A new exhibition at the Museum of Liverpool is celebrating notable Black figures from the city as part of Black History Month. The series of tours, titled Inspirational Black Scousers, highlights key individuals who have made significant contributions to Liverpool's history.
Featured in the exhibition are former world boxing champion John Conteh, the 1970s band The Real Thing, and music promoter Lord Woodbine, who played a pivotal role in shaping The Beatles’ early career.
Chris Kerfoot, the Museum of Liverpool's participation programme manager, described the event as a "wonderful opportunity" to showcase influential Black Liverpudlians. "There are so many inspirational stories here, some familiar and others less known," he said. Kerfoot emphasized the importance of celebrating these figures year-round but said the exhibition brings a special focus during Black History Month.
The exhibition also honours Liverpool sporting legends like heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, and political pioneers like John Archer, who became London’s first Black mayor in 1913. Gee Walker, who founded the Anthony Walker Foundation after the racially motivated murder of her son, is also recognised.
The stories of lesser-known figures like Dick Benson, a respected carter who mentored young workers despite facing discrimination, and James Clarke, a swimmer who saved numerous lives in Liverpool’s canals, are highlighted. Clarke, originally from Guyana, arrived in Liverpool as a 14-year-old stowaway and went on to become the first Black man to have a street named after him in the city.
In music, Derry Wilkie, the lead singer of Derry and the Seniors, Liverpool's first beat group to record an LP, is celebrated alongside The Real Thing, the first all-Black British band to score a UK number-one single.
The tours are scheduled for 11:00 and 13:30 BST on October 10, 16, 17, and 23.