BBC WORLD NEWS Latin America

David Olusoga

Chris Granlund

James Van Der Pool

Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History: First Encounters

Documentaries

Factual: History

Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History - First Encounters

06/10/2018 GMT

First Encounters

Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History

BBC World News - Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History, First Encounters

This landmark series challenges preconceptions about British history.

Historian David Olusoga explores the relationship between Britain and people whose origins lie in Africa. David uncovers a history that is as surprising as it is revealing.  

Historian David Olusoga explores the enduring relationship between Britain and people whose origins lie in Africa. From the African Romans who guarded Hadrian's Wall in the 3rd century AD to the black trumpeter of the Tudor courts, David uncovers a history that is as surprising as it is revealing.

BBC World News

BBC  World News

This landmark series presents a new history of Britain with black people written back into its pages and challenging preconceptions about British history.

This landmark series presents a new history of Britain with black people written back into its pages. Spanning from Roman times to the present, this documentary challenges our preconceptions about British history.
 
The history of black people in Britain is frequently reduced to the story of recent black settlement. But that is not where this extraordinary cross-continental relationship begins. Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History retells the story of black people in the UK and reclaims voices that have been silent for too long. This revelatory documentary delves through national archives and personal documents and travels to the United States, Jamaica, South Africa, Ghana and Sierra Leone. Forgotten art vaults are unlocked, official records are scoured and historic artefacts are revealed in a stark new light. Twenty Black History plaques, commemorating key historic moments, are unveiled to the public. 
Award-winning historian David Olusoga reaches back into Roman times, when the first black Africans were recorded in Britain. He meets the enslaved young African who was brought to Britain under the protection of Queen Victoria, explores the terrible legacy of slavery and explains how the world wars helped integrate black people into British life. 
African people have been a crucial part of British history for 2,000 years. Find out where their story really begins.

BBC WORLD NEWS Europe

BBC WORLD NEWS Asia Pacific

BBC WORLD NEWS South Asia

BBC WORLD NEWS Middle East

The BBC's international 24-hour news and information channel, as seen by viewers in Africa.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History

First Encounters

Contributors

Genres

Formats

Series

BBC WORLD NEWS Latin America

About BBC World News