Introduction to Black Leaders in Britain - 100 Great Black Britons...If not, good-bye to the prestige of Great Britain." • Some people said that because John was Black he could not

IntroductiontoBlackLeadersinBritainKS2andabove

Part1

1MarshaGarratt

FirstBlackmayorelectedinEngland

• ThefirstBlackpersontobeelectedMayorinEnglandwasAllanGlaisyer Minns.• AllanwasbornintheBahamasin1858• TheBahamasispartoftheCaribbeanfinditonthemap

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AllanGlaisyer MinnsbecomesMayorofThetford• AllanwasadoctorandstudiedmedicineatGuysHospitalinLondon.• AllanwaselectedtobetheMayorofThetfordinNorfolkin1904• Question:HowoldwasAllanwhenhebecamemayor?(Youwillneedtolookastheyearhewasborn!)• CanyoufindThetfordonthemap?IsitinthenorthorthesouthofEngland?

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AllanNoelMinnssonofAllanGlaisyerMinns

• AllanhadasonalsocalledAllan.

• HisfullnamewasAllanNoelMinns

• AllanNoelMinnswasalsoadoctor.• AllanNoelMinnswasoneofthefewBlackofficerstoserveintheBritisharmyduringWorldWar2.

• AllanNoelMinnswasawardedtheMilitarycrossforgallantryin1915

• Question:Whatdoes‘gallantry’mean?

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IntroductiontoBlackLeadersinBritainKS2andabove

Part2

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JohnRichardArcherJohnArcherwasborninLiverpoolin1863

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JohnRichardArcherParents• Johnsfather,RichardArcher,wasfromBarbadosintheCaribbean• Johnsmother,MaryTheresaBurns,wasfromIreland• CanyoufindBarbadosonthemap?Isitabigcountryorasmallcountry?• CanyoufindIrelandonthemap?IsitnearLiverpool?

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JohnRichardArcherEarlylifeandwife• Johnstartedoffasasailorandtravelledtheworld.• HelivedinbothAmericaandCanada.• InCanadaJohnmethiswife,Bertha.• OnreturningtoEnglandfromCanada,JohnandBerthamovedtoBatterseainLondon.• Johnstudiedmedicineforawhileandranaphotographicstudio.• CanyouseeBatterseaonthemap?

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JohnRichardArcherPanAfricanandpolitics

• JohnwasaPanAfricanistmeaningheworkedforunityamongstallpeopleofAfricandescent.

• Questions:Doyouthinkunityisimportanttobringchange?Why?

• JohntookpartinaPanAfricanconferencein1900.

• ThePanAfricanconferencewasheldatWestminster.ItwasorganisedbyHenrySylvesterWilliams.

• HenrywasfromTrinidadintheCaribbean.HeworkedtirelesslyforBlackpeoplearoundtheworld.

• 37delegatesfromallovertheworldattendedtheconference.

• SomeofthesedelegateswerefamousfortheirantiracistworklikeWEBDuboisfromAmerica

• AftertheconferenceJohnbegantogetinvolvedinpolitics.

HenrySylvesterWilliams WEBDubois9

JohnRichardArcherentersBatterseaCouncilin1906

• In1906,JohnwaselectedtoBatterseaBoroughCouncil.

• Johnsuccessfullycampaignedtogetaminimumwageof32shillingsaweekforcouncilworkers.

• 20shillingsequaled£1in1906.

• Johnlosthiscouncilseatin1909butwasreelectedin1912.

• Thephotographshowsashilling.Wenolongeruseshillings.Canyouseethenameofthequeenpicturedontheshilling?

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JohnRichardArcherbecomesMayorofBattersea

• In1913JohnwasnominatedforMayorofBattersea.• Hefacedalotofracism.Onenewspaperwrote:"Ithasalwaysbeenthatthewhitemanruledanditmustalwaysbeso.Ifnot,good-byetotheprestigeofGreatBritain."

• SomepeoplesaidthatbecauseJohnwasBlackhecouldnotbeBritishandhadnorighttobeMayor.

• DespiteexperiencingracismJohnwontheelectionandbecamemayor.

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JohnRichardArcher:Mayorofthepeople• Johncaredaboutpeople.• Hethoughtitwaswrongthatpeoplefacedracismandthatsomepeoplewereverypoor.

• HecampaignedtoendracismandimprovethelivesofpoorpeopleinBattersea.

• Asmayor,Johnandhisfamilyexperiencedracialharassmentbutthatdidnotstophiswork.Johndidnotbelievehewaslessthanbecauseofhisskincolour.

• Hesaid:“DoyouknowthatIhavehadletterssinceIhave

beenMayorcallingmymothersomeofthefoulestnamesthatitispossibleforamothertobecalled...Ihavebeenmadetofeelmypositionmorethananymanwhohaseveroccupiedthischair,notbecauseIamamemberoftheCouncil,butbecauseIamamanofcolour...AmInota

man,thesameasanyother?”12

John’ssupportfortheBlacksoldiersofWorldWar1

• ManyBlacksoldiersfromAfrica,theCaribbeanandEnglandfoughtanddiedinWorldWar1.

• Racismmeantthearmywassegregatedbyskincolour.

• Manyofthesesoldiershavenotreceivedthanksandappreciation.

• Johndidafamousspeechaboutthis

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John’sspeechinsupportofBlacksoldiersandBlackpeople,madeatanAfrican

ProgressUnionmeeting.

“Thepeopleinthiscountryaresadlyignorantwithreferencetothedarkerraces,andourobjectistoshowthemthatwehavegivenuptheideaofbeinghewersofwoodanddrawersofwater,thatweclaimourrightfulplacewithinthisEmpire.Thatifwearegoodenoughtobebroughttofightthewarsofthecountrywearegoodenoughtoreceivethebenefitsofthecountry.Oneoftheobjectsofthisassociationistodemand– notask,itwillbe‘demand’allthetimethatIamyourPresident.Iam

notaskingforanything,Iamoutdemanding.”• Everyoneintheroomcheeredthisspeech.• Howdidyoufeelwhenreadingit?

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JohnRichardArcher’sLegacy

• JohnArcherdiedonThursday14July1932,afewweeksafterhis69thbirthday.

• MPWilliamSanderssaid:JohnArcherwasoneofthelargestheartedmenIhaveeverhadthepleasureofknowing.Thepoorhadnobetterfriend...Hispublicspirithadnobounds...Heleftbehindhimamultitudeoffriendsandnotasingleenemy.Hewasonewhodeservedwellofthecommunity,forhehadserveditwell.

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IntroductiontoBlackLeadersinBritainKS2andabove

Part3

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ThankstothelegacyofAllanandJohn,anumberofBlackmayorshavebeenelected.

Youcandoamazingthingsaswel.Whatworkwouldyouliketodoinfuture?

ErnestEzeajughi,borninNigeria,electedmayorofBrentin2019

MajidMajid,arefugeefromSomalia,electedmayorof

Sheffieldin2018

EileenTaylor,borninJamaica,electedLordmayorofLeedsin

2019

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