African American Soldiers
This week we have released two fantastic pieces on the African American soldiers stationed in East Yorkshire during World War II. Guest writer Ed Hardiman has demonstrated how racial segregation and the William Wilberforce legacy shaped the experiences of Black GIs in the region, while Audrey Dewjee has written a biographical piece on African American soldier, Denis J. Mouton.

Click here to read about the experiences of African American soldiers in Hull and East Yorkshire during WWII.
To read Denris J. Mouton’s story click here

Don’t forget we have already published a piece on African American soldier Wylie Young by Jane Bielby. Click here to read his story.
 
Picture Blog #6: West African As Missionary’s Best Man
The sixth image in our picture blog series is of Casely Manasseh Obuobisa, who was best man at the wedding of Dorothy Murphy and, missionary from the Gold Coast, Reverend Ernest Sawyer in 1936. View this image here. You can also take a look at more images in our Picture Gallery here.
 
Hatfield Triathlon
On 16 July Mike Greenwood is taking part in the Hatfield Triathlon to raise money for our exhibition which opens at the Hull History Centre on 26 September 2017. If you are feeling generous and would like to make a donation, please click here.

Black Boxers
Prize fighters of African descent have been present in Hull and East Yorkshire from the early twentieth century. They appeared at local fairs, sporting venues and entertainment events in Hull, Bridlington, Withernsea, Beverley, Scarborough and Cottingham. While some Black boxers travelled across the Atlantic to fight in local arenas, others such as Charlie Cooper and Curtis Woodhouse were born in the region.
Read the story of Black Boxers in Hull and East Yorkshire here
 
Picture Blog #5: A visit to the William Wilberforce Monument, 1982
The fifth image in our picture blog series shows Theo Brown-Dawson and Victor Jones from Sierra Leone placing African coins at the William Wilberforce Monument in May 1982. View this image here. 
​You can also take a look at more images in our Picture Gallery here.

Jon Gilbey
Jon is of mixed heritage and was raised by his English mother, Angela Gilbey, with the help of his maternal family in Hull. He grew up never being told much about his father, Tony Lewis, until at the age of 13 years, long kept secrets started to be revealed. Jon’s research into his father’s family has recently shed new light on his African American heritage and has revealed a possible link to slavery.
To read Jon’s fascinating story click here
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Contemporary Voices: Oral history by Gifty Burrows
Gifty talks about her childhood leaving Ghana as a 7-year-old girl with her younger brother without being able to speak English. Her upbringing in Huddersfield and Bury in an exclusively white neighbourhood brought her face to face with insidious racism. She describes how her self-confidence grew out of necessity whilst graduating as a nurse in Leeds. After meeting her husband whilst students at university she mentions the difficulties experienced in embarking on a mixed-marriage and the challenges of staying together whilst raising 3 children in a rural East Yorkshire market town. Her drive to challenge the stereotypes of blackness in all forms of life has brought her to this point where the African Stories project is helping to bring history of people of African descent to a wider audience.  
Listen to Gifty's interview here.

Una Marson
On Tuesday we released a story about Jamaican activist and writer, Una Marson, who travelled to Hull in July 1933 with Dr Harold Moody for the Wilberforce Centenary Celebrations. To read this fantastic piece by our guest contributor, Lauren Eglen click here
 
Carving of an emancipated slave by Samuel Samei Marco, 1993
The fourth set of images in our Picture Blog series show an oak carved statue of an emancipated slave by Samuel Samei Marco. The statue can be viewed today in Wilberforce House.
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Click here to go to our Picture Gallery or read about these fantastic photographs here.

Dr Harold Moody
On Tuesday, we released Doctor Harold Moody’s story. His fight for racial equality in Britain makes him one of the most famous people of African descent to have visited Hull and East Yorkshire in the early twentieth century. He was invited to speak at the William Wilberforce Centenary celebrations in July 1933 and returned during the Second World War to visit churches in the region, as the chairman of the London Missionary Society.

To read Harold Moody’s story click here
 
Cecilia Anim CBE
In 1972 Cecilia Anim relocated to Hull from Ghana to begin her career as a nurse. She studied and worked in the region’s hospitals for several years before moving to London. Her outstanding contribution to the healthcare sector has been acknowledged by several prestigious awards including an MBE.

​To read Cecilia Anim’s story click here
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We would love to further demonstrate the positive impact that professionals of African descent had on the health sector in Hull and East Yorkshire. If you know anybody who trained or worked in the region, please click here to contact us.