LONDON’S FIRST BLACK POLICE OFFICER: DETECTIVE SERGEANT ROBERTS QPM

was back as a bigger, better, more inclusive community. There was such an overwhelming release of joyful emotion there was not a dry eye in the theatre.

You are the first Black performer to play Christine Daaé. Do you think the move towards diversity over the past few years in the industry has made a difference especially for you as a person of African heritage? Representation is so, so important, not just in the Arts but in life itself. As the West End is the beating heart of Musical Theatre, it is crucial that we can, and are, leading the way of change.

We live in a world full of beautiful and wonderful ethnicities and we should visually see that in all walks of life, celebrate it in its full glory in order to show current and future generations of diverse performers that the possibilities are endless.

To be a woman of colour leading a show of this magnitude, portraying a woman who is strong, beautiful, graceful, and desired is an image that I wish my younger self could have seen more of on stage. It is a life changing moment that is so much bigger than me.

I have been blessed with an opportunity that I pray inspires hope, positivity, inspiration, What advice would you give Black performers starting out? The advice that I would give to Black performers starting out is to never give up. Never ever give up!

If you want to be somewhere or do something you most definitely can, even if you don’t see a place there for you, that doesn’t mean that you can’t be there and make it happen.

I will be right there with you breaking down these barriers and walls for future generations to come, so that hopefully their journey through this industry is never just tied to the colour of their skin but to what they bring to the industry, to shows and characters using their own individuality and talents.

Together we can create a more equal, beautiful diverse and inclusive industry.

LONDON’S FIRST BLACK POLICE OFFICER: Detective Sergeant Norwell Roberts QPM

Norwell was nine years old when he and his widowed mother came to England from Anguilla in the Caribbean in the 1950s. Part of the Windrush generation, they settled in Camden, north London. Norwell’s grandfather and three uncles had all served in their local police forces in the West Indies, but it wasn’t until Norwell saw a poster calling for more police officers in London, that he decided to apply.

In 1967, 21-year-old Norwell Roberts became the first black officer to join the Metropolitan Police Force since the Second World War. Asked if he felt he was a pioneer, Norwell says his focus was simply on getting the job done.

“They made it tough but no one said life was going to be an easy ride. Unfortunately, my detractors would be disappointed as the more they kicked against me the more determined I was to succeed. I was made of sterner stuff, and if I am honest, on reflection I surprised myself.”

As the only black officer in the Met, Norwell received a great deal of publicity, but was still subjected to racism and prejudice both inside and outside of work. He recalls ‘the worse I was treated, the stronger it made me.’ Norwell believed that Britain needed a police force that was representative of the country’s multi-racial society. Not wanting to disappoint those who supported him, Norwell rose through the ranks and in the 1980s joined CID, becoming Britain’s first black undercover officer.

In 1996, Norwell was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service, of which he says ‘I felt extremely proud and that everything I had been through had been worth it.’ In 1997, after 30 years of service, Norwell retired.

SECOND WORLD WAR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE ARTHUR WINT OD MBE (1920-1992)

Born in Jamaica at 17 Arthur was named Jamaica’s “Boy Athlete of the Year”, and in 1938 was to win an 800m gold medal at the Pan American Games in Panama.

With the outbreak of the Second World the RAF started recruiting from what were then British colonies and Arthur joined up with his brothers, Lloyd and Douglas, in 1942. Upon completion of his training Arthur was awarded his RAF “wings” in 1944 and served as a a Spitfire pilot. Despite the war Arthur had continued as an amateur athlete and after the war he won a 440 yards race at the White City Stadium competing on behalf of the RAF.

In 1947 Arthur left the RAF, to attend St Bartholomew’s Hospital as a medical student through a Colonial Development and Welfare scholarship.

In 1948 Arthur took part in the Olympic Games in London, where he would win Jamaica’s first Olympic gold medal for the 400 metres, running it in a then world equalling record of 46.2 seconds. He was also to win a silver medal in the 800 metres.

In Helsinki in 1952 Arthur would be part the historic Jamaican team setting a then world record time of 3 minutes 3.9 seconds while winning gold in the 4x400 metres relay, as well as again winning silver in the 800 metres. Arthur would run his final race in 1953 at Wembley Stadium, the same year he graduated as a Doctor at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital.

In 1954 Arthur was awarded an MBE by the Queen, before moving back to Jamaica in 1955, where he was to work as the only doctor and surgeon in Hanover Parish for many years.

In 1973 he was awarded the Jamaican Order of Distinction for his service to charities, schools and business and a year later returned to Britain to serve as Jamaica’s High Commissioner in London – while also ambassador to Denmark and Sweden – for a period of four years.

In 1978 he returned to Jamaica to work as the Senior Medical Officer and Surgeon at Linstead Hospital, where he remained until 1985. In 1982 Arthur became a founding member of the Sports Medicine Association and received the Careeras Foundation’s Certificate of Merit for his work in Sports Medicine. Arthur died at Linstead in 1992, leaving a wife and three daughters.

His name remains on a road in Kingston, Jamaica, that links the two passions of his later life, running as it does pass a hospital on its way to the country’s National Stadium. “Fugitive Pedagogy advances the history of black education into new territory.”

—Vanessa Siddle Walker, author of The Lost Education of Horace Tate

“Jarvis Givens’s Fugitive Pedagogy is a brilliant, fascinating, and groundbreaking text.”

—Imani Perry, author of May We Forever Stand

“This book is a tremendous offering.”

—LA Review of Books

PASCAL ZGAMBOSARGEANT

BA(Hons) FInstLM MCMI RPTAG

Zgambo joined the Royal Air Force in October 2007 and passed out of Recruit Training Squadron at RAF Halton in January 2008. On successful completion of trade training at the Catering Training Squadron at RAF Halton, he qualified as a Logistic Air and Ground Steward and was subsequently posted to RAF Benson. During his service at RAF Benson, he completed a short VIP tour of Buckingham Palace as a personal steward to the Royal Household’s Chief of Staff.

In April 2010 he attended the Advanced Caterer Course at RAF Halton. In July 2010 he was posted to 3 Mobile Catering Squadron based at RAF Wittering. During this time, he undertook a tour of BFSAI Falklands as the Junior Catering Accountant within the Tri-service Catering and Rations Squadron for a period of five months. In June 2012, he deployed to London in support of Op Olympic for a period of four months.

In October 2015 he was promoted to Cpl and subsequently posted to the Defence School of Logistics at Worthy Down Barracks as a Caterer Instructor, teaching basic students and mentoring advanced students on their promotion course. During this tour, in October 2017 he was awarded the late Sqn Ldr Penny Lowe Caterer of the Year Trophy in recognition of his service and efforts to TG19’s training delivery. On completion of this tour in December 2017, he was posted within the Food Services Training Wing as the TG19 Apprenticeship Centre’s Internal Quality Assurer.

He was promoted to Sgt in December 2019 and he is currently at the Airmen’s Command Squadron as a Defence Trainer on the Junior Management and Leadership Course. He is a staunch supporter of the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA), devoting most of his spare time to RAFA as an Honorary Welfare Officer.

In July 2018, he was awarded a long service medal by HRH the Queen at Buckingham Palace in recognition of his service and devotion to the Confederation of Service Charities. Passionate about championing Diversity and Inclusion across Defence, he currently sits on the MOD’s Race Network as the only Non-Commissioned Officer reporting directly to the Chief of Defence Staff.

What is your job role?

OC Base Support Squadron, RAF Wittering.

What made you want to join the RAF?

Joined in 2003, Was aware of the Gulf War, wanted to be part of the greater good for the world.

What is your biggest achievement?

Receiving his MBE. Also helping to influence change of culture in the RAF, including policy, RAF reactions to BLM movement, RAF Response to Covid-19, making sure people from BAME communities have a voice.

What would you say to other people thinking of joining the RAF?

If this is how you feel I feel you should take the opportunity but don’t sit back and have the what if? moment, you need to try something and see if it works for you.

KYLE ROACHFORDSQUADRON LEADER HYLTON SAC YEWNIECE

What is your job?

Duty Operations Specialist, based at RAF Lossiemouth.

What is your role in the RAF BAME network?

I’m part of the Secretary Team.

Why did you get involved in the RAF BAME network?

Following a number of recent events, the struggles which people of ethnic backgrounds face is really at the forefront of society. Things are changing, however, there’s still a lot of progress to be made. I’d like to be a part of the catalyst for this change within the RAF. Black people are often underrepresented professionally in most aspects of society, we can use the network to be seen and heard within the RAF; showing the next generation that there’s a place for them in the military, ultimately creating a more positive experience for BAME personnel.

What would you recommend to watch/listen to learn about BAME issues?

Speaking to the BAME community will definitely give you the best perspective when talking about the issues which we face. There are also some good websites out there, including:

www.dopeblackdads.com www.yoopies.co.uk/c/press-releases/ blacklivesmatter www.bameednetwork.com/courageousconversations-about-race

‘We had to work very hard and get the Air Force going’.

Sam King was the eldest boy of 10 children. He grew up in Jamaica where his family ran a banana plantation. When he was 15, his father became ill so Sam left school to manage the farm. At 16, Sam says he was ‘hiring and firing’ and this early decision-making helped him in his future careers.

In 1944, aged 18, Sam saw an advert calling for volunteers to join the RAF. His family expected him to be a farmer, so when Sam took the test to join the RAF and scored quite highly they were very surprised, but none more so than Sam. His mother said ‘Sam, the Mother Country is at war, go!’

After basic training in Jamaica, Sam boarded the SS Cuba in October 1944, leaving behind the sunshine and arriving in freezing cold Greenock in Scotland. It was here, that Sam saw snow for the first time. ‘I landed at Greenock, and there was three inches of snow. And I was looking at it, and the sergeant said ‘MOVE! You are not dead!’. It stayed on the ground for a month, slightly different from 85 degrees most days’.

Sam had read all about the progress of the war and the impact on Britain, but he said that when he actually saw the bombing of Glasgow with his own eyes, it was ‘frightening’ and he was ‘shocked’. During the war, Sam worked across at least 16 different RAF stations. The Chief Engineer would inspect damaged aircraft and gave engineers like Sam a list of jobs. If Sam or the others made any mistakes, it could cost the crew their lives. The engineers went wherever they were needed, often not knowing what type of aeroplane they would be working on until they arrived.

Sam liked the Dakotas the most, because the engine was like a Ford car engine and easy to work on. He was less fond of the Lancaster bombers. They were so large, repairs always involved climbing big ladders. When the Lancaster was ready to take off, Sam would have to remove the ‘chucks’ or blocks from in front of the wheels which were half his own weight. If an aircraft was beyond repair, the engineers would cannibalise them, to salvage any spare parts they could. The engineers also had to finish putting together aeroplanes delivered straight from the factories. This ranged from overseeing the installation of the radar equipment to aligning the propeller and putting the markings on. After the war finished, Sam wanted to stay in the RAF but was told that this was not an option, that all West Indian personnel were to be demobbed. Sam returned to Jamaica in 1947, but he could not settle. When he saw an advert in 1948 for the HMS Windrush he returned to Britain and re-joined the RAF for another four years.

Leaving the RAF in 1952, Sam went on to join the Postal Service where he worked for over thirty years. Starting out as a postman, he worked his way up to Postal Executive for the South Eastern District. In 1983, Sam became the first black Mayor of the London borough of Southwark and the only black London mayor at that time. In 1996 he founded the Windrush Foundation and in 1998, on the 50th anniversary of the Windrush, he was awarded an MBE.

Sam King passed away on 17th June 2016.

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