Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton is a British racing driver, widely regarded as one of the greatest in the history of Formula One.
Born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, Hamilton is of Grenadian heritage.
Hamilton started karting at the age of eight and quickly rose through the ranks, winning the British Kart Championship at ten. At 13, he was signed to the McLaren and Mercedes-Benz Young Driver Support Programme. He made his Formula One debut with McLaren in 2007, becoming the first Black driver to race in the series.
Achievements
• World Championships: Hamilton has won seven Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles, jointly with Michael Schumacher for the most in history.
• Records: Hamilton holds records for the most wins (105), pole positions (104), and podium finishes (201) in Formula One.
• Teams: After starting with McLaren, Hamilton moved to Mercedes in 2013, where he achieved most of his success.
Personal Life and Advocacy
• Activism: Hamilton is known for his advocacy for diversity and inclusion in motorsport. He has been vocal about issues such as racism and environmental sustainability.
• Honours: He was knighted in 2021 for his services to motorsport.
Lord Herman Ouseley
Lord Herman Ouseley (1945-2024), also known as Baron Ouseley, was a prominent British parliamentarian and social justice advocate. Born in British Guiana, he moved to England in 1957. He had a distinguished career in public service, particularly in promoting equality and diversity.
Lord Ouseley was the founder of ‘Kick It Out’, an anti-racism campaign in football which was established in 1993. This initiative aimed to tackle racism and promote inclusivity within the sport. He chaired the charity for 25 years, making significant strides in combating discrimination in football.
Lord Ouseley also served as the chief executive of the Commission for Racial Equality from 1993 to 2000, where he worked tirelessly to address institutional racism and support disadvantaged communities. He was a member of the House of Lords from 2001 until his retirement in 2019.
Mary Seacole
Mary Seacole was born in Jamaica in 1805 and she travelled to England in 1854, a year after the start of the Crimean War. Mary was a nurse, and she had a lot of experience caring for sick British soldiers, many of whom were based in the West Indies. When she arrived in Britain, Mary asked the War Office for permission to help wounded soldiers who were fighting in the Crimean War, but her request was refused.
Determined to help, she raised the money herself and travelled to Crimea in 1855 where she built a hotel to serve injured British soldiers. Mary paid for everything out of her own pocket and returned to England penniless.
On her return to England, Mary published her autobiography, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands in 1857, the first autobiography written by a black woman in Britain. Being bankrupt, Mary depended on the goodwill of others, mainly soldiers whom she had met and helped in Crimea.
Despite the amazing work she did, not many people knew who she was when she died in 1881 or her contributions to British soldiers at war. Even her grave remained undiscovered until 1973. However, most people would remember Florence Nightingale who also helped to nurse British soldiers at war in Crimea.
In the last few decades, however, more efforts have been made to recognise Mary’s contribution to military and nursing history. Several buildings and entities, mainly connected with health care, were named after her. In 2016, a statue of her was erected outside St Thomas' Hospital in London. An annual prize to recognise and develop leaders for nurses, midwives and health visitors in the National Health Service was named Seacole to “acknowledge her achievements”.
In 2004, Mary was voted into first place in an online poll of 100 Great Black Britons carried out by the website Every Generation. In addition, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the National Portrait Gallery, Mary was also depicted in first-class stamps as one of the ten most important Britons.
For your contribution to nursing, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Mary.
Professor Olivette Otele
Professor Olivette Otele is a world-renowned historian of Cameroonian heritage. She was appointed as a Distinguished Research Professor of the Legacies and Memory of Slavery within the Faculty of Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and became the first Black woman to hold a professorial chair in History in the UK. She is an expert on the links between history, memory, and geopolitics in relation to French and British colonial pasts.
Before joining SOAS, Olivette was Professor of the History of Slavery at Bristol University. She was Chair of Bristol's Race Equality Commission.
Olivette has written extensively on the history and memory of enslavement in port cities and on memory and memorialisation in the Atlantic World as well as on the histories of people of African descent. She is the author of African Europeans: An Untold History (2020).
Olivette was included in the BBC 100 Women 2018 List at number 69. In 2019, she was elected as Vice-President of the Royal Historical Society. In 2020, Olivette was listed by Prospectas the 6th greatest thinker for the COVID-19 era.
In 2021, the Institute of Historical Research set up the annual Olivette Otele Prize to be awarded “for the best paper submitted to the History Lab Postgraduate Research Seminar by a Black PhD research student based in the UK”.
In 2022, Olivette was elected as a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.
For your contribution to history of slavery and racial equality, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Olivette.
Nicola Adams OBE
Nicola Adams OBE is a former professional boxer and Olympic gold medallist.
In 2001, Nicola became the first female boxer to represent England and two years later became English amateur champion for the first time.
In 2012, women’s boxing was given its debut at the Olympic Games in London and Nicola made history by becoming the first woman to win gold at an Olympic boxing event.
Nicola made more history at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games when a unanimous points decision meant she became the first British boxer to retain an Olympic title for nearly a century.
During her sporting career, Nicola left an indelible legacy for women’s boxing. She became the first openly lesbian Black female boxer to win the entire set of amateur championships – Olympics, Commonwealth, and European Games titles, and the World, European, and European Union championships.
In recognition of her services to boxing and unprecedented achievements, Nicola was appointed Member of the British Empire in 2013 and upgraded to Officer of the British Empire in 2016.
For your contribution to boxing, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Nicola.
Dr Shirley Thompson OBE
Dr Shirley Thompson OBE is a multiple award-winning British composer, conductor and violinist of Jamaican descent. Shirley is also a professor of composition and performance at the University of Westminster.
Shirley became the first woman in Europe to compose and conduct a symphony in the last 50 years. ‘New Nation Rising, A 21st Century Symphony’, performed and recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, is an epic musical story celebrating London’s thousand-year history. This extraordinary work was originally commissioned to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002 and the concept was latterly assumed as a framework for the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony.
As artistic director, Shirley stages her own operatic productions. She has pushed the boundaries of classical music composition and performance with ground-breaking productions that have attracted new audiences worldwide.
Shirley co-scored the ballet PUSH that toured to over 40 of the world’s major opera houses, including The Marinsky Theatre, La Scala and Sydney Opera House. Her opera series, Heroines of Opera, encapsulates hidden narratives of iconic women in history and challenges the concept of the femme fatale, the usual portrayal of women in the operatic cannon.
Shirley has consistently demonstrated in her creative and professional work and social commentary, a strong belief in the transformative power of music, dance and the arts to affect social, cultural and political change.
Shirley was awarded numerous awards for her professional work and was appointed an OBE in 2019.
Shirley has served for over 30 years on several national arts institutions, including the London Arts Board, the Arts Council of Great Britain, the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors, The Ivors Academy, and the Newham Council Cultural Forum. She has been named in the Evening Standard’s PowerList of Britain’s Top 100 Most Influential People of African, Caribbean and African American Heritage a record 13 times from 2010-2023.
For your contribution to classical music and the Arts, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Shirley.
Virginia 'Ginny' Wanjiro
Virginia (Ginny) Wanjiro is a Kenyan-born nursing sister at Guy's and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, when patients were isolated in hospital and their family were not permitted to visit them, she became concerned that nursing staff in the intensive care unit did not have the tools to care for the hair of people of Black and minority ethnic heritage.
She launched an initiative to improve hair and skin care for patients from diverse backgrounds in intensive care. She sourced different styles of combs which can be used on all hair textures and moisturisers for all skin tones. The aim of the initiative was to provide personalised care for all patients and to provide the right combs and moisturisers particularly for people of Black and minority ethnic heritage. Nursing staff at the hospital are now trained on how to care for different hair textures and skin tones, especially the appropriate comb for different hair types, which patients are allowed to keep once they leave the intensive care unit.
It is hoped that this initiative may be rolled out more widely across the Trust and ultimately throughout the NHS.
Ginny’s vision for patients’ appearance and grooming whilst in hospital came from personal experience, after her father became ill and died. He was perfectly groomed whilst in hospital which she said was a great comfort to her.
For helping intensive care patients to look and feel amazing by personalising their hair and skincare regime with products tailored to their needs, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Ginny.
Barbara Blake Hannah
Barbara Blake Hannah was the first black female reporter on British TV. The daughter of the founder of Jamaica’s Press Association, she was an accomplished journalist in her own right and had plenty of journalism experience, having read the news on TV and written for a magazine owned by her father, Evon Blake.
In 1968, Barbara successfully applied to the newly launched Thames Television as reporter at the daily evening show, Today, which was hosted by Eamonn Andrews. Her journalistic skills and warm on-screen presence were evident. Despite these qualities, a black woman reporting the news was unheard of; indeed, some viewers could not see past the colour of her skin. A producer told Barbara that the station had received almost daily requests to “get the [N-word] off the screen”, and so they did. Barbara was sacked less than a year of starting the job.
Barbara was then hired as a reporter for ATV in Birmingham, but she found it difficult to find accommodation locally, so she commuted to work from London. She also suffered racial discrimination and abuse from some of her colleagues. Mercifully, she only had a six-month contract which she saw through.
Barbara then found a job as a researcher at the BBC on the documentary series, Man Alive. Her experiences at the BBC were different; people were pleasant, and she enjoyed the stories that she was involved in. Whilst participating in the promotion of the 1972 movie, The Harder They Come, starring reggae legend Jimmy Cliff – which Barbara did in her home country of Jamaica – she decided to stay. Given her lived experiences of racism in the UK, Barbara was to return to the UK only three times since 1972.
Having been the first black female reporter in British TV, Barbara's accomplishments continue to be recognised. A British Journalism Award, which recognises emerging journalists from black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds, has been named in her honour.
For continuing the fight for racial inclusion in journalism, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent), we salute you, Barbara.
Professor Bola Owolabi
Professor Bola Owolabi is a General Practitioner of Nigerian descent. Bola is also a Director of Health Inequalities at NHS England and medical director of Derbyshire Community Health Service Foundation Trust. She worked with teams across NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care as part of the Covid-19 pandemic response.
Bola has held numerous senior leadership positions on a local, system and national levels including the national specialty adviser for older people and integrated person-centred care. She led the anticipatory care work stream of the national Ageing Well programme and the local system lead for Frailty and End-of-Life Care.
Bola holds an NHS Leadership Academy Award in Executive Healthcare Leadership for Clinicians. She is a Generation Q Fellow of the Health Foundation, an independent charity committed to bringing about better health and health care for people in the UK.
In May 2023, Bola was appointed Vice President of Royal Society for Public Health.
For providing leadership for some of the critical contemporary healthcare issues and for breaking down barriers to reflect the cultural diversity in the local communities that you serve, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Bola.
Malorie Blackman OBE
Malorie Blackman OBE is a British writer of Barbadian descent, and she was the Children's Laureate from 2013 to 2015. Malorie primarily writes literature and television drama targeted to children and young adults. She has used science fiction to explore social and ethical issues.
Malorie followed a successful career in computing before publishing her first book of short stories, Not So Stupid! in 1990. Since then, Malorie’s popularity has steadily grown and she has gone on to write several other books and scripts for television including episodes of Byker Grove, Whizziwig and Pig-Heart Boy. She has also written a stage play, The Amazing Birthday, which was performed in 2002.
Malorie's most well-known books for young adults include Noughts & Crosses (2001); Knife Edge (2004); Checkmate (2005). Her novel, Cloud Busting, published in 2004, won a Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (Silver Award).
In 2007, Malorie collected stories and poems for her book, Unheard Voices, to commemorate the bicentenary anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade.
So far, Malorie has had more than 50 books published. As well as other prestigious accolades, she was awarded Eleanor Farjeon Award at the Children’s Book Circle and the Mind Boggling Book of the Year Award from W.H. Smith. She was also shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Writing.
Malorie was appointed an OBE in 2008 for her services to children’s literature. She has been described by The Times as ‘a national treasure.’
For your contribution to literature, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Malorie.
Linda Dobbs DBE
Linda Dobbs DBE is a Sierra Leone-born British barrister who was a judge at the High Court of the United Kingdom.
Linda enjoyed a successful career at the Bar, but she also endured overtly discriminatory behaviour from both colleagues and clients. Despite several hurdles and setbacks, she was appointed as a High Court judge in 2004, the first non-white person to occupy the position. She was assigned to the Queen's Bench Division. Linda had been appointed as a deputy High Court judge in 2003, without having previously held appointment as a recorder.
Linda was a member of the General Council of the Bar and chaired its Professional Standards and Race Relations Committees. In 2003, she became the chairman of the Criminal Bar Association and she set up its first Equality and Diversity sub-committee. Whilst on the High Court Bench, she was the Senior Liaison Judge for Diversity, Chair of the Magisterial Committee of the Judicial Studies Board and Chair of the International Committee of the Judicial College and a Fawcett Commissioner.
Linda was named as one of Britain’s most powerful black women and one of the 100 Great Black Britons. In 2013, she took early retirement and stepped down from the High Court Bench to pursue various other interests, which include the training of judges and lawyers internationally (in particular, in the Caribbean and Africa).
For your contribution towards inclusion and reform of the judicial system, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Linda.
Sharon White DBE
Sharon White is a British public servant and businesswoman of Jamaican descent. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for public service in 2020.
Sharon started her career at the Civil Service before moving to roles at Ofcom and John Lewis Partnership.
In 2007, Sharon led the review of the Treasury’s management response to the financial crisis. In 2013, she became the first black person to be named as the Second Permanent Secretary for HM Treasury, a position in which she was responsible for managing Britain’s public finances - a testament to her resilience and leadership.
Between 2015 and 2019, Sharon was the chief executive of Ofcom, the regulator for communications services, during a time of industrial challenges. She was the first woman – and first black woman – to lead the organisation.
In 2020, Sharon became the first woman to be named chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, a position she relinquished in October 2023. During her time at the retailer, despite a declining high street, Sharon spearheaded the business to an innovative and adaptable future, making an undeniable positive impact through her leadership and resilience.
Given her extensive career across the public and private sectors, Sharon has secured a reputation as a transformative leader. She has persevered and thrived in every role she has occupied, despite diversity challenges. When booked for speaking engagements, Sharon shares her inspiring life story in addition to her implementable advice on business leadership, corporate culture, and inclusivity in the workplace.
Sharon was recognised as the UK’s most powerful black person in the annual Powerlist for 2023 which aims to provide professional role models for young people of African and African Caribbean heritage. The Powerlist is the leading publication of acknowledgement and reminder of the amazing individuals of African, African Caribbean and African American heritage in the UK.
For your contribution to public services and commerce, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Sharon.
Anne Mensah
Anne Mensah is a British television executive of Ghanaian heritage. She is a Henry Crown Fellow within the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute.
Anne sits on the board of the Royal Television Society (RTS) and the Board of ScreenSkills, a UK-based charity dedicated to training in the television and film sector as well as the television committee of British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
Anne is currently the Vice President of Content at Netflix UK, where she leads the teams across all genres - scripted series, film, unscripted, documentaries and licensed programmes. She oversees all Netflix UK commissions including the BAFTA, Emmy and Golden Globe award- winning drama, The Crownand the BAFTA award-winning series, Sex Education. Her recent Netflix commissions include The Gentlemen, produced and directed by Guy Ritchie.
Before joining Netflix, Anne was responsible for commissioning some of Sky’s biggest ever original commissions – such as Delicious starring Dawn French and Emilia Fox and Riviera starring Julia Stiles.
Prior to her time with Sky, Anne spent 10 years at the BBC as head of independent drama and head of drama for BBC Scotland. Whilst at the BBC, Anne commissioned and worked with the very best in British drama to produce an impressive array of hits across the BBC including the multi award-winning Wallander as well as Waterloo Road, Case Histories and God on Trial.
Anne assumes the role of vice president of Central following her time as an independent governor and chair of the board’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Anne was awarded the Judges' Award at the RTS Programme Awards 2021, in partnership with Audio Network.
For your contribution to film and television, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Anne.
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon is a British social entrepreneur and computer scientist of Nigerian origin. She is the co-founder of STEMettes, the award-winning social enterprise that is inspiring the next generation of females into science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) roles via a series of prestigious events and opportunities.
Anne-Marie was a child prodigy and, at the age of 20, became one of the youngest people ever to be awarded a master’s degree in mathematics and computer science by the University of Oxford. In 2018, she was listed among the world’s top 50 women in tech by Forbes, voted the 5th most influential woman in IT by Computer Weekly and was the recipient of the prestigious Barclays UK Woman of the Year award.
In recognition of her influence and achievements, Anne-Marie was awarded an MBE in the 2017 New Year’s Honours for services to young women and STEM sectors. She became a Honorary Fellow at Keble College, Oxford in 2017.
In 2020, Anne-Marie was given a Suffrage Science award by the London Institute of Medical Sciences. She was the 2022/23 president of the British Science Association.
Anne-Marie had previously worked at Goldman Sachs, Hewlett-Packard and Deutsche Bank. She does keynote speaking engagements at various STEM events and to clients across the globe including Google, Mercedes-Benz, Lufthansa and ASOS. She has also co-presented the gameshow Countdown on Channel 4.
For your contribution toward women’s education in science, technology, engineering, maths, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Anne-Marie.
Jacky Wright
Jacky Wright is a digital transformation executive who was born in London of Jamaican parents. She is the chief technology and platform officer at McKinsey & Co. Prior to taking up this role in late 2022, she was a corporate vice-president and chief digital officer at Microsoft US, where she used technology to drive innovation, adopt sustainable and accessible business models, and digitally transform businesses.
Between 2017 and 2019, Jacky was seconded from Microsoft to HM Revenue and Customs as chief digital and information officer, and she oversaw the agency’s digital transformation and efforts to simplify tax collection.
Jacky also occupied chief information officer roles at British Petroleum, General Electric and Andersen Consulting. She topped the Powerlist in 2022 as the most influential black person in the United Kingdom.
Jacky is well known in the industry as a n innovative and transformational leader. She has worked with large global companies in the UK, Europe and Africa. As a career technologist, Jacky sees digital inclusion as central to social mobility for Black people as well as wider society. Some people, she believes, have been technologically excluded more than others because of a lack of access to devices but also due to cultural reasons. She has called on the government to address this gap and work in partnership with the private sector and academia to provide wraparound type of services to improve digital inclusion.
A long-time advocate of equal opportunities, her influence through her involvement with the Institute of Coding, techUK, City University of London, Year Up and WISE, is helping break down barriers to digital learning and employment.
Jacky holds an honorary doctorate from Aston University. Her recognitions include top BAME100, 100 Women to Watch, Computer Weekly Top 10 Women in Tech, Accountancy Age Top 10 Financial List 2019, and No.1 top UK tech influencer 2018.
For your contribution to digital inclusion and diversity in technology, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Jacky.
Karen Blackett OBE
Karen Blackett OBE is a British business leader and marketing communications executive of Barbadian origin.
In 2022, Karen became the UK president of WPP, a global creative transformation company based in 112 countries. She had been chairwoman of WPP’s MediaCom, the largest media agency in the UK with billings over £1.3 billion. While at MediaCom, she created and launched an Apprenticeship Scheme for 18-24-year olds. Under her leadership, MediaCom was voted Agency of the Year by the industry magazine Campaign for an unprecedented two years in a row, 2013 and 2014.
Prior to her roles at WPP, Karen worked at CIA MediaNetwork, Zenith Media and The Media Business Group.
Karen was one of four external advisors that helped to diversify the Civil Service, and in 2018 was appointed Race Equality Business Champion by the Prime Minister as part of the Race at Work Charter, helping businesses address inequality at all levels.
Karen is known for her transformative work with large, multi-disciplined and diverse teams delivering consistent commercial success. In 2014, she received an OBE for services to media and communications. In 2019, she was honoured by the professional body, Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, in recognition of her outstanding services to the advertising industry.
Karen is a non-executive director of Creative England, The Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Trust, The Creative Industry Federation and Diageo Plc. She was named as the most influential black person in the Powerlist of 2014, the first businesswoman to top the list.
Karen was appointed Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth in 2017.
For your contribution to the media, marketing and creative industries, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Karen.
Dr Claudia Natanson MBE
Dr Claudia Natanson MBE is an information and cyber security expert. She is the founder of the Corporate Executive Programme, a body that unites senior decision-makers from leading companies and public sector organisations across the world to discuss risks impacting business and security-related issues and threats.
Claudia has served as board member and chair for the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams and is a registered European Commission security expert.
Claudia has held positions at Department for Work and Pensions as chief security officer; at British Telecommunications as managing director of Secure Business Service; at Diageo Plc as chief information security officer; and at AccuWeather as head of information security. Other notable roles that Claudia has held include digital and cyber security transformation lead at Security Practitioners and security and digital transformation strategic advisor at Aramark.
In 2021, Claudia became the inaugural chair of the UK Cyber Security Council’s Board of Trustees. This new independent body was mandated to set the benchmark for the cyber security profession, to be a steward to uphold the highest levels of professional capability, diversity, ethics, and integrity.
Claudia was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to cyber security in 2022.
For your contribution to information and cyber security, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Claudia.
Afua Kyei
Afua Kyei is a British financial executive of Ghanaian origin. She is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and an Executive Director at the Bank of England. Prior to joining the Bank, she was the Finance Director at Barclays Bank. She also worked at UBS and Ernst & Young.
Afua has had an international career and led global teams in dynamic markets, serving a broad and diverse client base in central banking, investment banking and retail banking. Her versatile skillset across strategy, commercial finance, strategic cost transformation, planning, analytics and audit has made her a key member of the Bank's core leadership and decision making through Brexit, Covid, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and cost of living crisis.
Afua was awarded CFO of the Year in 2021 by the Women in Finance Awards UK. She was in the Cranfield FTSE Board Report 100 Women to Watch 2022. She was honoured as one of the100 most influential Britons of black heritage in the Powerlist2023. In January 2023, Afua was listed among the 100 most reputable Africans.
In October 2023, Afua received the Freedom of the City Award at London Guildhall, having been nominated by the incoming Lord Mayor, Professor Michael Mainelli.
For your contribution to banking and finance, Black History Association (Gravesham and Kent) salute you, Afua.
