Black History Month UK featuring Black rulers of Europe and great Afrikan queens

Send us Fan MailBlack History Month in the United Kingdom carries a distinct origin story, built on the need to recognise contributions erased from the national narrative. The roots stretch to Carter G. Woodson’s Negro History Week in 1926, an intervention against a school system that ignored Black achievements. Decades later, activists in London, including Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, adapted the idea for British classrooms, placing it in October to meet students as they returned to school. That timing was strategic: fresh minds, new timetables, and a clear signal that Black history is not an afterthought,  because it shifts the month from a token observance to a learning season that challenges myths about Britain’s past and its place in the wider African diaspora.One recurring myth is that Europe has always been white. Recent genetic and archaeological research tells a different story: white skin tones became common only within the last 7000 years, long after humans had settled across the continent. Cheddar Man, one of the earliest known Britons, is a striking case; DNA evidence links him to ancient populations with African ancestry. This reframes not only British identity but the entire European timeline. When listeners hear that early Britain was peopled by Africans whose features diverged from the later image of “native” whiteness, the conversation shifts from immigration anxieties to deep-time human movement, adaptation, and cultural change. Equally hidden are the stories of Black rulers who governed within Europe’s borders. Septimius Severus, a Roman emperor of North African origin, led campaigns in Britain and is associated with York, a reminder that imperial power was ethnically diverse long before modern multiculturalism. Across Iberia and parts of the Mediterranean, waves of African leadership shaped law, architecture, learning, and trade. The narrative is incomplete without the leadership of African women. From Hatshepsut’s statecraft in Kemet to the strategic grit of Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba, from Yaa Asantewaa’s defence of the Golden Stool to the Kandake rulers of Kush, these figures challenge assumptions about gender and power. . For young listeners, this matters because we learn how Afrikan women set policy, negotiated treaties, led resistance, and shaped spiritual life.Sources:(8) Why Do Historians Never Talk About This? - YouTubeTop 13 Most Powerful Queens in African HistoryPope Francis I and Benedict XVI praying to a Black MadonnaSupport the showDonate/Support the show:    https://www.buzzsprout.com/1793098/supportWe offer a consultation session for those who wish to relocate to Ghana , do business in Ghana , buy land, buying a property or even starting  business in Ghana.  We offer professional support tailored on your needs and wants. We provide valuable information that can assist you in your relocation like the Ghana card how/where to register your business.We can also signpost you to other agencies that can help in your relocation as well as business and investment opportunities.We charge a rate of US$30 for an hour's consultation or US$20 for a 30 minute consultation briefing. To book your consultation please email [email protected] on Youtube - just look for the Ghana/Afrika in Focus podcast on Youtube and click the notification bell so that every time I upload a new podcast it automatically comes to your feed. Tell your family and friends.