed in Sunbeams. Asher D (b.1982), rn Ashley Walters, is an rapper, songwriter and actor. He joined the group So Solid Crew. He performed as Asher D and acted as lyricist for their No1 hit 21 Seconds. The group split in 2006. He recorded In Memory of a Street Fighter. In 200 8 released The Appetiser with Laurence Ezra. November 2012 released *Your Love. Kamille (b. 1988), rn Camille Angelina Purcell, is an singer, songwriter and record producer. Her songwriting credits have contributed over 3 billion Spotifystreams and over 3 billion YouTube views across official music videos alone. Dave or Santan Dave (b1998), rn David Orobosa Omoreregie, is a rapper, singer, songwriter record producer and actor. He is among the most recognized British rappers. Released* Six Paths* ( 2016). Debut album Pschodrama (2019). Dionne Julia Bromfiled (b 1996) is a singer. songwriter, TV presenter & personality. Debut album Introducing Dionne Broomfield (2009). Ivorian Doll (b. 1997), rn Vanessa Mahi, is a German born English rapper and Internet personality. Rumours. Krept and Konan, rns Casyo Valentine Johnson and Karl Dominic Wilson (father Delroy Wilson).* Young Kingz (2003) The Come up (2018)* Lady Leshurr (b.1988) rn Melesha Katrina O’Garro ais a rapper, singer, songwriter and producer. She is known for her Queen’s Speech series. Released first mixtape aged 14 Nadia Rose (b.1993) is a rapper and songwriter. She studied Music/Management at university. She is Stormzy’s cousin. EP Highly Flammable * (2017). In 2020 collaborated with Melanie C on Fearless* track. Reuben James is a singer, songwriter and pianist. Collaborated with Sam Smith for his 'The Thrill of It All’ 4 million selling album.He explores the boundaries of jazz and pop . Slow Down (2020)* Stormzy (b. 1993) rn Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. is a rapper, singer and songwriter. Wicked Skengman (2014) gained him attention in the UK underground music scene. Won Best Grime Act at MOBO awards in 2014/5. Vossi Bop(2019) UK No1 single.

The Harlem Renaissance (HR) was an intellectual revival of African-American (A-A) art and literature centred around Harlem. Manhattan, New York City, covering the 1920s. It was originally named as the New Negro Movement after The New Negro (1925) written by Alain Locke.* Although it was centred around the Harlem neighbourhood black French speaking writers from the Caribbean and African colonies, who lived in Paris, were also influenced. The Stock Market crash in 1929 and the Great Depression, began to bring it to a close. After the 1865 Civil War 1000s of newly freed A-A began to dream. Unfortunately white supremacy was quickly restored. Many blacks were exploited. A Great Migration began to the north and mid-west. 100s of 1000s A-As relocated… 175, 000 A-As moved to Harlem, Manhattan- the largest concentration of A-As in the world. Others went to Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Detroit and Philadelphia. There was astonishing array of talent - artists, musicians and scholars. All were determined to forge a new identity as free people. At the height of the movement Harlem was the epicentre of A-A culture. It bustled with A-A owned publishing houses and newspapers, music companies , nightclubs and cabarets. Literature (poetry and prose), music (jazz, swing, opera and dance) and fashion defined as ‘cool’ to blacks and whites alike. Plus painting and sculpture. 4 significant contributors to HR. James Mercer Langston Hughes (1901-67) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright and columnist. He is best known as the leader of HR. He dropped out of University but he gained notice from New York publishers, first in The Crisis magazine. He was one of the early innovators of the new literacy art form called jazz poetry. He famously wrote about the HR period. Alain LeRoy Locke (1885-1954) was an American writer, philosopher, educator, and patron of the arts. He graduated from Harvard and in 1907 he became the first M-M Rhodes Scholar. In 1925 he wrote an article in the Survey Graphic which developed into The New Negro - a collection of writings by him and other A-As. It was an instant success and later acclaimed ‘the first National’ book of A-As… He was a very influential A-A . Alain mentored Zora Neale Hurston. Zora (1891-1960) was an American author, collector of A-A folklore and a film maker. Aged 26 went back to school saying she was 16! She arrived in New York (1925) when HR was at its zenith. In 1926 helped to produce literary magazine *Fire! In 1931 wrote Barracoon. story of Cudio Kazoola Lewis - a former slave Their Eyes Were Watching (1937) most popular of her 4 books. She wrote more then 50 short stories, plays and essays but struggled with debt and poverty. Josephine Baker (1906-75) was an American born French entertainer. With her banana skirt she was a symbol of the Jazz Age and the Roaring 20s. W.EB Du Bois and The Crisis magazine ( separate file)

In the Olympics we compete under the Great Britain Flag. Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua (b. 1989), or simply Anthony Joshua,. As an amateur he won Olympic gold at the 2012 Olympics in London. He won the super-heavyweight boxing title. In 2014 he turned professional. He currently shares the titles of World Heavyweight Champion with Tyson Fury. Christine Ijeoma 0hurogu ( b, 1984) was a British track athlete who specialised over the 400 metres. She is a former Olympic, World and Commonwealth champion. She became Olympic Champion in 2008 at Beijing. She also won medals as a member of the 4x400 relay team. In June 2018 she confirmed she had retired from athletics. Darren Andrew Campbell (b. 1973) is a former British sprint athlete. He was an excellent and consistent relay runner. He competed in the 100, 200 and 4 x100 relays. He won gold in the 4 x 100 relay in Athens in 2004. He retired in 2006. He was the sprint coach at Wasps rugby club for the 2015-6 season. Denise Lewis (b. 1972) is a former athlete who specialised in the heptathlon ( 7 events over 2 days). She won her Olympic gold medal in the event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She is ranked 3rd on the all time British lists. Since retiring she has worked regularly as a presenter and pundit for athletics. Dame Jessica Ennis Hill (b 1986) was the ‘cover’ girl for London in the 2012 Olympics. She won her gold medal for the heptathlon. She also won 3 World titles. She is ranked 2nd in the all time British list. Today Jessica is regularly seen in adverts. She is a columnist for the The Times. Dame Kelly Holmes ( b 1970) was a very successful British middle distance runner over 800 & 1500 metres. She joined British Army and in 1993 turned professional. She won medals but was prone to injuries. In 2004, which proved to be her final championship -the Athens Olympics - she won double gold! Today she is a regular face on the media. Linford Cicero Christie (b 1960)- sprinter. He is the only British man to have won gold medals at all 4 Championships. In 1992 he finally won gold, aged 32 at Barcelona Olympics. 9.96 for 100 metres. 1993 BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year. Nicola Adams (b 1982) -female flyweight boxer - won gold in London (2012) and Rio (2016) as an amateur. Won full set of titles. Turned professional in 2017 but now retired because of eye injury. Sir Mohamed Muktar James Farah (b1983) - MoJo. Britain’s greatest long distance runner - won gold at 5 and 10, 000 metres in 2012 & 16. The first person to win the quadruple double. BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year 2017. 2018 won Chicago Marathon. Theresa Ione ‘Tessa’ Sanderson - javelin - won gold at 1984 Los Angles. Fatima Whitbread was her British rival. Won 10 AAAs championships. She competed in 6 Olympics. Tessa was the first black British woman to win Olympic gold . 1999-2005 Vice-chairman of Sports England. In 2012 Tessa was appointed as a board member of the Olympic Park Legacy Company.

This is my third set of UK notes for those looking for Black History Month work. Adelaide Hall (1901-1993) was an American born, UK based, a multi-talented jazz singer and entertainer. She was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Her career spanned from 1921 to 1993 when she died. Her most famous recording was Creole Love Call with Duke Ellington in 1927. In 2004 Adelaide was mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records for being the most enduring recording artist for having released material over 8 decades. Dr. Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah ( b. 1958) was born and raised in Birmingham, England. His poetry is strongly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica and what he calls ‘street politics’ He loved Handworth, but aged 22 he sought a wider mainstream audience. Page One Books, a small publisher in London, published -Pen Rhymes his first book - sold 3 editions. It was in performance that the Dub (Reggae) poet would cause a revolution- injecting new life into the British poetry scene. Over a 22 day period in 1991 he performed on every continent on the planet, He became a children’s poet. *Talking Turkeys was a great success. In 1999 he wrote a ground breaking novel for teenagers Face. Many young writers say that accessibility to his work has inspired them to write. Bernadine Evaristo (b. 1959) is a British author who was born in London to an English mother and Nigerian father. Her writings include short fiction, drama, poetry, essays, literacy criticism and projects for stage and screen. She is a longstanding advocate for the inclusion of writers and artists of colour, setting up many successful Black projects. In 2019 her eighth book, the novel * Girl Woman, Other* won the Booker prize, making her the first black woman and first black person to win it. In June 2020 she became the first woman of colour and the first black British writer to get a No.1 in the UK paperback fiction charts. She received an MBE (2009) and OBE (2020) for services to literature. Francis Morgan Ayodele Thompson (b 1958)- Daley Thompson double Olympic Decathlon Champion (1980 and 1984) . BRITAIN’s GREATEST ALL ROUND ATHLETE. (See notes) Fanny Eaton (1835-1924) was Jamaican born artists model and domestic worker. She is best known as model for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Joan Armatrading (b.1950) is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her recording career has spanned nearly 50 years. John Edmonstone (1793-c.1833) was the a black enslaved man, probably born in Demerera who later gained freedom. He taught taxidermy at Edinburgh University. Did Charles Darwin study under him? Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) was an English composer and conductor. Remembered for Song of Hiawatha cantatas. Stuart McPhail Hall (1932-2014) -one of the founding figures of the school now known as British Cultural Studies. Founder 'New Left Review Walter Daniel John Tull (1888-1918) played for Spurs & Rangers. Died in action

I have only changed the title. TES might have thought it was the same as first set and canceled the first set! Kept to same formula - picture plus brief notes. Arthur Wharton (1865-1930) is widely considered to be the first professional footballer, from a mixed-heritage, in the world. Christian Frederick Cole (1852-1885) was the first black graduate of the University of Oxford and also the first African barrister to practice in the English Courts. He was the grandson of a slave and the adopted son of the Rev. James Cole of Waterloo. Clive Sullivan (1943-1985) was an international rugby league player. He played for Hull F.C., Hull Kingston Rovers, Oldham and Doncaster. He was the first black captain for Great Britain in any sport. He led the Great Britain team in 1972 when they won the Rugby League World Cup. Emma Clarke (1876-1905), born in Bootle, Liverpool, was a British footballer and is considered to be the first known black women’s footballer in Britain. Her sister, Jane, also played football. Evelyn Mary Dove (1902-1987) was a British singer and actress. Her father, Francis (Frans) Dove was a leading Sierra Leonean barrister. Her mother was Augusta Winchester a white English woman. Evelyn was the first black singer on BBC Radio. Harry Edwards (1898-1973) Father was Guyanese and his mother German. He was a prisoner of war (POW) in WW1, in Germany. Following the war he immigrated to Great Britain. He became a British runner who competed in the 100 and 200 metres in the 1920 Summer Olympic Games in Antwerp. He won Olympic bronze medals in both events, becoming Britain’s first black Olympic medalist. In the 200 metres final he injured himself so he withdrew from the 4 x100 relay. He later moved to New York City. James Peters (1879-1954) is another rugby player. he was known as ‘Darkie Peters’. He played both union and league. he is notable for being the first black man to play rugby union for England. His father George Peters was Jamaican, his mother was Hannah Gough from Wem in Shropshire. His father was mauled to death in a training cage for lions. In 1910 lost 3 fingers in a dockland accident but continued to play. Lilian Bader (1917-2015) was born in Liverpool. Her father was Barbadian and her mother Irish. In 1939 she worked briefly in the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) but was forced to leave because she was black. In 1941 she volunteered to join the WAAF to train as an Instrumental Repairer. She passed her course ‘First class’ and became one of the first women in the air force to qualify in that trade.She gained promotion to Acting Corporal. Wilfred Denniston Wood (b.1936) became the first black Anglican bishop - Bishop of Croydon (1985-2002). Winifred Atwell (1910-1983) was a Trinidadian pianist who enjoyed great popularity in Britain and Australia. She was the first black person to have a No.! hit in the UK Single charts. She is still the only female instrumentalist to do so.

I have put together information about 8 significant first Black History figures relating to the U.K. They have been set out in alphabetical order. Allan Glaisyer Minns (1858-1930) was the first black man to become mayor in Britain - mayor of Thetford, Norfolk in 1904. Bill Morris, Baron Morris of Handsworth (born 1938), generally known as Bill Morris, became the first black leader of a major British trade union - Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU) (1992-2003). Eleanor Smith (born 1957) was the first British African- Caribbean person to become an M.P in Wolverhampton South West in 2017. A seat formally held by Enoch Powell for two decades. Ignatius Sancho (c.1729-1780) was a British abolitionist, writer and composer who was born on a slave ship in the Atlantic. In 1774 and 1780, once he had the status as a male property owner, meant he was legally able to vote in a general -election. He became known as the first Black Briton to have voted in Britain. Ira Aldridge (1807-1867)was and American and later British actor and playwright, is the only actor of African-American descent , among Learie Nicholas Constantine, Baron Constaine MBE,(1901-1971), a former West Indian cricketer, lawyer and politician became the UK’s first black peer. He was knighted in 1962 and made a life peer in 1969. Mary Prince (1788-1833) her slave narrative The History of Mary Price (1831) was the first account of the life of a black woman to be published in the U.K. Paul Boateng (born 1951), a British Labour Party politician became the UK’s first black cabinet minister in May 2002. Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos (born 1954), a British party politician and diplomat became the first black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) woman on 12th May 2003 to serve as a cabinet minister. William Cuffay (1788-1870) was a Chartist leader in early Victorian times. He was mixed race - the son of an English woman- Juliana Fox and a father of African heritage who was previously enslaved and originally from Saint Kitts. He was only 1.5 metres tall. William by trade was a tailor. He rejected the Owenite trade unions of the London tailors. He helped form the Metropolitan Tailors’ Charter Association. He was elected first to the Chartist Metropolitan Delegate Council in 1841 and onto the National Executive in 1842. He chaired a Great Public Meeting of Tailors in February. After the leading Chartists were arrested in 1842 he became the interim president. Betrayed by a government spy he was arrested and accused of ‘conspiring to levy war’. He was found guilty and sentenced to 21 years penal transportation in Tasmania. Received a pardon after 3 years but stayed in Tasmania to work as a tailor. He died in poverty, aged 82, in July 1870. He was forgotten after his death in Australia and Britain. Media and interest rekindled in early 21st century. Some information included on all 10 from Wikipedia. (More at Black First U.K (second set of 10) .

William Edward Burhardt du Bois (23rd February 1868 - 27th August 1963) was an African-American (A-A) sociologist, socialist, historian, civil rights activist, author, writer and editor. He graduated from Berlin University. He was the first A-A to earn a doctorate at Harvard University. He was a professor of history, sociology and economics at Atlanta University. He was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and editor of its official magazine The Crisis. He rose to national prominence as the leader of the Niagara Movement - a group A-A activists that wanted equal rights for blacks. NAACP was founded on 12th February 1909 ( the 100th anniversary of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln who emancipated enslaved A-A)) by a group of A-As in response to the Springfield race Riots of Illinois in 1908 which highlighted the injustices that the black community were subjected to. On May 30th the conference of the Niagara Movement was held at New York’s Settlement House, De Bois helped organize the event and presided over the proceedings. They decided the purpose of the organization was To ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. The members chose the name NAACP and elected their first officers. De Bois was elected Director of Publicity and Research. In 2007 NAACP had approximately 425,000 paying and non-paying members In his role as editor of The Crisis a record of darker days - he published many influential pieces. I determine to make the opinion of the ‘Crisis’ a personal opinion. It was used for both news reporting and publishing A-A poetry and literature. In the campaign against lynching he encouraged the writing and performing of plays. The Crisis has been in continuous print since 1910. It is the oldest Black oriented magazine in the world. By 1918 it had over 100, 000 readers. It is a quarterly journal of civil rights, history, politic and culture and seeks to educate and challenge its readers about issues that continue to plague A-A and other colored communities ( See ‘The Crisis’ for 2 early covers) William was a prolific writer. *Dusk of Dawn* (1940), his first autobiography of 3, is regarded in part as one of the first scientific treatises in the field of American sociology. His cause included people of color, especially Africans and Asians. He believed that capitalism was a primary cause of racism, and he was generally sympathetic to socialist causes throughout his life. W.E.B. Du Bois, died, aged 95, in Accra, Ghana on 27th August 1963. The United States’ Civil Rights Act (1964) embodied many of the reforms for which he had campaigned his whole life, was enacted a year after his death. Wikipedia

Booker Talisferro Washington (15th April 1856-14th November 1915) was the first African-American (A-A) to dine at the White House. He was an educator, author, orator and adviser to multiple presidents. Between 1890 and 1915 he was the dominant leader of the A-A community and the contemporary elite. He was one of the founders of the National Negro Business League. He mobilized a national coalition of middle-class blacks, church leaders and white philanthropists and politicians, In 1901 his second biographyUp From Slavery became best seller. In October 1901 he was invited by President Theodore Roosevelt to Washington to dine with him and his family at the White House. This was the first highly publicized occasion when an A-A was invited there on equal terms. His long term goal was to end the disenfranchisement (disappointment) of the vast majority of A-As who lived in the South. Source Wikipedia

Hidden Figures: The story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race is the true story of how 3 black African-American (A-A) women helped NASA win the Space Race to the Moon. It was adapted as a biographical film of the same name and released in 2016 . It is a film and not a documentary. It looked at the lives of three black (A-A) women who made major contributions to the orbital mission of the moon by John Glenn during the space race. Wonderful, feel-good drama about the black female engineers and mathematicians who worked behind the scenes at a segregated NASA during the tense and ground breaking 1960s space race. Daily Mail- weekend Segregation was made obvious. Jim Crow laws meant A-A women had to have separate dining room and bathroom facilities Katherine’s boss eventually became curious about her ‘absences’ - eventually he ’ ceremonially’ pulled down the ‘Whites only’ sign. The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1958 became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). All three ladies started work at NACA, Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Katherine Johnson (1918-2020), A-A, started to work for NACA in 1953. She was a human calculator - she was simply brilliant at mathematics. Her mental maths calculations were phenomenal. The new IBM computers had been programed with the orbital equations to control the trajectory of the capsule in Glenn’s Friendship 7 mission, but were prone to errors! Before his flight, as part of the preflight checklist,Glenn said 'Get that girl (Katherine 0 If she says they’re good then I’m ready to go. He wanted human confirmation that the figures were correct. Katherine was handed the data. She confirmed the calculations by running the numbers through by hand on her desktop mechanical calculating machine. Numbers confirmed Glenn had a successful mission, Dorothy Vaughan (1910-2008), A-A ,started work at NACA in 1943. She was a mathematician and human calculator. She eventually became the first African=American to supervise a group of A-A staff at NASA’s Research Center in Hampton. She was in charge of the West Area Computers. She prepared for the the introduction of the IBM machine computers by teaching first herself and then her staff the programming language of Fortran. Mary Jackson (nee Winston)(1921-2005), A-A, was a mathematician and aerospace engineer. She started as a human computer at N A C A in 1951. Kazimierz Czarnecki, her boss, encouraged her to qualify as an engineer but she needed a degree. To do this she had to attend a night program at an all white school- Hampton High. After completing the course in 1958 she was promoted to aerospace engineer - the first black female NASA engineer. By 1979 she was the senior engineer. She retrained for Equal Opportunities . Retired from NASA 1985. All 3 of them were reward numerous awards and honors. In 2020 two had a satellite named after them.