Black History | The British Newspaper Archive Blog - Part 2

Blog

Hot Off The Press – New Titles This Week

This week at The Archive we have added another 51,790 brand new pages to our collection, with one very special new title joining us this week, which helps us to unlock Black British history and beyond. Meanwhile, we have made extensive updates to six of our existing titles. So read on to discover more about our brand new title of the week, The Keys, our updated titles of the week, and to find out about a very special cricket match which took place in

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Unlocking Black British History – An Introduction to ‘The Keys’ Journal

Quarterly journal The Keys was first published in July 1933, with Jamaican-born Doctor Harold Moody as its editor. ‘The Official Organ of the League of Coloured Peoples,’ it aimed to address ‘the racial misunderstanding’ that was prevalent in society, both in Britain and beyond. Arriving onto the turbulent political scene of the 1930s, with issues of race coming more and more to the fore with the rise of Nazi Germany, The Keys set out to impart an understanding between races,

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Six Pioneering Black British Sporting Heroes and Their Amazing Stories

As we continue to celebrate Black History Month at The Archive, in this special blog we will take a look at six pioneering Black British sporting heroes and their amazing stories. Using pages taken from the British Newspaper Archive, we will take the opportunity to tell the inspiring stories of these Black British sportsmen, whilst attempting to understand the prejudice they faced and overcame in pursuing their different sports. From left to right: J.E. London, Arthur Wharton, Len Johnson and

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Our Special International Titles

At the British Newspaper Archive, we have started to digitize international newspapers from the British Library.  These rich titles explore the story of the British Commonwealth, from the time when the sun didn’t set on the British Empire through to states gaining their independence.   At times, the subject of the newspapers brings us face to face with the stark and sometimes inhuman reality of colonialism and the legacy of the British Empire across the world. Below we will explore some

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Celebrating the History of Black British Musicians – Five Black British Musicians and Their Legacies

October is Black History Month, and to celebrate, here at The Archive we are uncovering the amazing stories of Black British figures from history. In this first of a series of special blogs, we begin by celebrating the work of five Black British musicians, and highlighting their amazing legacies, using newspapers taken from The Archive. Register now and explore The Archive So read on to discover more about child prodigy George Bridgetower who took the courts of Europe by storm

Continue Reading

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Visit by Frederick Douglass to Britain in 1847 – and How He Eventually Managed to Set Sail from Liverpool

To celebrate ‘Black History Month’, here is a fascinating newspaper story from 1847 that reports on a visit that the emancipated slave, writer and statesman, Frederick Douglass, made to Britain in 1847. It looked like Douglass would have problems returning to the USA from Liverpool, until the captain of Cunard Ship, ‘Cambria’, proposed a heart-gladdening solution to a thorny problem… Stirling Observer – Thursday 15 April 1847 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000474/18470415/021/0004 Saturday 02 March

Continue Reading

Tags