THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
On January 24, 2024, the UK's first blue heritage plaque honouring Martin Luther King was unveiled in London by representatives of Nubian Jak Community Trust (NJCT), Camden Council and Bloomsbury Baptist Church. Attendees also enjoyed performances by Impact Dance and music from Vocal Shack.
It is the first commemorative plaque honouring Martin Luther King in the UK. It's also the first to be unveiled in 2024, and is believed to be the first to be installed on a place of worship in the UK.
These plaques have been awarded for around 160 years, and have to fit strict criteria – you can't just put one up. They are about the buildings in which people lived and worked as well as the subjects being commemorated, to celebrate the relationship between people and place, so they are only put up if there is a surviving building closely associated with the person in question. Dr King gave a sermon at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church during a visit to the UK in 1961.
The NJCT is the only commemorative plaque and sculpture scheme focused on memorialising the historic contributions of Black and minority ethnic people in Britain.
In England, a blue plaque scheme is run by English Heritage, It relies on nominations from the public, so if you think someone deserves a plaque, contact English Heritage to find out if your nominee fits the criteria for acceptance.
