A celebration of the lives, stories and contribution of Black British people
Patrick Vernon OBE and Dr Angelina Osborne, founders of the 100 Great Black Britons campaign, are proud to publish 100 Great Black Britons, a book that honours the remarkable achievements of key Black British individuals over history. With a foreword written by David Olusoga, the book includes a list of Black British names and accompanying portraits that explores these individuals’ contribution and legacy to British History.
In 2019, 16 years after the initial launch of the 100 Great Black Britons, Patrick Vernon OBE and Angelina Osborne launched a new campaign to celebrate Black British History and Black Britons who contributed to shape Great Britain by their work and actions. The public was invited to vote for the Black Briton they most admire.
The campaign was a huge success and we received thousands of nominations. In January, a panel of experts were invited to do the final short cut of 100 Great Black Britons. The book will compile the updated list and act as a companion to this vital and updated campaign.
“I am delighted to see the relaunch of 100 Great Black Britons [campaign]. For too long the contribution of Britons of African and Caribbean heritage have been underestimated, undervalued and overlooked”.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
Graphic by www.penmendonca.com @MendoncaPen
Find out who is in 100 Great Black Britons 2020. Did your nomination make it to the final 100?
100 Great Black Britons – alphabetical listing by surname:
- Diane Abbott
- Victor Adebowale, Baron Adebowale CBE
- Adedoyin Olayiwola Adepitan MBE
- Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE
- Professor Hakim Adi
- Sir David Adjaye OBE, RA and Elsie Owusu OBE, RIBA
- Akala
- John Akomfrah CBE
- Ira Aldridge
- Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos CH
- Kehinde Andrews
- Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu DBE
- Dr Elaine Arnold
- Amma Asante MBE
- Winifred Atwell
- Dame Jocelyn Barrow DBE
- Lance Sergeant Johnson Beharry VC, COG
- Dame Floella Benjamin of Beckenham DBE, DL
- Munroe Bergdorf
- Jak Beula Dodd
- Karen Blackett OBE
- Malorie Blackman OBE
- John Blanke
- Dennis Bovell
- Sonia Boyce OBE, RA
- Dr Aggrey Burke
- Vanley Burke
- Margaret Busby OBE, FRSL
- Dawn Butler
- Earl Cameron CBE
- Betty Campbell MBE
- Naomi Campbell
- Queen Charlotte
- Edric Connor
- Lloyd Coxsone
- William Cuffay
- Quobna Ottobah Cugoano
- Dame Linda Dobbs DBE
- John Edmonstone
- Idris Elba OBE
- Edward Enninful OBE
- Olaudah Equiano
- Bernardine Evaristo MBE, FRSL
- Sir Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah CBE
- Lenford Kwesi Garrison
- George the Poet
- Paul Gilroy
- Bernie Grant
- Stuart Hall
- Lewis Hamilton MBE
- Sir Lenny Henry CBE
- Lubaina Himid CBE, RA
- Dame Kelly Holmes DBE
- Darcus Howe
- Rose Hudson-Wilkin MBE
- Eric Huntley and Jessica Huntley
- Professor Augustine ‘Gus’ John
- Linton Kwesi Johnson
- Claudia Jones
- Sheku Kanneh-Mason MBE
- Jackie Kay CBE
- Sam King MBE
- Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE
- John La Rose
- David Lammy
- Marai Larasi MBE
- Doreen Lawrence, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon OBE
- Andrea Levy
- Sir Steven McQueen CBE
- Dr Harold Moody
- Olive Morris
- Grace Nichols and John Agard
- Chinyere (Chi-chi) Nwanoku OBE
- David Adetayo Olusoga OBE
- Phyllis Opoku-Gyimah ‘Lady Phyll’
- Olivette Otele
- Horace Ové CBE
- David Oyelowo OBE
- George Padmore
- Professor Sir Geoff Palmer OBE
- Alex Pascall OBE
- David Pitt, Baron Pitt of Hampstead
- Mary Prince
- Marvin Rees
- Bill Richmond and Thomas Molyneux
- Marcia Rigg
- Ignatius Sancho
- Stafford Scott
- Mary Seacole
- Menelik Shabazz
- Yinka Shonibare CBE, RA
- Paul Stephenson OBE
- Stormzy
- Robert Wedderburn and William Davidson
- Dame Sharon White DBE
- Henry Sylvester Williams
- Allan Wilmot
- Simon Woolley, Baron Woolley of Woodford
- Gary Younge
- Benjamin Zephaniah