Black Welsh people

Welsh people of black African/Afro-Caribbean descent

Dame Shirley Bassey, singer

Black Welsh people are inhabitants of Wales who have an African or an Afro-Caribbean background and are black. Wales is home to one of the United Kingdom's oldest black communities, and Tiger Bay in Cardiff has housed a large Somali population since the development of the port in the 19th century. The 2011 census reported that there were more than 18,000 Welsh-African people in Wales (0.6% of the Welsh population).[1]

The first recorded black person to live in North Wales, of whom historians have detailed knowledge, was John Ystumllyn (died 1786), a Gwynedd gardener whose origins are unrecorded.[2]

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical PopulationYear| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1991| 9,492| —
2001| 7,069| −25.5%
2011| 18,276| +158.5%
2021| 27,554| +50.8%
Source: Office for National Statistics
Black Welsh people by census data  Ethnic group  | 2021[3] | 2011[4] | 2001[5] | 1991[6]

|
|
|
|

Number  | % | Number  | % | Number  | % | Number  | %
Black Welsh people | 27,554 | 0.89% | 18,276 | 0.60% | 7,069 | 0.24% | 9,492 | 0.33%
—Black African  | 19,907  | 0.64%  | 11,887  | 0.39%  | 3,727  | 0.13%  | 2,671  | 0.09%
—Black Caribbean | 3,700  | 0.12%  | 3,809  | 0.12%  | 2,597  | 0.09%  | 3,348  | 0.12%
—Other Black  | 3,947  | 0.13%  | 2,580  | 0.08%  | 745  | 0.03%  | 3,473  | 0.12%
Wales | 3,107,494  | 100%  | 3,063,456  | 100%  | 2,903,085  | 100%  | 2,835,073  | 100%

## Notable black Welsh people

[edit]

### Sports

[edit]

#### Association football

[edit]

* Ethan Ampadu[7]
* George Berry
* Nathan Blake[8]
* Ben Cabango
* Robert Earnshaw[9]
* Danny Gabbidon[10]
* Ryan Giggs[11]
* Adam Henley
* Brennan Johnson
* Joel Lynch
* Rabbi Matondo
* Eddie Parris[12]
* Jazz Richards
* Tyler Roberts
* Hal Robson-Kanu
* Sanchez Watt
* Sorba Thomas
* Ashley Williams[13]

#### Athletics

[edit]

* Jamie Baulch, sprint athlete[14]
* Colin Jackson[15]
* Christian Malcolm, track and field athlete[16]
* Nigel Walker, former Welsh track and field athlete and Wales international rugby union player[17]

#### Rugby League

[edit]

* Billy Boston, represented Great Britain[18]
* Regan Grace
* Clive Sullivan, the first black athlete to captain Great Britain in any sport[19]

#### Rugby Union

[edit]

* Aled Brew
* Nathan Brew
* Leon Brown
* Mark Brown, became the first known player of black origin to represent Wales in 1983.[20]
* Colin Charvis, the first black captain of the Wales national rugby union team[21][22]
* Rio Dyer
* Jason Forster
* Ashton Hewitt, Hewitt has also become known for speaking out against racial abuse.[23][24]
* Martyn Madden
* Mackenzie Martin
* Richard Parks, former Wales international rugby union player turned extreme endurance athlete and television presenter[25]
* Anthony Sullivan
* Ben Thomas
* Gavin Thomas
* Christ Tshiunza, became the first black & African born player to represent Wales in November 2021.[26]
* Eli Walker
* Nigel Walker[17]
* Glen Webbe, often stated to be the first black player to play for Wales, Webbe was the first black player to represent Wales at a World Cup, and is considered by many to be Wales' "first black icon".[27][28]

#### Boxing

[edit]

* Steve Robinson[29]

### Music

[edit]

* Dame Shirley Bassey, singer[30]
* Jason Camilleri (Dregz),[31][32] rapper and former BBC presenter[33]
* Kizzy Crawford, singer-songwriter and producer[34]
* Eädyth, producer and singer-songwriter[35]
* Patti Flynn, jazz singer and founder and patron of Black History Wales[36]
* Benji Webbe, musician, frontman of the alternative metal band Skindred[37]
* Aluna Francis, musician, former member of electronic music duo AlunaGeorge
* Iris Williams, musician and member of the Gorsedd of Bards.

### Film and television

[edit]

* Josie d'Arby, TV presenter[38]
* Rakie Ayola, actress[39]
* Rungano Nyoni, film director and screenwriter[40]
* Suzanne Packer, actress[41]
* Jessica Sula, actress[42]
* Tayce, RuPaul's Drag Race UK series 2 contestant[43]
* Darragh Mortell, actor[44]
* Gabin Kongolo, actor

### Others

[edit]

A video of Vaughan Gething representing the First Minister in a COVID-19 press conference in January 2021

* Selena Caemawr, autism activist, entrepreneur and poet[45]
* Betty Campbell, headteacher[46]
* Abdulrahim Abby Farah, diplomat[47][48]
* Vaughan Gething, former First Minister of Wales[49] in the Welsh Government, first black leader of a European nation[50]
* Uzo Iwobi, equalities practitioner and former Commissioner for the Commission for Racial Equality[51]
* Louise Watkins Kelton, United States Marshal[52][53]

## See also

[edit]

* Black British people
* Black Scottish people
* Black people in Ireland

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Office for National Statistics: Wales 2011". Retrieved 8 February 2021.
2. ^ Green, Andrew (10 October 2019). "Ystumllyn, John (d. 1786), gardener". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.112797. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
3. ^ "Ethnic group - England and Wales regions". Office for National Statistics. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
4. ^ "QS201EW: Ethnic Group". Nomis: Official Census and Labour Market Statistics. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
5. ^ "KS006: Ethnic group". Nomis: Official Census and Labour Market Statistics. Retrieved 30 June 2003.
6. ^ "1991 census - local base statistics". Nomis: Official Census and Labour Market Statistics. Retrieved 14 June 2023. Tables L01 to L18: Demographic and economic characteristics > L06 Ethnic group
7. ^ Abbandonato, Paul (10 August 2016). "The 15-year-old wonderkid England want to poach has just become big news". Wales Online.
8. ^ "Nathan Blake, sportsman with a Welsh connection!". www.famouswelsh.com. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
9. ^ "Profiles: Robert Earnshaw". Cardiff City F.C. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012.
10. ^ "D. Gabbidon: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
11. ^ "Giggs 'proud' of mixed race heritage". BBC Sport.
12. ^ Article in Chepstow Free Press Archived 3 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
13. ^ "Ashley Williams". Premier League. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017.
14. ^ Welsh athletes Baulch and Thomas finally hold the gold. BBC Sport (11 May 2010). Retrieved on 2010-06-04.
15. ^ Who Do You Think You Are – Colin Jackson. BBC Sport. Retrieved on 18 June 2009.
16. ^ Williams, Clive (January 2017). "Christian Malcolm". Welsh Athletics. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
17. ^ a b "Nigel Walker at EIS".
18. ^ "Birth details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
19. ^ "Clive Sullivan remembered during Black History Month". BBC News. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
20. ^ Thomas, Simon (14 August 2021). "Meeting Mark Brown, the first black man to play rugby for Wales". WalesOnline. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
21. ^ "Colin Charvis puts 'Grannygate' scandal to bed as DNA reveals he IS Welsh". Wales online. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
22. ^ Hitt, Carolyn (19 April 2014). "Have Colin Charvis achievements as a pioneer for black rugby players in Wales been properly recognised?". Wales Online. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
23. ^ Media, P. A. (2020-12-29). "Argentina's Pablo Matera ordered to undergo anti-discrimination training". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
24. ^ "Ashton Hewitt: 'People think rugby doesn't have society's problems'". the Guardian. 2021-02-19. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
25. ^ "Injury forces Parks to quit rugby". BBC News. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
26. ^ Baldock, Andrew (13 October 2021). "Exeter forward Christ Tshiunza called up by Wales for Autumn Nations Series". The Independent. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
27. ^ Jeremiah, Rhodri (16 October 2011). "Glenn Webbe: Welsh Rugby's Black Icon". SkySports. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
28. ^ "Dealing with racism and the one major incident of my career: Wales' first black rugby icon Glenn Webbe tells all". Wa. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
29. ^ "Steve Robinson – World Featherweight Champion". www.johnnyowen.com. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
30. ^ Artist Biography by John Bush (1937-01-08). "Shirley Bassey | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
31. ^ admin (2018-07-17). "Meet Flameholder, aka Ruffstylz, aka Dan Lloyd – hip hop pioneer, emcee, activist". We Are Cardiff. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
32. ^ "WELSH HOMES: Oasis is music lover's dream; DJ Dregz's home reflects his individuality. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
33. ^ "BBC Wales - Radio Wales - Mixing It". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
34. ^ Mark Smith (24 January 2013). "Young singer Kizzy Crawford, from Merthyr Tydfil, wins Arts Connect Original Singer-Songwriter prize". Wales Online.
35. ^ "BBC Wales - Horizons - EÄDYTH". BBC. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
36. ^ "EMWWAA Awards 2019". Ethnic Minority Welsh Women Achievement Association (EMWWAA). Retrieved 2020-12-03.
37. ^ Rawlins, Kirsten (4 August 2017). "Music saved me: Benji Webbe of Skindred talks ahead of Bloodstock appearance". Shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
38. ^ "City star's 'overwhelming honour'". South Wales Argus. 14 September 2007. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
39. ^ "BBC - Press Office - Sea of Souls Rakie Ayola". BBC Online. BBC. Retrieved 5 September 2007.
40. ^ "About Rungano Nyoni". Retrieved 8 March 2018. "born in Lusaka, Zambia and grew up in Wales, UK."
41. ^ Abbie Wightwick (28 September 2018). "Brilliant, Black and Welsh: A celebration of 100 African Caribbean and African Welsh people". Wales Online. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
42. ^ March, Polly (29 January 2011). "Swansea actress beats 8,000 to Skins role". BBC News. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
43. ^ "Who is Tayce? Meet the RuPaul's Drag Race UK star who wants to "give 'em the razzle dazzle"". 6 January 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
44. ^ Mansfield, Ruth (30 January 2011). "Actor set to become part of TV history". southwaleargus.co.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
45. ^ "The Wales LGBTQ+ Timeline Collection: Caerdydd / Cardiff Edition" (PDF). LGBTQ Cymru. p. 23. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
46. ^ Marsden, Harriet (25 October 2017). "Betty Campbell: Wales's first black headteacher took civil rights history into classrooms". The Independent. London. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
47. ^ "Abdulrahim Abby Farah: Tributes to Wales-born Somali diplomat". BBC News. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
48. ^ Hayes, Simon (14 June 2018). "Abdulrahim Abby Farah obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
49. ^ "Vaughan Gething MS: Minister for Economy".
50. ^ Owen, Paul (3 August 2009). "Black Welshman aims to take the fight to the BNP". The Guardian. Manchester: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
51. ^ "Uzo Iwobi OBE". www.100welshwomen.wales. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
52. ^ "Cardiff roots of new US marshal". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
53. ^ "President Obama Nominates Two to Serve as US Marshals". whitehouse.gov. 2012-02-02. Retrieved 2023-09-17.

## External links

[edit]

* "Black History Month: The People That Shaped Our Nation". Cardiff City Foundation.

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