How many historical black Britons can you name?

[SteveH]

According to this, more than half of the population can't name one (I assume that "historical" means "dead", so Burly Chassis wouldn't count). I managed four - they are named below - don't scroll down if you want to try yourself.




















Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, composer
Lord Beginner (Egbert Moore), calypsoist
Lord Kitchener (Aldwyn Roberts) calypsoist
Francis Barber, Dr Johnson's manservant

[Dicky Underpants]

According to this, more than half of the population can't name one (I assume that "historical" means "dead", so Burly Chassis wouldn't count). I managed four - they are named below - don't scroll down if you want to try yourself.




















Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, composer
Lord Beginner (Egbert Moore), calypsoist
Lord Kitchener (Aldwyn Roberts) calypsoist
Francis Barber, Dr Johnson's manservant

I only managed two.
Your first: S.C.T. and
Scipio Africanus, a young black slave who died aged 18 in Bristol.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scipio_Africanus_(slave)&ved=2ahUKEwjChp651ZOCAxWoTkEAHXeFDH4QFnoECCUQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1iHdc39AKHu-P_qaRZZb-I

[jeremyp]

According to this, more than half of the population can't name one (I assume that "historical" means "dead", so Burly Chassis wouldn't count). I managed four - they are named below - don't scroll down if you want to try yourself.

Mary Seacole is the only one who comes to my mind and I hadn't heard of any of those on your list.

But why would that be surprising? Why would you expect there to be any black historical figures in a country that was almost entirely populated by northern Europeans for thousands of years?

[Nearly Sane]

Mary Seacole
Stuart Hall
Darcus Howe
Peter McLagan
Bernie Grant
Andrew Watson
Arthur Wharton
Lawrie Cunningham
Justin Fashanu
Randolph Turpin
Olaudah Equiano
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Phil Lynott

Be a much smaller list without footballers for me. Agree with Jeremy about a distinct lack of surprise at the relatively small number.

[SteveH]

Mary Seacole is the only one who comes to my mind and I hadn't heard of any of those on your list.

But why would that be surprising? Why would you expect there to be any black historical figures in a country that was almost entirely populated by northern Europeans for thousands of years?

Of course! How could I forget Mary S?
There's been a sizeable proportion of black people in the UK for many centuries: Queen Elizabeth once opined that there were too many "blackamoors" in London, and that something should be done about it.

[Outrider]

Of course! How could I forget Mary S?
There's been a sizeable proportion of black people in the UK for many centuries: Queen Elizabeth once opined that there were too many "blackamoors" in London, and that something should be done about it.

I had Mary Seacole and Phil Lynnot, and I'd put Justin Fashanu on the list, too. I wasn't aware that Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was black, learn something new every day.

O.

[SteveH]

I had Mary Seacole and Phil Lynnot, and I'd put Justin Fashanu on the list, too. I wasn't aware that Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was black, learn something new every day.

You're not confusing him with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, are you, by any chance? STC was white.

[Outrider]

You're not confusing him with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, are you, by any chance? STC was white.

I was, yes. 

O.

[jeremyp]

I was, yes. 

O.

Don't feel too bad. I was going to contest that too, and point out that Steve had got his name wrong, until it occurred to me that he might be talking about somebody else.

[jeremyp]

Of course! How could I forget Mary S?
There's been a sizeable proportion of black people in the UK for many centuries: Queen Elizabeth once opined that there were too many "blackamoors" in London, and that something should be done about it.

Define "sizeable". It was probably not even 1%, which means the pool of black people from which to draw historically notable people was very small even before we think about how their opportunities to become notable would have been fewer than for equivalent white people.

[Nearly Sane]

Don't feel too bad. I was going to contest that too, and point out that Steve had got his name wrong, until it occurred to me that he might be talking about somebody else.

Here is a bit of S C-T

https://youtu.be/ItkdHooWlwI?si=igKTJ_H1r4ThKckf

ETA - A thread from when I first heard of him

http://www.religionethics.co.uk/index.php?topic=15980.msg744170#msg744170

[Dicky Underpants]

Here is a bit of S C-T

https://youtu.be/ItkdHooWlwI?si=igKTJ_H1r4ThKckf

ETA - A thread from when I first heard of him

http://www.religionethics.co.uk/index.php?topic=15980.msg744170#msg744170

His setting of Hiawatha is probably his best known work. The tenor aria from that 'Onaway, awake beloved' is a beautiful thing. Elgar had the insight to recognize his remarkable talent, and the generosity to promote his work.
Feel a bit of a chump for forgetting Mary Seacole, let alone the more recently deceased you mention.

[jeremyp]

His setting of Hiawatha is probably his best known work. The tenor aria from that 'Onaway, awake beloved' is a beautiful thing. Elgar had the insight to recognize his remarkable talent, and the generosity to promote his work.
Feel a bit of a chump for forgetting Mary Seacole, let alone the more recently deceased you mention.

I tend to discount people who I can remember alive as being historical. That's why I didn't think of Bernie Grant, Phil Lynott or Justin Fashanu. I would also discount Phil Lynott because he wasn't British.

[Nearly Sane]

I tend to discount people who I can remember alive as being historical. That's why I didn't think of Bernie Grant, Phil Lynott or Justin Fashanu. I would also discount Phil Lynott because he wasn't British.

Born in England to an Irish mother and Guyanese fatger, iirc. He's definitely Irish but also, as with many, British.

[Nearly Sane]

Winifred Attwell has just flashed in my mind.

[jeremyp]

Born in England to an Irish mother and Guyanese fatger, iirc. He's definitely Irish but also, as with many, British.

But brought up in Dublin by his grandparents on his mother's side. Not British unless just being born here counts.

[Nearly Sane]

But brought up in Dublin by his grandparents on his mother's side. Not British unless just being born here counts.

He lived in England till he went to school, and due to his parents and birth had British citizenship. It's not like John McEnroe being born in Germany with his father being in the army.

[Enki]

How about Clive Sullivan(1943-85), Welsh rugby league winger who played for Hull and Hull Kingston Rovers.  He is well known in rugby league circles and revered in the Hull area. He even had a main road(the Clive Sullivan Way) named after him. He was the first black captain of Great Britain in any sport when he captained Great Britain in 1972 and in the same year captained the rugby league side to be world cup champions.

[Dicky Underpants]

How about Clive Sullivan(1943-85), Welsh rugby league winger who played for Hull and Hull Kingston Rovers.  He is well known in rugby league circles and revered in the Hull area. He even had a main road(the Clive Sullivan Way) named after him. He was the first black captain of Great Britain in any sport when he captained Great Britain in 1972 and in the same year captained the rugby league side to be world cup champions.

How about Charlie Williams, footballer and comedian?
Talking of his childhood, with a lavatory (hole in the ground) at the bottom of the garden: "You had to be quick - or it were chapped legs."