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Black History Month by Train

Discover places around Great Britain to visit by train to celebrate Black History Month, and find out about some of their celebrated Black residents

To celebrate Black History Month this October, we have selected some notable Black people who have links to important locations across the National Rail network, all of which you can visit by train. Some of the individuals you may be familiar with, while some are figures you can learn more about.

We have also provided links to Black History Month events taking place in these locations, so you can find lots of things to do when you get there.

Birmingham

Benjamin Zephaniah (1958-2023) was a writer, poet and activist, born in Handsworth. In 2011 he became a professor of poetry and creative writing at Brunel University London. Throughout his career, he was awarded 16 honorary doctorates.

Bristol

Roy Hackett MBE (1928-2022) was born in Jamaica, and moved to the UK in 1952 as part of the Windrush generation. He was a civil rights campaigner for the British African-Caribbean community in Bristol, and was one of the primary organisers of the Bristol Bus Boycott. In 2020 he was awarded an MBE for services to the community in Bristol.

Cardiff

Dame Shirley Bassey was born in Cardiff in 1937. She is the only artist to have recorded songs for more than one James Bond film (Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, and Moonraker). She was appointed a Dame in 1999 for services to the performing arts, and is the first woman to have a UK Top 40 album in 7 consecutive decades.

Edinburgh

Eunice Olumide is a model, actress and presenter born in Edinburgh. She was awarded an MBE for services to broadcasting, the arts, and charity in 2017.

Glasgow

Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong is the first person of Ghanian decent to take part in the Winter Olympics, and is also known as “The Snow Leopard”. He competed in the ski slalom event at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He was born in Glasgow in 1974.

Leicester

Simon Woolley, Baron Woolley of Woodford, is a politician and activist, born in Leicester in 1961. He is the founder and director of Operation Black Vote, a nonprofit organisation which encourages community engagement and voter registration in minority ethnic communities.

Liverpool

Anna Rothery became the first Black Lord Mayor of Liverpool in September 2019. Born and raised in Toxteth, she has been a councillor on Liverpool City Council since 2006. She also works as Programme Coordinator for Migrant Workers North West.

London

Wilston Samuel Jackson (1927-2018) was born in Jamaica, and moved to London in 1952. Ten years later, he was the first Black train driver in Britain. Based at King’s Cross and St Pancras until 1967, he drove both the Mallard and Flying Scotsman steam locomotives, as well as diesel trains.

Diane Abbott was born in London in 1953 and became the first Black female MP in 1987. Throughout her career she has championed global justice, human rights, peace and security issues at home and abroad. In 2024 she became Mother of the House, the honour award to the longest continuously serving female MP.

Manchester

Sir William Arthur Lewis (1915-1991), born in St Lucia, was an economist who became Britain’s first Black lecturer in 1947 when he began a job at the Victoria University in Manchester. A year later, he was made a full professor, and taught there until 1957. He went on to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1979.

Newcastle

Robert Wellesley-Cole (1907-1995) was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and moved to the UK where he graduated from Newcastle Medical College in 1934. He became the first African Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1944. He practiced in Newcastle until 1949.

Peterborough

Louis Smith MBE is the first British gymnast to win Olympic medals in 3 separate games, winning silver in London and Rio, and bronze in Beijing. He was awarded an MBE for services to gymnastics in 2013.

Sheffield

Arthur Warton migrated to the UK from Ghana. He became the first Black professional footballer in 1894, when he played for Sheffield United as a goalkeeper.

York

Heather Melville OBE is the Chancellor of the University of York, and was appointed this role due to her work supporting “a real culture of fairness, equality and justice”.

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