Dictionary of national biography volumes 1-22

Each year during October the UK celebrates Black History month, an event which celebrates the achievements and contributions made to society by people of Black heritage and their communities and aims to educate all on the importance of Black history.

To observe this important event, we have curated a collection of Oxford Dictionary of National Biography articles exploring the lives of people of Black/African descent who had an impact on, or a connection to, the UK during their lifetime and the ways in which they made history.

Olaudah Equiano, also known as Gustavus Vassa (c.

1745–1797)

Olaudah Equiano (renamed Gustavus Vassa—the name he used throughout most of his life) was an author and slavery abolitionist, and in the words of his own InterestingNarrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano born “in a charming vale, named Essaka,” most likely in present-day Nigeria.

Equiano’s autobiography remains a c