In 2003, Vernon and Osborne, frustrated by the almost complete exclusion of the Black British community from mainstream notions of Britishness in education and popular media, launched their ground-breaking 100 Great Black Britons campaign, which invited the public to vote for the Black Briton they most admired. The campaign was a huge success across Britain.
In 2019, in the wake of Brexit and the 2018 Windrush Scandal, Vernon and Osborne decided it was time to relaunch the campaign to ensure recognition of the continued legacy and achievement of Black people in Britain. The results will be announced in September 2020, and their book, out on 24 September 2020, will compile the updated list and act as a companion to this vital and updated campaign.
Dr Angelina Osborne is an independent researcher and heritage consultant. She studied History at Wilberforce Institute and achieved her PHD for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation, University of Hull in 2014. She has a key focus on Caribbean enslavement and proslavery discourses, and the history of community and education activism.
The book educates on some great people in Britain’s Black British history a group of individuals who have been named for their talents and hard work, which are often overlooked. Funded and run by the Patrick Vernon OBE and Dr Angelina Osborne, the 100 Great Black Britons book brings together groundbreaking figures into the spotlight to celebrate their lives, their stories and contributions to Britain. Patrick Vernon who was awarded an OBE in 2012 for his hard work which includes challenging the health inequalities for ethnic minority communities in Britain. He has been part of the Windrush Day Campaign since 2010, while in 2018 he revived the campaign for an amnesty for the Windrush Generation. This was a part of the Windrush Scandal that steered the government’s immigration policy to take a U-turn.
To buy the book go to: Waterstones . Foyles , Amazon. To read more about how 100 great Black Britons came together visit the website: HERE
‘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
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