5 Black Women You Should Know
I waded my way through a vast amount of literature, authors and significant historical figures during my three years of university. From classical to modern, Dickens to Stephen King. Films, scripts, plays, novels and poems. (I studied English lit. and I am a big nerdy book lover so I jolly well read all the books cover to cover. Well...most of them. Soz Milton hun, I found Paradise Lost a little dry). But through every different author and text we studied, there was a significant imbalance in material on my syllabus written about or by black women.
Is this because there aren't any black female writers or important black women to discuss? (Abso-fucking-lutely not). Is it because there were no black professors on my course? Maybe.
Although you cannot have a diversity of perspectives, thoughts and teachings from a predominantly white teaching staff, the department did offer two optional modules that centred on black culture (though neither were about Black British culture). The first was called African American culture (in which we did study the fascinating Octavia Butler). And, the second was about the American punishment system. A biased system which has, since its inception, been entirely prejudiced against black Americans. (Don't believe me? Watch 13th).
Though knowledge about slavery and the racially prejudiced American punitive system is, of course, vitally important. It is also extremely limiting to only know about these areas of black American history. It’s high time everyone starts shouting about the rich history of black lives in Britain. Men AND women's lives that we haven't been taught about in schools or universities. (We also need to learn to take accountability of our own history in colonialism, slavery and longstanding prejudice as a country, rather than making it 'some foreign American problem'; because it most certainly is not hunnies).
From childhood, we are taught that the history of Britain (before slavery) was devoid of black culture. That Britain and 'Britishness' have only ever been white. But, this (to put it bluntly) is a load of bollocks. It's a common misconception that there were no black people in Britain before slavery. But, remains of individuals with North African descent have been found in the UK from the damn Roman times, buried with bracelets and jewels which show they had moolah AND status. Another fact that really opened my eyes to the whitewashing of British history, was that there were actually hundreds of black migrants living in England in the 16th century (when old Henry the 8th was about chopping the heads off his wives). And, significantly, they were not enslaved. Henry VIII employed one such man, John Blanke, as a trumpeter.
There is a rich black history both in Britain and around the world, before and after slavery, that we should all learn about (and push for future generations to be taught about in schools).
Below are five black women, who have (or are currently) shaping British history. Ground-breaking legends that we should all be celebrating and making sure future generations know about.
Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)
The first African-American author to publish a book. A former slave who became an international literary success at the age of 20. (!!!).
Phillis Wheatley published her first book of poems in London. Not only was she the very first African-American author to publish a book of poetry in 1773, she was the second women (EVER!) to do so. Paving the way not just for black women, but all women writers.
A trail-blazing talent. Wheatley became one of the most revered and famous poets of 19th century America. Her writing celebrated her African heritage and she also boldly and openly opposed slavery. Wheatley’s literary talent helped disprove the racist ideology of the day that black people weren’t equally capable, creative, intelligent human beings. And, played a part in helping the abolition movement in both England and America.
Mary Seacole (1805-1881)
Once voted the greatest black Briton. A pioneering nurse and heroine of the Crimean War, with a reputation that rivalled Florence Nightingale. So why haven't you heard about this spectacular woman before?
Seacole was born in Jamaica to a Scottish soldier father and a mother who practised traditional Jamaican medicine. Mary's mother had a boarding house where she cared for invalid soldiers and their wives, and it was here Mary learned about medicine. (She got it from her mumma). Mary quickly gained her own reputation as a skilled nurse and 'doctress' (as they called 'em at the time). She travelled to various countries caring for people and whilst in London heard about the collapse of the nursing system during the Crimean war.
Desperate to help, Mary made several applications to the War Office, the army medical department, and the secretary of war to be allowed to go to Crimea. She told them about her significant experience, excellent references and connections with many of the soldiers and regiments (having nursed them whilst they were stationed in Jamaica). But, she was refused.
Being the strong, independent, care-giving queen on a mission that she was, Seacole said 'F you I'm going anyway' (Not a direct quote). She funded her own trip to Crimea, where she established the British Hotel to provide relief for sick and recovering officers. She also visited the battlefield, sometimes under fire, risking her own life to nurse the wounded and became known as 'Mother Seacole'. No doubt there are many British people who literally wouldn't be here today if Seacole hadn't risked her own life to tend for their relatives. So, it's a travesty that this woman's legacy fell into obscurity until recently, with history choosing only to remember her white counterpart. It's also a travesty that some continue to pin Seacole and Nightingale's work against one another as if one somehow diminishes the other. (Make room for ALL queens in the history books. Plz.)
Margaret Busby (1944 - Present)
The UK's first (and youngest) black woman publisher. Writing powerhouse. Pioneer.
Margaret Busby OBE (AKA living publishing legend) has been breaking records since the age of 23 (like it's no. big. deal).
Born in Accra, Ghana, Busby made history when she co-founded Allison & Busby with Clive Allison in 1967. She is a pioneering figure in British publishing, and founded A&B with "the hope of making volumes of poetry accessible and affordable to young people like ourselves".
Though A&B didn't exclusively publish Black authors, it was a major catalyst in bringing the work of several writers from the African Diaspora to critical public attention. And, she was a founding member of the organisation Greater Access to Publishing in the 1980s.
Busby has experienced a broad and successful freelance career as an independent editor, writer, broadcaster and critic since the 1990s, contributing to many publications – including The Guardian, The Observer, New Statesman and TLS. She's also judged numerous literary prizes and written for the stage and for radio. Busby compiled the pioneering Anthology 'Daughters of Africa' and continues to strive for diversity within the publishing industry today.
Tessa Sanderson (1956 - Present)
Olympic ledge. Record breaker. All around boss.
Source: The Telegraph
36 years ago, during the 1984 Olympic final in Los Angeles, Tessa Sanderson became the first Black British woman (in goddamn her-story) to win an Olympic gold medal. She still remains the ONLY British athlete to win an Olympic throwing event today. (Record holding queen for 36 years, no biggie).
A woman of many accolades (including a record six Olympic Games, three Commonwealth titles and a CBE), Tessa's Olympic gold medal bought her fame, but was not the life-changing event it should have been. Tessa had to work full time alongside her established career as an athlete, and she returned home from the games to find the company she worked for had gone into liquidation. She received little support, had no sponsorship deals and even contemplated retiring from athletics completely. Proving the sporting world to be (like many other spaces) a difficult place for even the most talented black women.
In 1999, Tessa became the first female vice-chair of Sport England. (F*ck yes she did). A fact made more ground-breaking when you consider (the sad reality) that just three per cent of those siting on the boards of British sporting governing bodies TODAY come from a black, Asian or other ethnic minority background. Tessa has also worked as a sports presenter on Sky News, appeared as a motivational speaker and set up her own academy for aspiring young athletes in east London. (A living legend that shows no signs of slowing up yet).
Bernadine Evaristo (1959 - Present)
Booker prize winner. Writing extraordinaire. A literary hero.
I. Love. This. Woman. If you haven't read Girl, Woman, Other yet, YOU MUST. Okay. It won the 2019 booker prize for goodness sake, what are ya waiting for?
Evaristo is a household name in the current climate with the roaring success of her most recent book, but I wanted to tell you a bit more about the woman behind the words. Not only is Bernadine Evaristo the first black woman (and first black British person) to win the Booker Prize in its fifty-one year history. She has written eight books and numerous other published and produced works that span the genres of novels, poetry, verse fiction, short fiction, essays, literary criticism, and radio and theatre drama. In 1982 she co-founded the 'Theatre of Black Women', Britain's first black women's theatre company, to give artistic control to black women in theatre - for the first time. (Talk about a woman of many talents, jheeeez. Putting the rest of us to shame!). Her writings and projects are predominantly based around the African diaspora. And, she is Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University London. (One of only 35 [out of about 19,285] black female professors in the UK).
Evaristo is a devoted and longstanding activist and advocate for the inclusion of artists and writers of colour, and has launched several (brilliant) schemes to ensure increased representation in the creative industries. She is another living legend, and one that is making her own legacy whilst creating the space for future young black creatives to do the same.
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I hope you've enjoyed reading about these amazing women as much as I enjoyed learning about their fascinating lives. To discover more great black Britons, go get yourself a copy of '100 Great Black Britons'. A comprehensive book published at the end of September 2020, it details the lives and achievements of 100 brilliant black men and women that we should all know about.
To discover ways that you can support the movement to make sure that Black British history is taught in schools, visit: https://theblackcurriculum.com/
(I have referenced articles and information from: The Independent, The National Archives,The Poetry Foundation, blackhistorymonth.org.uk, BBC News, The Guardian, The Evening Standard, benadinevaristo.com, thebookerprize.com. Including articles by, Kashmira Gander, John Stevenson, Roger Clarke and Georgia Chambers)