Black History Month

David Burton-Sampson Excerpts

Thursday 22nd October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Seema Malhotra (Feltham and Heston) (Lab/Co-op)]

It is truly a privilege to speak in this debate during Black History Month—a month that gives us an opportunity to celebrate black history and black achievement, and to reflect honestly on the history that has shaped our country and the work that remains to be done.

Black history is British history. It is the history of people who have contributed to every part of our national life—to our armed forces and our NHS, to our schools and universities, to our communities, to business, culture, politics, science and the arts. It is the story of people who have helped build this country, often in the face of prejudice, racism and discrimination, and whose contributions have not always received the recognition that they deserve. We should remember the generations of black Britons who served this country in times of war and peace. We should remember the Windrush generation and those who have followed—those who came to Britain with hope, determination and a belief in a shared future.

[David Burton-Sampson (Southend West and Leigh) (Lab)]

My hon. Friend reminds me of my grandad, who came here from British Guiana to serve in the second world war, and my great-grandad, who arrived here from Liberia in 1925 and also served this country in the second world war. Today, people of my colour are made by some to feel like we do not belong in this country, but we have built and we have protected this country. Does she agree that people who deploy that rhetoric are wrong and need to start withdrawing from it?

[Seema Malhotra]

My hon. Friend speaks for all of us when he says that it is time to call this out. It is vital that, as a society and as parliamentarians, we say, “No more”—that what we stand for is a country that is united, and that we will refuse to hear the racism that is now seeking to rewrite history, including the contribution of his forefathers.

I pay tribute to the Windrush Commissioner, Rev. Clive Foster, to Professor Uzo and the Elders in Cardiff, to Ros Griffiths and the Friends of Windrush Square, and to so many other leaders from communities across the UK who work tirelessly to continue to right the wrongs of the Windrush scandal. Let me also thank all at the Black Cultural Archives in Windrush Square for their incredible work—their documentation of history and their approach to education and awareness, from enslavement to abolition, and on medicine, race and activism. I also support the campaigns that we have heard about today for greater inclusion of black people’s stories and histories in our culture and, indeed, our schools.

This month, we also celebrate the extraordinary contribution that black Britons continue to make today. Black History Month is about understanding and appreciating how history has shaped the present, but it is also about the choices that we make now about what kind of country we want to leave for the next generation. I congratulate the Minister on her opening speech, and I am grateful that the debate is being held in Government time. She has been rightly recognised for her contribution in this House and in her community. I want to echo her tributes to the inspirational Lorna Jackson and Professor Jason Arday, and to recognise the important contribution that black people from across our community make and the racism that they experience. I want in particular to mention our black footballers, whom we should recognise; they do us proud every single day.

As we mark 39 years since Black History Month began in Britain, we should recognise the role of black women. Too often, their experiences sit at the intersection of racial and gender inequality, and their achievements receive far less recognition than they deserve. We should celebrate the women who have broken barriers in Parliament, in public life, in business, in education, in our NHS and in our communities. Today, I want to talk about “sistory”—women who did not wait for history to happen; our sisters who made it, and who are still making it.

Last year, I had the privilege to meet two remarkable Bristol bus boycott sheroes, Joyce Morris-Wisdom and Dr Barbara Dettering. Joyce was just 14 when she joined the protests in 1963. More than 60 years later, this remarkable grandmother continues to share her story and inspire new generations. Barbara, originally from Guyana, helped organise the movement, co-founded St Pauls carnival and built lasting community institutions. Their contributions belong to a wider tradition of leadership by black women in Bristol. They include women such as Carmen Beckford MBE, Bristol’s first race relations officer, and Peaches Golding OBE, the UK’s first black female lord lieutenant—different generations of women who have challenged discrimination, built institutions and opened opportunities for those who followed.

These are women who helped challenge Bristol’s colour bar in 1963—the year my father came to the United Kingdom—and contributed to the momentum behind Britain’s first Race Relations Act, under a Labour Government, in 1965. The law was strengthened in 1968 and again in 1976, extending protections against discrimination and strengthening enforcement. Sunday 22 November will mark 50 years since the 1976 Act received Royal Assent.

Madam Deputy Speaker, like you I pay tribute to the Mother of the House, who has been mentioned more than once today. Next year marks 40 years since she was elected as Britain’s first female black Member of Parliament. She was elected alongside Bernie Grant, Paul Boateng and Keith Vaz. These were not simply historic breakthroughs —their influence continues to shape Parliament and Britain today.

I was the first female Punjabi Member of Parliament. I also pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Holborn and St Pancras (Sagal Abdi-Wali); we were all honoured to help her get elected to the House. I congratulate her on her own first: she is the first Somali Member of Parliament. I note that she, like so many through history, has faced down those who said that she had no right to even be a Member of Parliament. That campaign was a wake-up call to the racism that begins even before a campaign starts. It is for us to say to everyone, whoever they are and whatever their background, that they too, as someone who is proud to be in Britain, have a place in this House.

--- Later in debate ---

[Terry Jermy]

Absolutely. I will come to some more recent examples that are less positive, but I absolutely share my hon. Friend’s sentiment.

Thetford lays claim to being the third oldest mayoralty in the entire country, and our civic history is truly fascinating, so it is particularly noteworthy that Dr Minns became the first black mayor. It is also worth mentioning that Dr Minns’s sister, Ophelia, was later elected on to the town council—at a time when women could not even vote in parliamentary elections. It shows that the Minns family story is part of our wider history of people who contributed to the life of their community at a time when opportunities to participate in public life were far from equal.

Thetford town council pays tribute to Dr Minns’s legacy by showing school groups around our guildhall and introducing them to his story, and like me, they feel amazed and proud. I pay tribute to local councillors such as Annie Blackbourn, Doug Jefferson and Stuart Wright, as well as the staff at Thetford town council, who are working to ensure that there is a statue of Dr Minns on permanent display in Thetford as we approach the 100th anniversary of his death in 2030. Dr Minns’s story reminds us that black history does not exist separately from the history of our towns and villages but is woven into the very fabric of our communities. He was not simply making history by becoming Britain’s first black mayor; he was serving his neighbours, contributing to civic life and helping to shape the future of our community.

[David Burton-Sampson]

Last night, I joined the 1987 Committee, set up by the fantastic Fatima Kamara and her team. As hon. Members can tell from its name, it recognises the year—that historic year—in which the Mother of the House, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington (Ms Abbott), entered this House. It aims to help young black people get those opportunities to get involved in politics and in political and public life. Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating the 1987 Committee on the wonderful work it is doing with young black people to get them into the type of arena that we are in?

[Terry Jermy]

I recognise my hon. Friend’s own trailblazing experience as a fellow Member from the eastern region. I pay tribute to him, and I absolutely congratulate the organisation he mentioned.

It is really important that these achievements are recognised because, sadly, the story of Dr Minns was forgotten. For a while, it was thought that John Archer, the mayor of Battersea, was Britain’s first black mayor, despite being elected 10 years later. We must talk about and recognise these achievements—although I apologise to my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Marsha De Cordova)! I hope that mentioning Dr Minns’s story today will help to honour his legacy and highlight the work he did for his community. It is a reminder that democratic public participation belongs to everyone in our communities, and that the contributions of those who came before us should inspire all who follow.

It has been a difficult few months for my constituency, particularly for my home town of Thetford, with the violent protests in my community. I absolutely recognise that among those protesting were people with legitimate concerns about immigration—whether that be public safety or the impact on services—but, sadly, many were motivated by racism, and we must call out and denounce that at every opportunity. I similarly condemn those who fan the flames of extremism, particularly those who do so for political gain. Their actions led to black and minority ethnic members of my community feeling unsafe and living in fear—often the fear of being misidentified as an asylum seeker—which resulted in children of mixed heritage, like my 10-year-old niece, being asked at school if she was an asylum seeker.

We can and must do better than this. The Government, and the Home Office in particular, need to do far more in relation to community cohesion, particularly in areas such as mine that are close to a former military base that has been identified as a possible site to house asylum seekers, and for communities currently concerned about the dispersal policy.