Let's Get Quizzical: UK Black History

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This month was Black History Month here in the UK, and we did a series of By The Decade blogs on UK Black History...because Black history is British history. Fact. We looked at the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. But how much do you remember? It’s time to put on your thinking caps and give our quiz a go! Answers at the end…

 

QUESTIONS

 

1. Who was voted BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year in 1984?

a) Lewis Hamilton

b) Nicola Adams

c) Daley Thompson

d) Denise Lewis

 

2. 2002 saw the formation of what influential grime collective?

a) Nasty Crew

b) Roll Deep

c) Ruff Sqwad

d) Roadside Gs

 

3. The Incitement to Racial Hatred Act was introduced in what year?

a) 1991

b) 1982

c) 1994

d) 1986

 

4. What was the total Black population of the country in the 1991 UK census?

a) 1.6%

b) 2.3%

c) 4.1%

d) 6.9%

 

5. Naomi Campbell made history in 1986 by doing what?

a) Walking for Chanel

b) Appearing on the cover of American Vogue

c) Being the face of the Got Milk? campaign

d) Falling on the catwalk

 

6. What was the name of Chris Ofili’s Turner Prize winning painting?

a) Waiting in Vain

b) Is This Love

c) Get Up Stand Up

d) No Woman, No Cry

 

7. In 2001, the Damilola Taylor Trust was formed. What was the name of the campaign honouring his death 20 years later?

a) This Is Hope

b) Hope Forward

c) The Hope Collective

d) Shine A Light On Hope

 

8. How many gold medals were won in the 2012 Olympic Games by Black athletes?

a) Seven

b) Ten

c) Five

d) Three

 

9. Who was the first Black captain of the England football team?

a) Les Ferdinand

b) Ian Wright

c) Paul Ince

d) Stan Collymore

 

10. Stormzy released his debut album in 2017. What was it called?

a) Stormzy

b) Gang Signs & Prayers

c) Heavy Is The Head

d) Album One

 

ANSWERS

1. The answer is c) Daley Thompson!
In 1982, Olympic gold medallist Daley Thompson was voted BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year and was awarded an MBE. Jump to 1984 and he won a gold medal again for the decathlon, becoming the second person in history to do so! 

2. The answer is b) Roll Deep!
2002 saw the formation of one of the most influential grime collectives of all time - Roll Deep - which included the likes of Jammer, Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Skepta and Target. In the same year, Ms. Dynamite won the Mercury Music Prize for her album A Little Deeper, and the following year, in 2003, it was won by Dizzee Rascal for his album Boy in Da Corner. 

3. The answer is d) 1986!
The Incitement to Racial Hatred Act made it an offence to use threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to stir up racial hatred in the street or in a public speech. And an offence to display, publish or distribute written material that is threatening, abusive or insulting with intent to stir up racial hatred. 

4. The answer is a) 1.6%!
The 1991 UK census was the first to include a question on ethnicity and showed that Black Londoners numbered half a million people in a city of seven million, with the total Black population of the country being 890,727...or 1.6%. In the same year, the UK saw the formation of the Association for the Study of African, Caribbean and Asian Culture History in Britain, which aimed to “encourage research and disseminate information on the history of Black and Asian peoples in Britain.”

5. The answer is b) Appearing on the cover of American Vogue!
Supermodel legend Naomi Campbell made history in 1986 with her first cover of American Vogue. And three years later she became the first Black woman to cover the September issue (which was also Anna Wintour’s first issue!) Since then, Naomi has been on the cover of different variations of Vogue 66 times. Woah!

6. The answer is d) No Woman, No Cry!
Chris Ofili made history in the art world in 1998, when he was the first Black artist - and first painter since 1985 - to be awarded the Turner Prize, for his piece No Woman, No Cry. ​​The painting was named after the famous Bob Marley song, and used acrylics, oils, and...elephant dung. Chris was known to use interesting techniques and materials in his paintings, often using resin, glitter or collage. No Woman, No Cry also sparked debate for its reference to Stephen Lawrence. His portrayal of a weeping woman, showed on closer inspection that the tears contain images of Stephen, and beneath the layers of paint the words ‘RIP Stephen Lawrence’ can be read.

7. The answer is c) The Hope Collective!
Damilola’s dad, Richard Taylor OBE, set up the Damilola Taylor Trust as a memorial to his son and a way to bring change to the community. The trust believes every young person should have the opportunity to live their lives free of fear and violence, to dream big and face the future with confidence and optimism. They aim to provide a positive legacy of hope and opportunity for disadvantaged and underprivileged young people. On the twentieth anniversary of Damilola’s death, in 2020, Richard also formed The Hope Collective campaign, which aims to shine a light on the positive contributions of young people, and is dedicated to their stories of ambition and hope.

8. The answer is c) Five!
The new decade started with a sense of celebration as the 2012 Summer Olympic Games were held in London. The country came together in unity cheering on Team GB and hoping for gold. And gold we got! 29 in total. Five of which were won by incredible Black British athletes. In boxing, Anthony Joshua won gold in the Men’s Super Heavyweight category, Mo Farah brought home two golds in Men’s 5,000m and 10,000m, Nicola Adams also got gold in boxing in the Women’s flyweight category, and Jessica Ennis won the Women’s Heptathlon.

9. The answer is c) Paul Ince!
1993 saw new moves for England’s football team, when Paul Ince became the first Black captain. He went on to captain the squad for seven games. 

10. The answer is b) Gang Signs & Prayers!
After a year’s career and social media break, Stormzy was back on everyone’s screens and in everyone’s ears in 2017, when he released his debut album Gang Signs & Prayers - which debuted at Number One!