Black History

Nurses from Africa are a vital part of the UK’s medical workforce. Cecilia Anim who migrated from Ghana to the UK in 1972 is one nurse who has made her mark in the UK’s National Health Service. Humans of Africa is celebrating her…

In the immediate aftermath of World War Two, thousands of children were born to white German women and black American soldiers who were stationed in Allied-occupied Germany. The mixed-race infants were viewed with contempt by many…

"Roy was the first person to come and see me after I had my daughter," says Anne Francis. "He snuck into the hospital about an hour after she was born. I think he wanted to see what colour she was. It was quite touching, I thought. "He…

In 1996, an African-American reverend called David Kennedy faced one of his biggest fights. A new shop had sprung up in Laurens, his small town in South Carolina, selling white supremacist memorabilia and housing a Ku Klux Klan museum. …

In March 1955, nine months before Rosa Parks defied segregation laws by refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin did exactly the same thing. Eclipsed by Parks, her act…

Ezekiel Mitchell pauses for a moment when asked to describe his toughest opponent. He eventually opts for a nine-year-old. Admittedly one with a steely glare backed up by 121 stones of slabbed muscle. "I would have to say Sweet Pro's…

The distinctive afro haircut. The evocative tramlined kit. It's easy to see why the iconic image of George Berry in a Welsh shirt comes to mind when asked to name the first black footballer to play for Wales. As far as many are…

Fritz Pollard Jr suffered from Alzheimer's during the final years of his life, but just before he died there was a moment of clarity. With his last words, spoken to his family in 2003, he said: "Don't forget your quest." That quest…

Rome's city council voted earlier this month to name a future metro station in the Italian capital in honour of Giorgio Marincola, an Italian-Somali who was a member of the Italian resistance. He was killed at the age of 21 by…