On This Day

In this section, we remember significant achievements and moments from Black and Asian history

Hide Beats Bentt To Become WBO Heavyweight Champ.

19 March 1994 -Herbie Hide becomes WBO World Heavyweight Champion by knocking out defending Champion Michael Bentt in the 7th Round in Millwall, London. Bentt was hospitalised and never fought again.


 

More On This Day Entries

Ace Club Opens

18 March 1966 -The Four Aces Club is estimated to have opened by Newton Dunbar (now known as DJ Newton Ace), a migrant to London from Jamaica a decade earlier,. It was named after a then popular cigarette brand - to provide a live music venue catering for people from the West Indies. It at first operated from a run-down basement in Highbury Grove, but as growing crowds were attracted, a larger space was soon required, and The Four Aces relocated to a disused 19th-century theatre (originally built to house Robert Fossett’s Circus in 1886) at 12 Dalston Lane. According to one description, "This multistoreyed, multi-roomed, Victorian-built hulk was labyrinthine -- a reggae centre as if concocted in the mind of Jorge Luis Borges."It was the first club to open in Hackney, and "quickly became a meeting point for newly arrived Afro-Caribbean immigrants experiencing cultural exile".

By the 1970s, West Indians not only from other parts of London but from all around the UK were flocking to the club. As described by The Dalstonist: "The Four Aces was born when black music had not yet been accepted into the mainstream. It provided a home for black artists at a time when there were no black radio stations and few black stars in the UK. Dunbar showcased up-and-coming reggae artists and later hosted legendary sound clashes and sound systems."

Both local musicians and top international artists played and sang there: Desmond Dekker, Jimmy Cliff, Roy Shirley, Alton Ellis, Prince Buster, Jah Shaka, the Upsetters, Ann Peebles, Percy Sledge, Ben E. King, Jimmy Ruffin, the Detroit Emeralds, the Ronettes,Toots and the Maytals, The Ethiopians, Billy Ocean, The Pioneers, Skatalites, Dennis Brown, Big Youth, Madness, Kenny Ken, and many others. Among the influential sound systems were Dennis Bovell, Count Shelly, Fat Man and Sir Coxsone, with DJs vying to play at the Four Aces. In its heyday it was visited by the likes of Chrissie Hynde, Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, Debbie Harry, The Clash, Sex Pistols, The Specials, Joe Strummer, Marc Bolan, and Bob Dylan, when in town.

Despite the building representing "one of the first explicitly cross-cultural social centres in East London", it was demolished in 2007, and a campaign to return the space to community use was unsuccessful.


 
Ace Club Opens

18 March 1966 -The Four Aces Club is estimated to have opened by Newton Dunbar (now known as DJ Newton Ace), a migrant to London from Jamaica a decade earlier,. It was named after a then popular cigarette brand - to provide a live music venue catering for people from the West Indies. It at first operated from a run-down basement in Highbury Grove, but as growing crowds were attracted, a larger space was soon required, and The Four Aces relocated to a disused 19th-century theatre (originally built to house Robert Fossett’s Circus in 1886) at 12 Dalston Lane. According to one description, "This multistoreyed, multi-roomed, Victorian-built hulk was labyrinthine -- a reggae centre as if concocted in the mind of Jorge Luis Borges."It was the first club to open in Hackney, and "quickly became a meeting point for newly arrived Afro-Caribbean immigrants experiencing cultural exile".

By the 1970s, West Indians not only from other parts of London but from all around the UK were flocking to the club. As described by The Dalstonist: "The Four Aces was born when black music had not yet been accepted into the mainstream. It provided a home for black artists at a time when there were no black radio stations and few black stars in the UK. Dunbar showcased up-and-coming reggae artists and later hosted legendary sound clashes and sound systems."

Both local musicians and top international artists played and sang there: Desmond Dekker, Jimmy Cliff, Roy Shirley, Alton Ellis, Prince Buster, Jah Shaka, the Upsetters, Ann Peebles, Percy Sledge, Ben E. King, Jimmy Ruffin, the Detroit Emeralds, the Ronettes,Toots and the Maytals, The Ethiopians, Billy Ocean, The Pioneers, Skatalites, Dennis Brown, Big Youth, Madness, Kenny Ken, and many others. Among the influential sound systems were Dennis Bovell, Count Shelly, Fat Man and Sir Coxsone, with DJs vying to play at the Four Aces. In its heyday it was visited by the likes of Chrissie Hynde, Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, Debbie Harry, The Clash, Sex Pistols, The Specials, Joe Strummer, Marc Bolan, and Bob Dylan, when in town.

Despite the building representing "one of the first explicitly cross-cultural social centres in East London", it was demolished in 2007, and a campaign to return the space to community use was unsuccessful.


 
Death of Sir Walcott

17 March 2017 - Death of Sir Derek Alton Walcott, KCSL, OBE, OCC at the age of 87. He was regarded as one of the greatest poets ever to have come from the Carribean and was a multi award winning poet. See Hall of Fame for full biography.


 
Peters in Historic Rugby Cap

17 March 1906 - James "Darkie", Peters wins  his début  Rugby Union cap  for England against Scotland. However, The Yorkshire Post pointed out, "his selection is by no means popular on racial grounds". On his performance The Sportsman commented that the "dusky Plymouth man did many good things, especially in passing." He was to play a further game, against France, in which he scored a try. See Hall of Fame for Biography.


 
Peters in Historic Rugby Cap

17 March 1906 - James "Darkie", Peters wins  his début  Rugby Union cap  for England against Scotland. However, The Yorkshire Post pointed out, "his selection is by no means popular on racial grounds". On his performance The Sportsman commented that the "dusky Plymouth man did many good things, especially in passing." He was to play a further game, against France, in which he scored a try. See Hall of Fame for Biography.


 
Brixton Black Lebsian Group Launched

16 March 1982 - The Brixton Black Lesbian Group is established. It is the first of its kind in the UK


 
Bruno Loses Crown To Tyson

16 March 1996 Frank Bruno meets Mike Tyson again , billed as "The Championship: Part I", with this time Frank Bruno as the first time defending  WBC Heavyweight Champion at the  MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada.

Mike Tyson was the aggressor for the entire fight. In round 1, Tyson continuously attacked Bruno with right overhand punches, forcing Bruno to grapple with Tyson several times in the round in order to weather the storm. In the final 30 seconds of the round, the two men would go toe-to-toe with Tyson connecting with a power right hand that staggered Bruno. Bruno would regain his composure and exchange punches with Tyson until the bell sounded. During their first round exchange, Bruno would receive a cut over his left eye. Tyson would continue to attack Bruno in round 2, with Bruno again grappling with Tyson at a frequent basis in an effort to slow Tyson down. Less than a minute into the third round, Tyson dodged a Bruno jab and proceeded to unleash a 13-punch combination that caused referee Mills Lane to stop the fight and award Tyson the victory via technical knockout.

  •  


 
Smiley Culture Dies After Police Search Of Home

15 March 2011 -" Smiley Culture" dies, reportedly from a self-inflicted stab wound, while the police were searching his house in Hillbury Road,Surrey. His death came an hour and a half after officers arrived with a search warrant relating to the import of Class A drugs into the UK.A post-mortem examination revealed that he had died from a single stab wound to the heart. -See Hall of Fame  Section for full biography.


 
Smiley Culture Dies After Police Search Of Home

15 March 2011 -" Smiley Culture" dies, reportedly from a self-inflicted stab wound, while the police were searching his house in Hillbury Road,Surrey. His death came an hour and a half after officers arrived with a search warrant relating to the import of Class A drugs into the UK.A post-mortem examination revealed that he had died from a single stab wound to the heart. -See Hall of Fame  Section for full biography.


 
Lewis Draws A Result

13 March 1999 - Americas' Evander Holyfield vs. Britains' Lennox Lewis, billed as "Undisputed", was a professional boxing match for the WBA  IBF(Holyfield and  the WBC/Lineal Heavyweight Championships(Lewis). The result was a draw or tie, specifically a split draw, which proved controversial  and only the fourth ever draw in Heavweight Boxing  History.


 
Queen Leads Celebration of UK-India Year of Culture

13 March 2017 - Academics from Cardiff  University’s School of History, Archaeology and Religion and the Welsh School of Architecture  attend the official launch of the UK-India Year of Culture.

Celebrating the best of British and Indian culture, guests from the worlds of sport, fashion, show-business, the arts and academia joined HM The Queen, Prince Phillip and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the launch. A celebration of the long-standing relationship between the UK and India, the UK-India Year of Culture saw cultural events, exhibitions and activities take place in both countries throughout 2017.

 

With thanks to Cardiff University for the above information.


 
Britain's First Black Newspaper Launched

12 March 1958 -From above a Barbers shop at 250 Brixton Road,exiled communist and now UK based Claudia Jones, launches Britain’s first black newspaper 'The West Indian Gazette


 
Britain's First Black Newspaper Launched

12 March 1958 -From above a Barbers shop at 250 Brixton Road,exiled communist and now UK based Claudia Jones, launches Britain’s first black newspaper 'The West Indian Gazette


 
Blue Plaque For Kwame Nkrumah

11 March 2005 - Blue Plaque For Kwame Nkrumah is unveiled by English Heritage.

Kwame Nkrumah was a prominent leader of the independence movement in the British colony Gold Coast and, later, served as the first Prime Minister of the subsequently independent country of Ghana. He lived in London from 1945 to 1947, where he co-organised the fifth Pan-African Congress in Manchester. During his time in London, he became a spokesperson for several groups that were criticizing the British Empire, such as the West African Students Union or the International African Service Bureau, where he worked closely with Kenyatta.

His Blue Plaque is at 60 Burghley Road in Kentish Town, where he lived from 1945 to 1947.

With thanks to  English Heritage for the above information.


 
9th UK Asian Music Awards Held

10 March 2011 -The UK Asian Music Awards  event was held  at The Roundhouse, London and was sponsored by Lebara Mobile. The award winners were

Lifetime Achievement Award: Apache Indian

Commitment to Scene: Cornershop

Best Video: Jay Sean ft. Nicki Minaj – "2012 (It Ain't the End)"

Best Radio Show: Bobby Friction – BBC Asian Network

Best Urban Act: Mumzy Stranger

Best Desi Act: Jaz Dhami

Bestselling British Single: Punjabi By Nature ft. The Dhol Foundation - "Kaun Nee Jaandah"

Best International Album: DJ Sanj – American Desi

Best International Act: Miss Pooja

Best Music Producer: Sukshinder Shinda - Jadoo

Best Newcomer: Jernade Miah

Best Club DJ: DJ Kayper

Best Alternative Act: Rumer

Best Male Act: Jay Sean

Best Female Act: Preeya Kalidas

Best Album: Punjabi By Nature – CCutrowd Pleaser


 
Daily Mirror Launches Walter Tull Campaign

9 March 2013 -  the Daily Mirrror features the campaign of  Phil Vasili and Northampton South MP Brian Binley, first launced in December 2006, for Walter Tull(left in picture)  to be posthumously awarded the Military Cross. 95 Years after he was killed in action.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/campaign-honour-black-tottenham-hotspur-1753039

 


 
Death of Joey Benjamin

8 March 2021-Former England fast bowler Joey Benjamin dies at the age of 60 following a heart attack.

Benjamin was born in St Kitts but made his name in English cricket, signing for Warwickshire after a spell in the minor counties before enjoying a career-best stint at Surrey between 1992 and 1999. See Hall of Fame for Biography


 
Ouseley Report Recommends People's Programme

7 March 2005 -The Ouseley Report released recommended a "people's programme" to bring harmony to the city of Bradford -scene of fierce race rioting in July 2001. The government subsequently commissioned the Cantle report which made 67 recommendations. 


 
Death of Winifred Atwell

28 February 1983 - Death of Winifred Atwell (27 February or 27 April 1910 or 1914 – 28 February 1983) . She was a Trinidadian pianist who enjoyed great popularity in Britain and Australia from the 1950s with a series of boogie-woogie and ragtime hits, selling over 20 million records.

See Timeline for Biography


 
McCammon Wins Landmark Tribunal Case

27 February 2012 -  Professional Football launches landmark tribunal case, believed to be the first race discrimination claim brought by a professional footballer.Mark McCammon, 33, claims that he and other black players at Gillingham FC were treated differently to white players. comes amid widespread concern over racism in football.McCammon, an international forward who has represented his homeland Barbados, signed a three-year contract with League Two club Gillingham in 2008. But after three seasons in which he played just 52 league games – mainly due to injuries – and scored five goals, he was released.

Mark McCammon was awarded £68,000 in August 2012 over his dismissal by the club in 2011. He claimed he was refused treatment and docked wages.

The club lodged an appeal against the ruling it sacked the striker in an act of racial victimisation, saying the case did not look at the main issues.

At an Appeal Hearing in September 2013  a judge upheld the original tribunal's decision.


 
Blue Plaque For Welch

27 February 2012- The singer Elisabeth Welch is commemorated with an English Heritage Blue Plaque in south-west London. .it was unveiled in Ovington Court, Kensington, which was her home during the 1930s when she rose to fame on the cabaret circuit. Whilst American born, Welch was based in Britain for 70 years and was known as Britain's first Black Star. See Hall of Fame for Biography. 


 
Malachi's tooth fairy money helps house Ilford's homeless

26 February 2020 - A £5m homeless centre opens in east London and it all began with a £5 donation from a boy.

Ten-year-old Malachi donated his tooth fairy money to the Salvation Army which was topped up by Redbridge Council and the Salvation Army to create Malachi Place.

The building has 42 flats to help homeless people get a home in Ilford and is now housing its first tenants.

With thanks to The BBC for the above information. 


 
Sade Wins Grammy

25 February 1986 - Sade is presented with the Grammys Award for the 1985 Best Newcomer Artist. Sade's debut album, Diamond Life, was released in 1984, reaching No. 2 in the UK Album Chart, selling over 1.2 million copies in the UK, and won the Brit Award for Best British Album in 1985. The album was also a hit internationally, reaching No. 1 in several countries and the top ten in the US where it has sold in excess of 4 million copies. In late 1985, Sade released their second album, Promise, which peaked at No. 1 in both the UK and the US. It was certified double platinum in the UK, and quadruple platinum in the US


 
Gabrielle's First Two Time

24 February 1997 - Having won Best Newcomer in 1994 at the Brit Awards, Gabrielle becomes the first two time winner of a BRIT for he Best Female Solo Artist Award