We’ve been ‘Seeking the Pioneers’. Here They Are.
Find out more about our incredible pioneers who are part of our anti-racism project, kindly supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery Players.
Browse through the individuals who are celebrated and recognised as part of ‘Seeking The Pioneers’ project today.
Pioneers from the present who have shared their inspiring stories of struggle, challenges and how they overcame them.
"Enoch Powell was giving his speeches about the ‘rivers of blood,’ and this, for me, was just awful!"
"Experiencing relentless childhood bullying, I remember both the cruelty of racist acts and the haunting eyes of the children who inflicted them."
"Do not try and divide us on the basis of our appearance or where we come from."
"What crystallised my anti-racist activism was the act of contemplating that quintessentially ‘British’ drink, a nice cup of tea."
"My anti-racism activism was not by choice. It was imposed on me."
"It’s about passing on what I know for the next generation, who can decode it and do it their way."
"There’s no such thing as race.. There’s only one race. The human race."
"I just feel that without being an anti-racist in a racist society, you’re fooling yourself."
"We are seeking fundamental structural change as opposed to rhetoric and lip service."
"I didn’t want another child of colour to go through what I went through."
We celebrate the incredible work, contributions and endless efforts of the ‘Pivotal Pioneers’.
Pioneers from the past who will never be forgotten for their fight for equality and against injustice.
"Aijaz was not just an unsung hero; he was a living embodiment of the revolutionary ideal—a man who understood that the fight for justice is not about personal glory, but about the collective liberation of all people."
“I’m Punjabi. I’m Indian. I’m Black. That’s my identity.”
“Freedom is not a gift. It is won through collective struggle.”
“The racism of Britain is not an accident — it is the child of empire.”
“Never again.”
“All my life and all my strength were devoted to the greatest cause of all – the liberation of humankind.”
“Racism is not simply about individual prejudice; it is embedded in social structures, institutions, and everyday practices.”
Share your story with us and apply to become a Pioneer.
