If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- Did you know that the Black presence in Britain doesn’t start with modern immigration, but actually dates all the way back to the Roman Empire?
- Have you ever wondered how the transatlantic slave trade did more than just build wealth, fundamentally reshaping the very identity of the British nation?
- Are you curious about the forgotten figures of the African diaspora who were instrumental in major turning points of British history?
Listen to Black and British — Free Audiobook
Key Takeaways from Black and British
- Realize why the modern distinction between a 'white' and a 'Black' Britain is historically illusory, and how this deeply intertwined past reframes today's debates on identity.
- Understand Britain's often-overlooked role as the premier transatlantic slave-trading nation between 1618 and 1807, a dark history heavily obscured by the geographic distance of its Caribbean plantations.
- Learn how Black people were pivotal actors in major British historical events, from forming alliances with explorer Francis Drake to fighting alongside Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar.
- Discover archaeological proof that Black people lived in Britain as high-status citizens during the third-century Roman Empire, completely dismantling the myth that Black British history began after 1945.
- Explore the complex social dynamics of Tudor England, an era preceding the transatlantic slave trade where Black Britons like royal trumpeter John Blanke integrated into the highest levels of the royal court.
Learning Tools
Reinforce what you learned from Black and British
Mind Map
Quiz — Test Your Understanding
Black and British — Full Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: Recommendation
Chapter 2: Black people’s place in British history is often overlooked or forgotten.
Chapter 3: Black people have lived in Britain since the distant era of the Roman Empire itself.
Chapter 4: Tudor and Elizabethan England’s attitudes toward Black people were complex and contradictory.
Chapter 5: A burgeoning slave trade brought about the hardening of racist ideologies.
Chapter 6: The Mansfield Judgment of 1772 dealt a critical blow to legal rights of slave owners in Britain.
Chapter 7: Abolitionism was a popular, political movement that ultimately ended the slave trade and slavery.
Chapter 8: Despite abolishing slavery, Britain still remained deeply economically complicit in American slavery.
Chapter 9: The rise of colonialism resulted in widespread British control over African territories and African peoples.
Chapter 10: While Black servicemen played key roles helping Britain during World War I, they nonetheless faced widespread discrimination and frequent abuse.
Chapter 11: In the aftermath of World War II, Black migration to Britain rose sharply despite efforts to curb it.
Black and British Summary & Overview
Black and British (2016) traces Britain’s long and complex relationship with the people of Africa and the Caribbean. Reaching all the way back to Roman Britain, when the first Africans arrived in England, the book reveals that Black people have been at the heart of British history from the very start. A major player in the transatlantic slave trade, Britain further entwined its destiny with that of the Africans it enslaved. Ultimately, David Olusoga illustrates how the story of Black Britain is the story of all of Britain.
Who Should Listen to Black and British?
- History buffs interested in a deeper insight into British history
- Cultural enthusiasts eager to learn more about the African diaspora
- Scholars interested in uncovering marginalized histories and stories
Books Similar to Black and British
Readers who enjoyed this also liked these titles.
Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire
A sharp, funny, furious retelling of U.S. history that recenters Black life as the engine of America—showing how enslavement, resistance, culture, politics, and wealth built the nation, and how the myth of “America” survives by erasing that truth.
On Race, Identity and Belonging
Notes From Black Europe