Nominations for New Media Awards 2005

Patrick Vernon

The 100 Great Black Britons Campaign and website was created as a result of the failure of BBC to recognise the contribution of black and minority ethnic people in the 100 Great Britons Programme in 2002. The campaign was launched in October 2003 by Ken Livingstone as part of the GLA's promotion of Black History Month. The campaign main focus was to highlight the historical and contemporary achivements of the African Caribbean community in Britain over the last 1000 years. The campaign and website had a mass impact on public perception and understanding of the history of black presence and beeteer undertanding of race relations. The site also for the first gave a national profile of Black History Month. After 3 months of voting Mary Seacole the Crimean nurse was voted as the Great Black Briton in Febuary 2004.The results were announced live on Channel 4 News and the BBC ran a two minute news story on Mary Seacole life and achivements. The impact of the result also influenced an early day motion of 100 MPs in June 2004 to support a statute of Mary Seacole in central London. In January 2005 the National Portrait Gallery announced that they acquired in their collectionan orginal oil painting of Mary Seacole which would they position between Florence Nightingale and Queen Victoria. The website is seen as the number resource on the Black presence in Britain and anti racism.The site has also inspired other minority ethnic communties to promote and honour their achievers and s/heroes. Patrick Vernon

The 100 Great Black Britons Campaign todate is the biggest online campaign in tackling the misrepresentation and streotypes of the African Caribbean in mainstream media and society at large. Over 10,000 votes were cast along with over 3 million hits on the website for people to vote for their Greatest Black Briton.Also there was extensive media coverage in the national and international press reflects the success and the impact of the campaign(see the media centre on website). Every Generation Media/Foundation as a leading social enterprise in the black cultural and creative industries views its work as group advocacy in fluencing and challenging racist notions which still persist in the media,national curriculum and the growing debate around immigration. The 100 Great Black campaign was one of promoting self esteem of the African Caribbean community contribution to the making of Britain. Also to educate the general public that there has been an established pattern of migration of the African Caribbean communties over a 1000 years which validates a Black British perspective in society. The Campaign has also transcended and made Mary Seacole in to a national hero in Britain which is reflected in her 200th birthday celebrations in 2005.Her birthday events are being by major bodies and institutions in goverment,NHS, Nursing Unions and professional bodies. The campaign has influenced the BBC to make a programme called Black Icons about the history of black achievement. Patrick Vernon

The website is the most comprehensive website of a Black Who's Who In Britain. Patrick Vernon

The website launched a schools competition aimed at Key stage 1-4. Guides lines are given to encourage schools to use the web site asd part of Black History Month and national curriculum on citizenship.The site was reviewed by the Times Educational Supplement and recommended as an important resoource for all schools. 5 schools won our school competition and prizes were given ar special assemblies by all the schools. Patrick Vernon