Black British Lives Matter
'A book all should read, particularly white people.' Irish Times
'Essential . . . Written with clarity and passion.' Jeffrey Boakye, Guardian
BLACK BRITISH LIVES MATTER is a clarion call for equality, from nineteen of the most prominent Black figures in Britain today.
Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder introduce an essential collection of essays arguing how and why we need to fight for Black lives to matter - not just for Black people, but for British society as a whole. Writing across a wide range of subjects, and drawing on personal experience, all nineteen writers explore the unique contributions, perspectives and importance of Black Britons to the UK and beyond. It is both a celebration of Black British lives and an urgent, agenda-setting manifesto for change.
Contributors include David Olusoga, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Kit de Waal, Dr Anne-Marie-Imafidon, Sir David Adjaye, Leroy Logan and Professor Kehinde Andrews.
Lenny Henry has been a comedian since the age of 16. He has risen from being a cult star on children's television to one of Britain's best-known and most celebrated comedians, as well as a writer, radio DJ, TV presenter, and award-winning actor. He is best-known for his appearances in TISWAS, Three of a Kind, The Lenny Henry Show, Hope & Glory, Lenny Henry in Pieces and Chef! Since co-founding Comic Relief in 1985, he has also been involved in every Red Nose Day night since 1988. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards as well as the British Academy Television Special Award, and is a fellow of the Royal Television Society. Henry has a PhD in Media Arts, and in 2015 was awarded a knighthood for services to charity and drama. In 2018, BBC One aired The Lenny Henry Birthday Show to celebrate his career so far.