Celebrating Diversity in Westminster

Introduction

A warm welcome to Celebrating Diversity in Westminster website.

Here you will find acknowledgment and recognition of the social, economic, cultural and historical contributions and achievements of BME people in the City and across the UK through the centuries.

BME people have lived in Britain since at least the 1st century AD with a continual presence since 1555. By the 1760s the number of Black people in London was estimated at 20,000 or, in other terms, around 3% of London's total population. There is a vast array of documentary and illustrative evidence available in the City of Westminster Archives Centre about these people and their place in the life of the city that has been at the centre of British life since the time of Edward the Confessor in the 11th century.

The BME community has formed an integral part of Westminster's social and historical fabric resulting in the vibrant and multicultural community we live in today.

Why not find out more by visiting our events page or you can look in our ever popular publication Black History in Westminster - a booklet providing a glimpse into the lives of some of Westminster's most gifted black residents through history. The booklet is linked to the Green Plaques Scheme, and there is a fold out map so you can see where in the city these residents lived. You can also obtain copies from your local library or one-stop shop.

For more information, you can visit 100 Great Black Britons website or visit the national Black History Month Website.