Greater Manchester's Black Pioneers

In 1955, Louise moved to Britain aged 21 as part of the government's overseas recruitment drive to staff the newly formed NHS. Louise progressed to become Assistant Superintendent of District Nurses. A title which saw her become Manchester’s first Senior Nursing Officer.

Louise Da Cocodia was not only an inspirational figure in the world of healthcare. She also became an inspirational figure for the wider black community as she used her position to campaign against institutional racism. Something which she had experienced in her own career.  

Louise Da Cocodia once said “deep in my mind is my commitment to bridge the gap which has led to black people being treated as inferior.” In the 1960's & 70's she served on the Race Relations Board, where she handled complaints brought forward under the Race Relations Act 1965.

After a remarkable career, Louise Da Cocodia was nominated to the Manchester Magistrates Bench in 1990, serving for 14 years. 9 years later she was appointed Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Manchester prior to receiving an MBE in 2005.

Len Johnson’s talents saw him have an exceptional career with him winning over 70% of his professional fights. On 20th February 1926, Len Johnson won The British Empire Title on points, becoming the first non-white person to hold a major title.

After retiring from boxing, the racial injustice faced by Len Johnson  motivated him to become a political activist. He co-founded The New International Society campaign group in Moss Side - committing to campaigning locally and internationally to end racial discrimination. 

Yomi was councillor for the Rusholme area of Manchester and was an equality champion for women. She became chair of the Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discrimination Panel in 1994.

He showed great promise from a young age. He was advanced two years ahead in school, which meant he finished high school at the tender age of 14 years old. In 1932 at the age of 18 he was granted a Government scholarship to attend the London  School of Economics.

Through his resolve and determination, Sir Arthur was selected to be a full-time lecturer at The University of Manchester in 1947, where he made history by becoming the first black lecturer in the UK, a year later becoming full professor.

From here, Sir Arthur wrote an article called ‘Economic Development with Unlimited Supplies of Labour’. In this article he produced the Dual-sector Model, commonly known as the Lewis Model, which is widely seen as the most influential contribution to Developmental Economics.

The reputation of Sir Arthur led him to serve as an economic advisor to numerous African and Caribbean governments, including Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Barbados. When Ghana gained independence in 1957, Lewis was appointed as the country's first economic advisor.

In 1979, Sir Arthur Lewis’ prestige and contribution to economics was recognised with the highest award; The Nobel Prize. He was the first black person to win this honour. The Nobel Prize is a fitting award to commemorate Sir Arthur Lewis’ life work.