Why do we celebrate Black History Month? To promote knowledge of black history To know our roots To promote equality To show us role models In the United Kingdom we have celebrated Black History Month every October since There are some excellent events organised each year and in 2011 there will be something like 4,700 Black History Month events across the UK.

In the past people thought that black people were different. Mary Seacole Bessie Coleman

Who is it? In the 1936 Olympics he won 4 gold medals in the 100m, 200m, the long jump and the relay. Hitler did not want to salute him He was not invited to the White House to shake hands with the president and when he attended an awards ceremony in a hotel he had to go up in the service elevator and was not allowed to use the front door. He campaigned to improve the situation for black people around the world

James Cleveland Owen- Jesse Owen

Who is it? He was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was active in the movement for civil rights and racial equality. He participated in the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott and many other peaceful demonstrations that protested the unfair treatment of African- Americans. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee

Martin Luther King Jr

Who is it? She was born in a very poor home in America. She had a very tough childhood but managed to get a job at her local radio station, then became a day-time TV presenter. Eventually she launched her own show. She was the world’s only Black billionaire. She has also given more money to charity than any other Black person in the history of America.

Oprah Winfrey

Who is it? He was born and raised in Birmingham, England, in He has written poems, stories and plays. Talking Turkeys, J is for Jamaica.

Benjamin Zephaniah

Who is it? His father is from Kenya and his mother is from Kansas. He was born in Hawaii on August 4, He became President on November 4, 2008

Barack Hussein Obama 44th President of the United States

Who is it? When he was 9 months old, his dad sawed off a golf club to make it very short so he could strike the ball into the net. When he was 18 months old he began going to the golf course with Dad. In the year 2000, when he was 24 years old, he won four major golf tournaments: the U.S. Open, and U.S. Amateur and the British Open and British Amateur The first African-American/Asian-American

(Eldrick) Tiger Woods

Who is it? She is a famous actress. She was the voice Cappy in the film Robots She was the first African-American to win the Best Actress award at the Oscars.

Halle Berry

Who is it? He’s black He’s British He’s a sportsman He is the first black person in his sport He is the first black person to win the big trophy in his sport

Lewis Hamilton

Who is your inspiration? We know of lots of talented black and asian people.