Sir Trevor McDonald is a pioneering Trinidadian-British journalist and broadcaster, best known as the first Black newsreader on British television. Renowned for his integrity and authority, he transformed UK journalism through his work on News at Ten and documentaries, earning knighthood for his outstanding contributions to media and representation.

Stormzy is a British rapper, singer, and activist who redefined UK music with his chart-topping grime albums and historic Glastonbury headline performance. Beyond music, he founded #Merky Books and Cambridge scholarships for Black students, using his platform to champion education, equality, and empowerment across Britain’s cultural and social landscape.

Marcus Rashford is an England and Manchester United footballer renowned for his activism against child food poverty. Awarded an MBE, he uses his platform to promote education, equality, and youth empowerment while excelling on the pitch as a role model for social change.

Sir Lewis Hamilton is a seven-time Formula One world champion and one of the greatest drivers in history. Beyond racing, he advocates for racial equality, diversity, and sustainability through initiatives like the Hamilton Commission, inspiring change both on and off the track as a global role model and trailblazer.

Cyrille Regis was a trailblazing British footballer who rose to prominence with West Bromwich Albion and Coventry City. As one of England’s first prominent Black players, he courageously challenged racism in sport, inspiring future generations with his talent, dignity, and leadership on and off the pitch.

Arthur Wharton was a Ghanaian-born British athlete and the world’s first Black professional footballer. Excelling in football, sprinting, and cycling, he broke records and barriers in 19th-century sport. His pioneering achievements paved the way for future generations and remain a lasting symbol of courage, excellence, and representation in athletics.

Dame Denise Lewis is a British Olympic heptathlon champion, winning gold at Sydney 2000 and bronze at Atlanta 1996. A trailblazer in athletics and broadcasting, she continues to inspire through her advocacy for women in sport, leadership, and dedication to empowering the next generation of athletes.

Sir Mo Farah is a British Olympic legend and one of the greatest long-distance runners in history. Born in Somalia, he rose to fame with double Olympic golds in 2012 and 2016. His journey from refugee to world champion embodies resilience, excellence, and the power of determination.

A child prodigy turned tech leader, Anne-Marie Imafidon, founded Stemettes to empower girls in STEM. She continues to break barriers in technology and leadership.

Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a British-Nigerian space scientist and broadcaster inspiring future generations in STEM. Co-presenter of BBC’s The Sky at Night, she combines research excellence with passionate outreach, breaking barriers as a woman of colour in science and promoting inclusion, education, and public engagement worldwide.

Frank Bowling is a celebrated Guyanese-British artist whose pioneering abstract paintings explore identity, geography, and history. The first Black Royal Academician, his work bridges art and emotion, earning him global recognition as one of Britain’s greatest living painters.

Yinka Shonibare is a British-Nigerian artist celebrated for his vibrant works exploring identity, colonialism, and globalisation. Using signature Ankara textiles, he reimagines historical narratives to challenge ideas of culture and power, establishing himself as one of Britain’s most influential contemporary artists.

Sir John Akomfrah is a pioneering Ghanaian-British filmmaker and artist. Through films like Handsworth Songs and The Unfinished Conversation, he explores race, memory, and postcolonial identity. His visually poetic work has shaped contemporary British art, earning him international recognition and a knighthood for services to the arts.

Sir Steve McQueen is an Oscar-winning British filmmaker and artist known for 12 Years a Slave and Small Axe. His visually striking, socially charged works explore race, history, and humanity, redefining contemporary cinema and giving voice to underrepresented Black British experiences.

Benjamin Zephaniah was a British poet, musician, and activist known for his revolutionary dub poetry and outspoken advocacy for equality. Through verse, novels, and performance, he gave voice to the oppressed, inspiring generations to confront injustice with courage, compassion, and creativity.

Linton Kwesi Johnson, known as LKJ, is a pioneering Jamaican-British dub poet and activist. His politically charged poetry and reggae-infused performances challenged racism and celebrated Black British identity, making him one of the most influential cultural voices of his generation.

Andrea Levy (1956–2019) was a British author celebrated for her novels exploring race, identity, and the Caribbean diaspora in Britain. Born in London to Jamaican parents who migrated on the Empire Windrush, Levy examined the experiences of post-war Caribbean immigrants and their descendants. Her acclaimed works include Small Island (2004), winner of the Orange Prize and Whitbread Book of the Year, and…

Zadie Smith is an award-winning British novelist and essayist whose works, including White Teeth and On Beauty, explore identity, race, and modern British life. Celebrated for her wit and cultural insight, she continues to shape contemporary literature through her storytelling, teaching, and commentary on society and belonging.

Malorie Blackman is an award-winning British author best known for her Noughts & Crosses series. As the first Black Children’s Laureate, she champions diversity and representation in literature, inspiring young readers to challenge injustice and embrace empathy through powerful stories that explore race, identity, and love.

Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos, is a pioneering British politician, diplomat, and academic. The first Black woman to serve in the UK Cabinet and lead a university, her career spans government, the UN, and higher education—championing equality, leadership, and representation across national and global spheres.

Bernie Grant (1944–2000) was a British Labour politician and one of the first Black MPs in the UK, representing Tottenham from 1987 until his death. Born in British Guiana, he moved to Britain in 1963 and became active in local politics, later serving as the leader of Haringey Council during the 1985 Broadwater Farm unrest. Known for his outspokenness on racial equality, Grant founded the Parliamentary Black Caucus in 1989 to advance minority representation.

Diane Abbott (born 1953) is a British Labour politician and the first Black woman elected to the UK Parliament. Representing Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987, she is a Cambridge graduate and has long championed racial equality, education, and social justice. Abbott has held several shadow cabinet roles, including Shadow Home Secretary under Jeremy Corbyn. Despite facing significant racial and gendered abuse throughout her career, she remains a pioneering figure in British politics. Since 2024, Abbott, known as the “Mother of the House,” has continued to influence national debates on equality, representation, and public welfare. Ref: Wikipedia

David Olusoga OBE (born 1970) is a British-Nigerian historian, author, and BAFTA-winning broadcaster renowned for illuminating overlooked aspects of British history. Raised in Gateshead after migrating from Nigeria, his experiences of racism shaped his commitment to historical truth. He is Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester and presenter of acclaimed BBC documentaries such as Black and British: A Forgotten History, Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners, and A House Through Time.

Stuart Hall (1932–2014), a Jamaican-born British cultural theorist, sociologist, and political activist, fundamentally transformed how scholars understood race, identity, and culture in post-war Britain. Widely regarded as a founding figure of cultural studies, Hall studied at Oxford, co-founded New Left Review, and later directed the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies at the University of Birmingham. He developed the influential “encoding/decoding” communication model and explored how media, race, and ideology shape identity.

Walter Tull (1888–1918), an English footballer and British Army officer of Afro-Caribbean heritage, made a remarkable impact. He played for Clapton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Northampton Town and became one of the first Black players in top-tier English football. Although he faced racist abuse, Tull excelled as a respected sportsman. Serving in the Middlesex Regiment during World War I, he became one of Britain’s first Black infantry officers to command white troops, defying official racial restrictions.