what % of people in the UK are black and when did black men and women first arrive here?

Question

being an ignorant racist from the south west (just joking) I'd like to know more about ethnic britain. Tbh the first black person I saw in my town nearest to me was about 5 years ago, i swear ten years ago there were ONLY white people, now half the town is owned by indians, we have about three chinese owned chinese restaurants and theres a turk run kebab shop too(yay).

Is census data freely available?

mmm curlycute it matters not what you think, I wasn't searching for an opinion in any way, sorry if I didn't make that CLEAR. Implications of racism are also not welcome. Both of which do not answer my question which was posed, this is a question and answer site after all. Perhaps you should wake up to the fact that the UK is by far a predominantly white country and always has been and will possibly stay that way, maybe not who knows, but in any case this question is not unreasonable as shown by the majority of moderate answers.

Answer 1

Ignore Lost N DC, she's an idiot who for some reason thought you were insulting the increasing ethnicity in your area.

As for myself, i can sympathise with your situation. I was raised in Lincolnshire, which is very rural and a conservation stronghold. Over the centuries there has been little to draw immigrants there until the recent wave of polish farm workers. However, now i work a lot in Nottingham, which is a very ethically diverse city, and I must admit i felt very embarassed that it took me a small while to get used to seeing no many people of ethnic origin.

Anyway, onto your question, others have given you the stats, so ill move right onto the second question...
The first black people recorded to move to Britain were, i think, shortly after the Romans occupied the Island. The Romans had African territories and soldiers and others recruited from one part of the Empire saw service all over the Roman lands, including in Britain. However, such few settled in britain that after several generations their descendants had become white.

It was only until the slave trading took place that sizable amounts of black people came to Britain, sadly for all the wrong reasons.

Answer 2

for your reference

Answer 3

I can't tell you how many are here but then others have answered that but black people have been with us much longer than the 18thC. The Roman army recruted from Africa, and retired soldiers were given land in areas they patrolled. That includes Britian, they settled here and intermarried.

If you've ever watched Time Team an archaeology programme there was a discovery of a wealthy tomb in the South West of England. They found the body within it to be an Egyptian male wearing much finery. (I'm unsure what century it was something like 4th -5th C) In his coffin at his feet was a European woman in rough clothing. The conculsion was that she was his slave. There was also a native British female gladiator found in London who was a worshipper of Isis an Egyptian Goddess about 4th C. Which shows there was cross cultural influences very early on.

There were traders from the middle east in the Bronze Age, There was the occasional Black Knight in the Mediaeval times and Jewish people then. Black sailors jumped ship at every port in the UK, throughout our history. Slaves were bought and sold and some were freed long before it became illegal to own a person. Freed slaves rescued from US slavers also joined us then.

In Cardiff the Somali community is over 112 years old. The first curry house was set up by Indians in Dublin in Ireland in the 18thC. Soldiers often married into Indian families around about the same time and brought their wives and children home with them.

We had black miners during the coal rush and one black family and at least one Chinese family in each south Welsh town or village, all of whom married into the local population. Mr Nash from the West Indies who came to my home town in the 50's, as a missionary and had a business of coal delivery married into a Welsh family became the first black Magistrate in Caerphilly Glamorgan in the early 70's.

I just thought it might interest people to know this.

Answer 4

My father 1st came to Britain from Jamaica in 1947,after the war. He was in the RAF. He returned in 1954 to find a much more hostile Britain. but you will find that all ethnic races have been in Britain since the 17th and 18th century. The person who said about the slave ships was right.

and it IS still possible to find parts of the UK where black or any other ethnic groups are a rarity.I went to Cornwall with my kids in the summer and there were times when we felt we were in a time warp,especially the children. It was obvious that people hadn't seen 1 black person before,let alone 4!!

Answer 5

When I here these claims from white people that live in these small towns and never seen people of color before and how it either amazes you or makes you ill, it makes me so thankful that I was born and raised in the North! I lived in Virginia for a year in a half and Texas for almost 7. I was so glad to return back to my home state and I will never go South again except to visit relatives. It's just so reserved and I feel people are somewhat out of touch with life! I mean no disrespect! I mean this is a huge globe and people have to live somewhere. But to call yourself an ignorant racist like it's something to be proud of is very sad. Even if you were joking. It's not funny! It's not funny at all! And I hope during your lifetime that you get to see some other part of the world besides the one you live in because it opens up ones mind to other cultures and life! And as far as you question is concerned.......I just really don't care what % of people in the UK are black or when they first arrive there! We're everywhere! Please get use to it!

Answer 6

The Social implications have been greater on the U. S. area than ours. i replaced into going to point you investigate the Beeb website . The Radio programme I ignored replaced right into a Black GI that have been accused of homicide. The individuals wanted him courtroom Martialled and had him in charge. The community Police insisted he replaced into tried as time-honored in an area courtroom with a Jury. the way you may discover it i don't be attentive to different than it is going to likely be a Radio 4 programme, in spite of if it remains available.

Answer 7

black people have been here since the 1800's. English slave traders brought blacks to these shores as slaves.

Unlike America, slaves were owned solely by the wealthy in england. It is a well known fact that the monarchy owned many black slaves. After the abolition of slavery black people in this country were set free.

Then in the 1950's black people began to arrive here in large numbers. Britain invited black people from the west indies (caribbeaan) to help rebuild britain's economy after the second world war. They came primarily from the islands of jamaica, grenada, trinidad, and st lucia.

And then from the late 1970's onwards, black people from former british colonies in africa began migrating to britain. They came mainly from Nigeria, ghana, and uganda. A final wave of blacks from somalia began arriving in the early 1990's due to the civil war that was going on in somalia.

Overall, black people make up around 1 1/2% (one and a half percent) of the british population. This figure is far smaller than in the U.S.A where black people make up around 22% of the population.

the greatest concentration of black people in england can be found in the cities of london, nottingham, birmingham, and manchester.

Answer 8

yea, its the same here, but the whole population is almost completely white, there are a few chinese and indian restaurants, but if you walk down the street, youd find it hard to notice many. the UK average is about 92% white, where i live it is 99% (according to wikipedia). blacks and asians arrived in mass immigration for the first time in the 50/60/70's and one politician at the time said that we should sent them back or there willl be riots in the streets, and he wasnt wrong in London, thank god its still alrite here though, and there for you. lolz

Answer 9

Are you sure you are just joking about being an ignorant racist from the southwest? Because your question certainly proves as much.

Where do you live? In South Hell? or Inbred Junction?

Get over it. People of all ethnic backgrounds are coming your way. And by the way, blacks have been in Britain since they intercepted slave ships on their way to the US. You don't have to go to Yahoo Answers and ask a Brit, just put down the Pabst Blue Ribbon and open a book.

Answer 10

to add to what hannah says, and she is quite rihgt, the first major wave of modern immigrants canme in the 50s from the west indies.
Just to note, they were hold up in an old forces barracks and projections of 50% of them finding work within 2 years were made.
They were all working and had moved into their own homes in 6 months.
Biggest immigrant country of origin? Ireland
Biggest Non-EU country of origin? Australia.