About

We extend to you a very warm welcome for visiting this website. I want to take the opportunity to thank you for taking the time to visit us. Please take a moment to read this introduction, as you will discover the purpose and reason behind its origins.

Firstly, we would like to stress that this website was not started for any financial gain whatsoever and secondly, is the fact that this website was not started with any racial bias to promote animosity toward any race, colour or creed of people. This website is not pro-black neither should it be used in connection with any racist activities.

The aim of the website is to aid education. It should be used as a reference tool, to assist in gaining a stronger knowledge of history, and to enlighten and build one’s confidence.

I am a black man born in England. I am most proud of my British history throughout the ages. I think it is important to know the history of the country of your birth however, when I set forth on my journey, I found it a real challenge to find out about black people who have achieved great things, yes, I heard of Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. all these folks were from USA, I somehow could not feel a real connection with them.

When I was at school we only saw black slaves in history books or negative images of black peoples. We at Black Hero would like to try and address this and expose to our youth that we as black people have a wonderful rich history to be proud of. We have to study our history and to fix our gaze on positive role models of black people that have achieved great things and are achieving great things. For an example I was taught about the great Florence Nightingale but I was totally unaware of the role played by Mary Seacole, a independent thinking black woman and a nurse who also went to the Crimea War to support and care for fallen soldiers who was known by the Soldiers she cared for as ‘Mother Seacole’. I became very impressed with the knowledge. and she like myself was of Jamaican heritage. Now you can see many charitable venues and groups named for her. If I had read about her in the same history books I would have felt more empowered. Why was I never taught about her? Why was I never taught about any black hero? Now in 2014 we can have a “black history day” normally October 31st that is over shadowed by Halloween that shares the same day.

Young black people in the UK statistically are underachieving in schools up and down the country. Why is this? Well, there are many reasons for this. We feel that if we try to address a couple of the fundamentals then we would have provided a useful service. Our young people do not have many role models to fix their gaze up on. Achieving a high standing in Corporate Britain is much harder for people of colour and there was a time when the glass ceiling was even harder to break though, but even with these facts we as a people can make choices, we can empower our youth, so that they know if one company will not give them the advancement they deserve then find one that will, start your own business. take every slight and make it an advantage with knowledge of self one is empowered.

It seems that as a culture we have many footballers, boxers, athletes, a handful of politicians and a few Lords and Baroness’ in the House of Lords and that is about it. Clearly, this is not enough to motivate our young people’s minds. We are here to try to educate our young people. There are many heroes in the UK that have done fantastically well and with the creation of this website; we would encourage you to take a look at these people, nominate someone who is inspiring to you, individuals; every day folks who certainly would not consider themselves as a hero. If we can motivate one young black man from committing a senseless crime, one young black girl from ending up with an unplanned pregnancy or one underachieving student from dropping out, then we will have accomplished something. By the way having a child is a wonderful thing.

We aim to show you the black corporate directors in the UK, We aim to show you the successful black businessmen and women, We aim to show you the Caring Community Leaders and the innovative black people who inspire so that our young can see people worth emulating – they do exist don’t they.

Many who were born in this country only see our history from reading about slaves in the history books. We want to knock down this system, slavery as a historic tool as no positive role models (not to take anything away from the great freedom fighters of slavery) so our youth are struggling. On TV there are documentaries telling us about ‘baby fathers’ and have an actual drama series entitled “Baby Fathers” or “Younger’s” are these motivational? . In a famous advertising campaign, a young black girl breaks wind loudly in a lift and admits, “Yes it was me!” Is this a positive image? There are not many positive images in the UK films or drama industries generally when we see black actors , they are the proverbial robber or mugger. When they are portrayed as police officers or people with power, they are usually seen to be bucking the trend or the system or just making trouble. It is mostly negative.

We can see that there are many absent fathers around in the black community; some are even proud of this. We must try as a community to turn this trend around. lyrics to songs that our youth are listening to and singing some about mindless casual emotionless sex or and the bling ting, be it cars or whatever material possession. We have allowed our youth to become fickle minded and alienated looking to American R&B /Rap stars as their role models. If this mindset is not changed, our future will be a bleak one. Our youth are the future, negative or anti-role models is a cancer, which is spreading. We would add that we are not killjoys and love our music, but the images and lyrics of some music, couples with disadvantage, low self esteem and poor economics are making our young, desolate, isolated and angry, we need to help them to help themselves to a better future. Enough is enough! Please join with us to tell our youth some good news for a change.

The aim of this website is to highlight the heroes in the UK that are working toward changing the tide of this frustrating merry-go-round. This website will be trying to gain funds from the lottery, The Prince’s trust fund & corporate businesses to support the youth in our neighborhoods, where there is no support and very little being done to support the young who will otherwise become statistics. We would dearly love our history, our real history to be included in the curriculum around the country to bring empowerment to our youngsters.

Where are we heading? We will tell you some amazing facts about being black. We have a very rich heritage and also why you should feel a sense of pride when one tries to do anything. There must first be effort, self-belief and commitment. Be it school, college, work or life. Why? Well the answer is very simple; ‘education has always and will always be the key’, irrespective of one’s race, education is vital. It doesn’t have to be boring it can be an eye opener and fun finding out about ordinary folk like you and me.

This website we know will never be a fix-all, but as the name describes black hero, we need to focus on positive images and positive people. Real folks that are seeking to make a difference in their communities and succeeding in doing so. We would welcome feedback from any individual who has found the facts and people portrayed here to be an inspiration, or if you want to know more or you know a ‘black hero’ in your neighbourhood or even if you have an idea of something to include. We invite you to send us a blog. Your feedback is very important to us.

We invite you to enjoy the quizzes and various references. Go to the links to find out about gatherings and internet clubs that are being organised in schools and colleges near you, not to mention, meetings that will be planned to discuss and hopefully aid in turning this situation around. This website will always be evolving as more more heroes are uncovered.

We do hope that you find our forums interesting and this website a great source of reference.

A famous person once said:

If your mind can conceive it your body can achieve it

Thank you for your interest, have fun and enlarge your boundaries

Peace to you,

Executive Editor
Dave