People, Places, Events   

British Army drops colour bar 1966 As Armed Forces we champion recognition of the service of black servicemen and women and people from the Commonwealth and ethnic minorities. These examples are select but highlight the contribution of Afro-Caribbean’s, underlining our shared heritage. They exemplify determination, professionalism, commitment and loyalty.

Carroll Thompson is a British lovers rock singer, best known as the "Queen of Lovers Rock”. Thompson, (1960 - present), was born in Letchworth, Hertfordhire in England and is of Jamaican descent. She undertook classical piano training on the piano and sang in school and church choirs as a girl, but initially studied for a career in pharmacy. She began working as a backing singer at several recording studios after auditioning for Frank Farian's Sugar Cane group.

Early Naval History: Black Sailors in the British Navy During the 1700s and 1800s Britain’s navy was the largest in the world. The Royal Navy’s increasing demand for manpower led it to draw its personnel from across the globe as well as the British Isles. Black men (free and enslaved) from the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa and Britain served on Royal Navy vessels in a number of capacities from ship’s cook to, in one known case, ship’s captain (Captain John Perkins).

The most notable ship to arrive in the UK carrying migrants from the Caribbean was the MV Empire Windrush, which left Jamaica on May 24, 1948 and arrived at Tilbury dock on June 22, 1948. According to a passenger on the ship, the journey from Jamaica to the UK took about 22 days, which to them was a long journey. They went to Tampico (Mexico), spent about 3 or 4 days there, passed by Havana, then on to Bermuda, where they spent another 4 days. The ‘Windrush’ became the ico

The Race Relations Act 1968 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom making it illegal to refuse housing, employment, or public services to a person on the grounds of colour, race, ethnic or national origins in Great Britain (although not in Northern Ireland, which had its own parliament at the time). It also created the Community Relations Commission to promote 'harmonious community relations’.

Billy Ocean was born in Fyzabad, Trinidad and Tobago, to Hainsley Charles, a Grenadian musician, and his wife Violet. He moved to Romford, Essex, England, when he was ten years old, shortly before Trinidad and Tobago became independent in 1962. He was the most popular British R&B singer-songwriter of the early to mid- 1980s. After he had scored his first four UK top-20 singles, including No. 2 hits in 1976 and 1977, seven years passed before he accumulated a series of transa

Floella Karen Yunies Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin, OM, DBE, DL (born 23 September 1949 is a Trinidadian-British actress, singer, presenter, author and politician. She is known as presenter of children's programmes such as Play School, Play Away, Jamboree and Fast Forward. On 28 June 2010, Lady Benjamin was introduced to the House of Lords as a life peer nominated by the Liberal Democrats.

It is improbable that this area ever hosted any black friars, let alone a representation of them in the sculpture. It is possible that the sculptor intended the piece as a playful visual pun, using the name as a whimsical connection to the artwork rather than a reflection of historical fact. Or did the Artist know something about a black friar that time and history simply forgot? It wouldnt be the first time!

Although the black Caribbean community in Moss Side and Hulme still faced issues like poverty, racism, and police harassment, there was a keen sense of community spirit. White children mixed with black children, families looked out for each other, and neighbours traded goods and essentials. Just like everyone else in Manchester, the Caribbean community would want to celebrate the end of a hard-working week. From the early 60s, clubs like the Reno, the Nile and the Bengwema o