London is a city justly proud of its cultural diversity, yet for too long tourists and Londoners alike have had to rely on guides focusing on its white history and landmarks. Now Black London allows us to see this familiar city anew, gathering together the places that tell the story of its Black inhabitants, stretching back to Tudor times. From Cleopatra’s Needle sitting on the Victoria Embankment, carved in Egypt three and a half thousand years ago, to the Black Lives Matters mural in Woolwich, the city is rich with features that symbolise its Black history. Here are places worth visiting and revisiting. Get your bearings, revise your history, and be inspired by the work of some remarkable individuals who made London a truly global, modern city.

Avril Nanton is a qualified London tour guide and Black history historian. She set up Avril’s Walks and Talks in 2016 and gives lectures and tours on Black history in the London area.  Jody Burton read Caribbean studies and is a librarian and bibliophile with a particular interest in Black history and art.