The new London Underground map honors the people of color who inspired their generation. The initiative was presented by Mayor Sadiq Khan who, in a tweet with the new image of the famous tube, said: “We are putting the history of the black community in London on the map.”
The 272 stations have in fact been renamed with the names of characters of all times. Among these the novelist Andrea Levy and the comedian Felix Dexter; Hot Chocolate singer Errol Brown and footballers Laurie Cunningham and Justin Fashanu.
There are also many women such as Claudia Jones, the political activist who founded the Notting Hill Carnival; William Brown, the first black woman to join the Royal Navy and even Ivory Bangle Lady, the nickname given to the remains of a high-ranking North African woman, found in the York area and dating back to the Roman era of the 4th century.
The new map shows the lines rearranged based on where the respective black icon excels. For example, the brown Bakerloo line represents sports stars – such as Olympic runner Harry Edward – while the artists’ names can be found on the Central red line. The District Green Line honors the pioneers, while the Jubilee Gray Line honors the idols of the LGBTQ + community.
“Across the map you’ll see great Black British people – one of my favourite is John Archer… who was the first Black mayor of #Battersea”@SadiqKhan says it’s vital to mark “the enormous contribution Black people have made, and continue to make, to the success of our city” ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/CQYv1ezGyC
— Greatest Hits Radio London News (@GHRLondonNews) October 12, 2021
According to Mayor Khan, “This retelling celebrates the enormous contribution blacks have made and continue to make to the success of our city. I am determined to create a fairer city where black lives really matter. This starts with education and that’s why this new Black History Tube Map is so important. ”
The idea was implemented by the municipal mobility service Transport for London in collaboration with Black Cultural Archives on the occasion of Black History Month. In fact, in October, every year, we celebrate the impact of black culture in society both in Ireland and in Great Britain.