Why is this work relevant for Glass: The Award for Change
British history is often viewed through a colonial lens and Black achievement is not well represented by the education syllabus. Most people would be hard-pressed to name a person of African or Caribbean background in Britain before WWII. That only 1.6% of those honoured by Britain’s oldest commemorative plaque scheme are of African or Caribbean descent, is one of the problems. The Black Plaque Project seeks to address the imbalance by championing 30 of Britain’s forgotten Black heroes and hastening English Heritage to address historic exclusion and become more inclusive going forwards.
Background
London’s famous blue plaques has served as a permanent tribute to Britain’s notable men and women since 1866. Yet only a handful of those honoured are of African or Caribbean descent. Ignored or discriminated against by the establishment during their lifetime, many historically significant individuals continue to be excluded posthumously. Their names and the important contributions they made to society are at risk of being erased from history forever. The Black Plaque Project seeks to preserve this precious history and keep these stories alive so they can inspire future generations of Britons.
Describe the cultural / social / political climate in your region and the significance of your campaign within this context
In 2020 with the Black Lives Matter movement at a global tipping point, there were mass demonstrations in London and all over Britain against institutional racism. The focus of people’s anger became the divisive historical figures from Britain’s colonial past who have been immortalised with bronze statues. These statues became emblematic of the issue of systemic racism in Britain, and many were vandalised or pulled down from their pedestals. But the issue is just as much about those who have not been recognised with memorials as those who have. We saw a tactical opportunity to highlight the deficit of diversity in Britain’s oldest and most respected commemorative schemes, London’s famous blue plaques. We partnered with the Nubian Jak Community Trust, an influential voice amongst London’s Afro Caribbean community, not just to call it out, but to help change it and make it more inclusive going forwards. By subverting the ubiquitous blue plaques with a simple colour change, we could engage with millions of people who move around the city every day
Describe the creative idea
We utilised a 150-year-old commemorative plaque scheme to tackle a 150-year-old problem of institutional racism. By installing our message on buildings throughout the city we raised the issue up for all to see and to experience. The conspicuous Black plaques disrupted the blue plaques that have become part of the everyday fabric of central London. The plaques placed the names and achievements of important Black historical figures alongside their white contemporaries where rightfully deserve to be. In doing so, we reminded people of their stories and their amazing contributions. For many people, particularly the younger generation, they had never even heard of most of these people or been aware of their stories.
Describe the strategy
In collaboration with The Nubian Jak Community Trust and a panel of experts from the Afro Caribbean community, we identified 30 individuals who merit posthumous recognition for their outstanding contributions to British society. Some had been overlooked by English Heritage for years, others had never even been considered.
Describe the execution
We worked with local district councils, building owners and tenants to negotiate the temporary installation of 30 Black plaques. The project was launched with an immersive and informative mobile platform that geo-mapped the locations and told the full stories behind each Black plaque. Effectively the city became an outdoor installation of curated forgotten and lost stories of Black Britons. Buildings that have remained anonymous for years became platforms to tell the stories of their long-forgotten occupants. An ecosystem of film content, billboards, print and social media were all used to activate public support and interaction.
Describe the results / impact
he initiative won the full support of the Mayor of London’s office which is hugely influential in bringing about social and policy change in the city. It was also covered extensively by Britain’s main commercial broadcaster - ITV, which serialised the unveiling of the first four plaques on the early evening news every Friday for a month. Thanks to overwhelming public support, English Heritage has responded positively and turned Winnifred Atwell’s temporary Black plaque into a permanent blue plaque. For this to have happened after just three months has exceeded our expectations and given The Black Plaque Project a platform and momentum on which to build. Excluded from the British education syllabus, most people would have been hard-pressed to name a person of African or Caribbean background in Britain before WWII. We have now successfully reintroduced at least 30 forgotten Black heroes to a new generation of Britons.
Please tell us how the work was designed / adapted for a single country / region / market.
In collaboration with The Nubian Jak Community Trust and a panel of experts from the Afro Caribbean community, we identified 30 individuals who merit posthumous recognition for their outstanding contributions to British society. Some had been overlooked by English Heritage for years, others had never even been considered.
In 2020 with the Black Lives Matter movement at a global tipping point, there were mass demonstrations in London and all over Britain against institutional racism. The focus of people’s anger became the divisive historical figures from Britain’s colonial past who have been immortalised with bronze statues. These statues became emblematic of the issue of systemic racism in Britain, and many were vandalised or pulled down from their pedestals. But the issue is just as much about those who have not been recognised with memorials as those who have. We saw a tactical opportunity to highlight the deficit of diversity in Britain’s oldest and most respected commemorative schemes, London’s famous blue plaques. We partnered with the Nubian Jak Community Trust, an influential voice amongst London’s Afro Caribbean community, not just to call it out, but to help change it and make it more inclusive going forwards. By subverting the ubiquitous blue plaques with a simple colour change, we could engage with millions of people who move around the city every day
London’s famous blue plaques has served as a permanent tribute to Britain’s notable men and women since 1866. Yet only a handful of those honoured are of African or Caribbean descent. Ignored or discriminated against by the establishment during their lifetime, many historically significant individuals continue to be excluded posthumously. Their names and the important contributions they made to society are at risk of being erased from history forever. The Black Plaque Project seeks to preserve this precious history and keep these stories alive so they can inspire future generations of Britons.
he initiative won the full support of the Mayor of London’s office which is hugely influential in bringing about social and policy change in the city. It was also covered extensively by Britain’s main commercial broadcaster - ITV, which serialised the unveiling of the first four plaques on the early evening news every Friday for a month. Thanks to overwhelming public support, English Heritage has responded positively and turned Winnifred Atwell’s temporary Black plaque into a permanent blue plaque. For this to have happened after just three months has exceeded our expectations and given The Black Plaque Project a platform and momentum on which to build. Excluded from the British education syllabus, most people would have been hard-pressed to name a person of African or Caribbean background in Britain before WWII. We have now successfully reintroduced at least 30 forgotten Black heroes to a new generation of Britons.
We worked with local district councils, building owners and tenants to negotiate the temporary installation of 30 Black plaques. The project was launched with an immersive and informative mobile platform that geo-mapped the locations and told the full stories behind each Black plaque. Effectively the city became an outdoor installation of curated forgotten and lost stories of Black Britons. Buildings that have remained anonymous for years became platforms to tell the stories of their long-forgotten occupants. An ecosystem of film content, billboards, print and social media were all used to activate public support and interaction.
British history is often viewed through a colonial lens and Black achievement is not well represented by the education syllabus. Most people would be hard-pressed to name a person of African or Caribbean background in Britain before WWII. That only 1.6% of those honoured by Britain’s oldest commemorative plaque scheme are of African or Caribbean descent, is one of the problems. The Black Plaque Project seeks to address the imbalance by championing 30 of Britain’s forgotten Black heroes and hastening English Heritage to address historic exclusion and become more inclusive going forwards.
We utilised a 150-year-old commemorative plaque scheme to tackle a 150-year-old problem of institutional racism. By installing our message on buildings throughout the city we raised the issue up for all to see and to experience. The conspicuous Black plaques disrupted the blue plaques that have become part of the everyday fabric of central London. The plaques placed the names and achievements of important Black historical figures alongside their white contemporaries where rightfully deserve to be. In doing so, we reminded people of their stories and their amazing contributions. For many people, particularly the younger generation, they had never even heard of most of these people or been aware of their stories.