10-25-18
200 Years On, U.K. Hunts for Grave of Man Called World’s 1st Black Sports Star
Breaking Newstags: archaeology, sports, britain, UK, Bill Richmond
Born a slave on Staten Island in 1763, Bill Richmond left America in 1777, never to return, and spent most of his life in Britain. But it was not until he was 40 years old that he began bare-knuckle boxing — a brutal sport that brought him fame, prestige and an invitation to the coronation of King George IV.
Yet even in his adopted country, where he has been called the world’s first black sporting superstar — or stereotype, some would say — Mr. Richmond’s remarkable life story is largely forgotten.
Now, almost two centuries after his death, in 1829, he is back in the limelight as a search begins in earnest for Mr. Richmond’s remains.
As part of a rail upgrade, one of London’s main stations is being redeveloped, prompting the excavation of a burial ground containing the remains of an estimated 45,000 Londoners, including Mr. Richmond.
comments powered by Disqus
News
- These Portraits Revolutionized the Way Queer Women Were Seen in the 1970s
- “Decades in the Making”: How Mainstream Conservatives & Right-Wing Money Fueled the Capitol Attack
- What the FBI Had on Grandpa
- Franco: Melilla Enclave Removes Last Statue of Fascist Dictator on Spanish Soil
- Lawrence Ferlinghetti Obituary
- For Many, an Afro isn’t Just a Hairstyle
- With Free Medical Clinics and Patient Advocacy, the Black Panthers Created a Legacy in Community Health That Still Exists Amid COVID-19
- With a Touch of Wisdom: Human Rights, Memory, and Forgetting
- New Exhibit Reckons With Glendale's Racist Past as ‘Sundown Town'
- The Broken System: What Comes After Meritocracy?