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Leaders of the old school: (clockwise from opposite left) Lenny Henry, Lord Bill Morris, Paul Boateng, Verna Wilkins, Jazzy B,
Darcus Howe, Moira Stuart, Linton Kwesi Johnson, the cast of Desmond’s, Paul Gilroy, Trevor McDonald, Linda Bellos
Bousquet and Marc Wadsworth. Until then it appeared that party Television Society, slated the industry for being too white and
chiefs feared that white voters would never back black candidates. middle-class. In music there have been several trailblazing acts,
Indeed, they were probably shocked to discover that black but probably none more so than Jazzie B’s Soul II Soul collective,
representatives could competently carry out their parliamentary whose landmark 1989 album, the double-Grammy-winning Club
duties. It took nearly 20 more years, though, before the Tories Classics Vol 1, fi rmly put black British music on the global map and
welcomed their fi rst black MP, Adam Afriyie. The Lib Dems are yet sold millions.
to do so. Today there are black journalists presenting and reporting TV
news. Though their numbers are still relatively low, they were
he fi eld of arts and entertainment has also had its unheard of in 1973 when Trevor McDonald joined ITN and became
T
pioneers. In February 2009 the BBC screened its fi rst ever British TV’s fi rst black reporter. Eight years later, Moira Stuart
all-black episode of EastEnders. Back in 1978 it broadcast became the BBC’s fi rst black news presenter. The year 1982 saw
the fi rst black soap opera, Empire Road, starring Norman the launch of The Voice newspaper, the fi rst to be targeted at
Beaton, Corinne Skinner-Carter and Oscar James. British-born black people, it gave an early career break to many
In order to inspire the next generation of African-Caribbean journalists, including Rageh Omar, Martin Bashir and Dotun
actors, in 1985 Yvonne Brewster, Mona Hammond, Carmen Munroe Adebayo. Also in publishing, Verna Wilkins set up Tamarind Books
and Inigo Espejel set up the Talawa Theatre Company. Its mission in 1987 in order to provide positive images for minority-ethnic
statement still proudly declares: “We give voice to the Black children; 20 years later the company is still going strong.
British experience and we nurture, develop and support talent. There are many other tales of individuals pushing their way into
We cultivate Black audiences and audiences for Black work.” Many a world previously excluded to them, and demonstrating the fact
of today’s actors have indeed been boosted by their association that black people can achieve at all levels of society. And in the
with this theatre. In 1989 Munroe herself went on to star alongside next two decades, no doubt, there will be even more. A black law
Beaton in the long-running, primetime Channel 4 comedy lord? A director-general of the “hideously white” BBC? A national
Desmond’s, which was set in a black barber’s salon. newspaper editor? A prime minister, even? All is possible and he
And how can you talk about comedy without name-checking or she will probably look back at the names in today’s Powerlist
Lenny Henry, whose characters Theophilus P. Wildebeeste and DJ and fi nd someone who inspired them in their own rise to the top.
Delbert Wilkins, among others, kept BBC TV audiences in stitches
throughout the 1980s? Last year Henry, in a lecture to the Royal Joseph Harker writes for the Guardian
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