The assortment of pictures below is from the student magazine, Hullfire. They demonstrate that scholars of African descent joined an array of sports teams in the 1970s and 1980s, although in many cases at regional and national level Black sportsmen and women were often overlooked. Watch out for more to come on this subject towards the end of the year.

On 21 October 1904, the Gamecock Fleet, which consisted of approximately fifty trawlers, was attacked by the Russian Baltic Fleet in the North Sea off Dogger Bank. Despite signals to call off the attack, the Russians bombarded the trawlers for ten minutes, sinking one ship and damaging five others. As Russia was at war with Japan, it is believed that the British ships were mistaken for enemy vessels.

This black and white transparency image entitled ‘Russian Outrage on Hull Trawlers’ is part of Hull Museums Collections. It shows people gathered at St Andrews Dock after the Gamecock Fleet had returned. Among the crowd there is a Black gentleman dressed in dark clothing. His presence demonstrates the inclusion of men of African descent in the region’s maritime sphere during the early twentieth century. It is possible that one of his friends or relatives were on board the Gamecock Fleet or he was simply on the dock to show his support or hear the latest news.
Thanks to Alec Gill and Nicholas Evans for bringing this image to our attention.

To learn more about Black seamen in Hull click here

 These black and white photographs of Sudanese officials were taken in Filey between 3 October and 12 November 1960. The African visitors had travelled to East Yorkshire to complete a course on local governance and stayed in the region for approximately six weeks.

Unfortunately, we know very little about these men or their activities in East Yorkshire. If you have any information about this group, please click HERE to contact us.

With thanks to the Crimlisk Fisher Archive for supplying us with these images. 

Click image to enlarge

​This photograph was taken at the wedding of Dorothy Murphy and Reverend Ernest Sawyer; a missionary from the Gold Coast. The couple were married at Thornton Hall, Hull, on 8 October 1936. Their best man was Casely Manasseh Obuobisa Mate, who was a student at London University. Unfortunately, we do not know how long he remained in the region or if he came back to visit. This wonderful image was published in the Hull Daily Mail the day after the ceremony. 
Can you know anything more about the photograph? Please click here to contact us

This black and white image was published in the Hull Daily Mail’s 'Flashback' series on 24 April 2017. It shows Theo Brown-Dawson and Victor Jones from Sierra Leone placing African coins at the William Wilberforce Monument in May 1982.

If you have any further information about these men please click HERE to contact us.

In 1993 sculptor Samuel Samei Marco from Freetown, Sierra Leone carved this fantastic statue from English oak in Hull. It depicts an emancipated African slave making a pilgrimage to visit William Wilberforce. The wood carving was given to Wilberforce House as a gift from Marco and remains on display today.
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Images below taken from the Hull Daily Mail flashback series and Wilberforce House. Click on each image to enlarge.

This black and white photograph was taken in February 1937 as members of Lew Leslie’s Blackbird Theatre group laid a wreath at the William Wilberforce Monument in the centre of Hull.

The African American troupe had completed successful performances in the West End of London before they travelled to Hull and dazzled locals in the Palace Theatre. Among the group were Tim Moore and composer J. Rosamond Johnson (click HERE to listen to the well-known song ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing') which he composed and wrote with his brother James Weldon Johnson as well as other talented singers, comedians and dancers.

If you know more about this photograph or would like to submit an image for display on our website, please do not hesitate to contact us HERE. You can view other project images in our Picture Gallery HERE.

*Thanks to Vanessa Salter and Hull Museums for supplying us with this image.