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To celebrate Black History Month UK, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 1Xtra has launched the inaugural 1Xtra Future Figures – an annual list which names 29 notable individuals, groups and organisations from across the UK, who are ‘Making Black History Now.’

1Xtra Future Figures features movement makers from the world of sport, STEM gaming, the arts and social action, celebrating and championing those who have made an impact within the Black community (and beyond), that will leave a legacy for years to come.

Listen throughout October as 1Xtra salutes a new Future Figure every day.

Find out more about our 1Xtra Future Figures 2021 inductees:

Region: Birmingham​, Midlands

Sector: Sport/Activism/Charity

In 2016, the Birmingham born and bred swimmer announced herself globally; winning the World Junior Open Water Championships.​

Alice is a politics graduate of Loughborough University and is extremely passionate about challenging perceptions, stereotypes and barriers that Black and diasporic communities face when it comes to swimming. ​

​Alice co-founded the in 2020. Advocating for diversity in aquatics.​ The charity was founded to encourage swimming among BME communities in Britain and has the support of Swim England.

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Region: Newport​, Wales

Sector: Arts/Campaigner

A key figure in the anti-racist movement in Wales, in 2021, Andrew Ogun began his appointment as an ‘agent for change’ with the Arts Council of Wales.

Fulfilling a commitment made by the Arts Council to take specific action to make sure that access to its activities, services and funding is fairer and more equal to marginalised communities. ​

​Aside from his creative ventures, Andrew is a multi-disciplinary artist; he is a musician, poet and creative director. A community organiser, Ogun established in 2020 and played a crucial role in the creation of the Welsh Government's 'Race Equality Action Plan'.

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: STEM

Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE is a prodigy in every sense of the word.

Aged 11, she was the youngest girl ever to pass A-level Computing, and was just 20 years old when she received her master’s degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Oxford. Not to mention, honorary doctorates from institutions including The Open University and Bristol University.

It is this wealth of experience and pioneering that led her to co-found the , an award-winning social initiative dedicated to inspiring and promoting the next generation of young women in the STEM sectors – exposing more than 50,000 girls across Europe to Anne-Marie’s vision for a more diverse and balanced science and tech community.

Region: Birmingham, Midlands

Sector: Community/Youth/Arts

Twin brothers Tru and Pelego Powell are committed community activists in the Midlands art sector.

Tru is a multi-award-winning creative entrepreneur, publicity coach, and personal brand strategist, while Pelego is a co-director for (APAA), helping to support the growth of young people's artistry.​

​Tru and Pelego work together to empower the next generation of creatives with performing and creative arts. ​ Since the organisation’s inception in 2004, the company has impacted the lives of over 3000 young people in the Midlands – and the brothers have a passionate belief in championing the cause of equality, justice and freedom of speech.

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Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Entrepreneur/Campaigner

Jay-Ann created Black Girl Gamers to cater for those who felt invisible and ostracised by the gaming community.

started as the world's largest community of Black women gamers - which has turned into a community-based organisation that produces events, content and offers consultancy and talent brokering​.
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Having been an avid gamer since a very young age, gaming has always been integral to Jay-Ann’s personality and lifestyle. For years Jay-Ann noticed that she and other women like her, were perceived to be invisible or unimportant in the gaming scene so she decided to make a change. ​ Jay-Ann regularly speaks to corporations and media about the importance of representation, diversity and inclusivity in the gaming community and wider tech world.

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Representation/Union

The Black Music Coalition was founded in June 2020 in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.

The quartet - consisting of chair, Sheryl Nwosu, Afryea Henry-Fontaine, Komali Scott-Jones and Char Grant - founded felt that there was a long overdue spotlight on anti-Black systemic racism within society and the music industry. The organisation provided space for Black music industry professionals to come together to talk, look inwards, and reflect upon their shared personal and professional experiences of racism, marginalisation and discrimination. ​​

s aim is to eradicate racial inequality in the music industry and establish equity for Black executives, artists, and their communities here in the UK, while striving to bring about the necessary changes across the industry and UK wide.

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Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Publishing/Journalism/Representation

After many years of working in mainstream media, and witnessing the dearth of Black women in the office and on the pages of magazines, Tobi Oredein decided to take matters into her own hands and launch in 2014.​​

Alongside her co-founder Bola Awoniyi, the pair originally launched the site as a free access blog to tell the human experiences of Black women. But in 2016, they shifted gears and crowdfunded to transition into the membership platform.
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Since re-launching in 2017, the media and data company has commissioned over 350 Black women creatives. By putting Black women first in everything they do, Black Ballad’s vision is to empower every Black woman to change their world with every click she makes and every conversation she has.

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Education/Activism

Founded by Lavinya Stennett, The Black Curriculum is an organisation which wants to see Black British History taught all year schools across the UK.

​Stennett created the platform as she was frustrated with the lack of Black history she was taught at school. She found the topics to be very limited and largely focused on historical events that took place in America.​

​Lavinya was still a third-year student at university when she had the idea for , and just one year later, the social enterprise has found itself at the forefront of conversations about race and education in the UK - providing teachers with the resources they need to bring insights about Black British history and culture into their lessons.tag

Region: Manchester, North-West England

Sector: STEM

With an ambition to help shape the future leaders of the green tech revolution, Nile Henry founded The Blair Project at just 18 years old.​

Inspired by his brother’s passion for motor racing, Nile identified an opportunity to change the narrative around the well-loved sport. Nile set out to transform the impact motorsport was having on the environment and exclusivity that surrounded the sport.

, provided a way of educating young people in the skills required to transform fuel-powered karts into environmentally friendly e-karts, and drives a wider conversation around engagement in STEM and the importance of education in green tech. The initiative also allows people from diverse backgrounds access to what is traditionally an exclusive sport. ​

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Youth/Outreach/Charity

Rapper and entrepreneur Fekky, set up a laptop library initiative for students in his local area to tackle social and educational deprivation.

The (named after his two sons, Capree and Cuben) enables students to borrow laptops for school work, receive training on how to use them, as well as learning about internet safety and security.

Recognising the barriers present in low-income socio-economic areas, the foundation continues to dedicate resources and time to help eradicate these setbacks by bringing a change in culture to those currently in those circumstances. The foundation is committed to challenging these issues and providing people with the opportunities to see and set high standards for themselves.

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Publishing/Representation

Founder and publishing director of Cocoa Publishing (the UK's first black children's magazine)​, Serlina Boyd launched Cocoa Girl magazine when her daughter was finding it difficult with her self-image and confidence due to her skin colour.

Looking for dolls and content that looked like her daughter, and finding few options, Boyd decided to create her own book celebrating Black girls, titled . â¶Ä‹

​Although this attracted a bit of media attention, it wasn't until 2020, when Serlina turned the book into a bi-monthly magazine for children aged seven to 14 – and created another for Black boys, too, Cocoa Boy – that the UK took note. ​Cocoa has WON the 'Newcomer Award' at The Independent Awards 2020 and 'Launch of the Year' at The BSME Awards 2020

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Region: Birmingham, Midlands

Sector: Music/Entrepreneur

After founding his first successful Grime record label, StayFresh Entertainment in 2008, Despa Robinson went on to found his next start-up, BE83 - a creative content company, that specialises in content production, artist management and recordings.​​

Despa is a pioneer in UK urban music and through the management arm of , Despa manages the careers of Jaykae, Smoke Boyz, Dapz On The Map, Tana and Grim Sickers.​
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Working tirelessly behind the scenes, Despa is a driving force behind Birmingham’s prominence in the British Rap industry, and continues to work to cement the city’s place in the music​ landscape.

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Representation/Social Media

Marvyn Harrison's Dope Black Dads started as a WhatsApp group for 23 fellow Black dads to salute and hold space for each other.

soon grew into wider a digital safe space for Black fathers who wish to discuss their shared experiences with the aim to celebrate, heal, inspire and educate black fathers for better outcomes for black families. Changing the narrative, supporting each other. ​This also included the award-winning Dope Black Dads Podcast.
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The movement is now international - with groups of Dope Black Dads in London, New York and South Africa - and the Dope Black network has expanded to Dope Black Mums, Men, Women and more.
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Region: Longford, Ireland

Sector: Activism

A Corporate Law student at National University of Ireland Galway, Eric Egihie is also a YouTuber and podcaster - and is the political coordinator for BlackandIrish.​

He dedicates his time fighting for social and racial change and enlightening young people. In 2020, he set up a BLM march in his local area of County Longford. ​
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Eric was part of a panel of young people questioning the Government in Ireland about Covid-19, after they felt young people were being labelled incorrectly as reckless during the pandemic. As part of the AntiViral campaign he got to speak directly to the Deputy Chief Medical Officer. ​

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Literature/Activism

Jeremiah is the author of ‘‘Dreaming In A Nightmare’ - a manifesto for how we can tackle inequality and improve the lives of young people today.

Emmanuel weaves his personal story and experience into a broader exploration of the UK, tackling subjects ranging from housing and education to employment and the criminal justice system.​
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In 2011 he was elected into the UK Youth Parliament and later became a young mayor within London. Aged 15, he founded the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 1 and 1Xtra Youth Council and created a youth consultancy enterprise, EMNL, which has recently worked with Rolls-Royce, Nike and the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust.​
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Region: Stevenage, Hertfordshire

Sector: Charity

Formula 1 living legend, Sir Lewis Hamilton has launched a new charitable foundation with a mandate to donate £20m over the next few years to help young people from underrepresented groups.​

​Once registered with the Charity Commission, plans to fund and collaborate with others, as well as set up its own programmes. It has identified “three pillars” to focus its work around: Representation, Progression and Empowerment.​
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One of the first projects Mission 44 will be involved with is a collaboration with Hamilton’s Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team.​ This initiative, Ignite, will focus on access to science and engineering education. It will be jointly-funded by Hamilton and Mercedes.

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Business/Support

Kike Oniwinde, is the Founder and CEO of the BYP Network, a platform that connects Black professionals to each other and corporations.

Her motivation for starting was to “change the Black narrative and promote equity in the professional sphere” after Kike studied abroad and met talented Black students, who faced similar challenges to those in the UK. Once back in London, the lack of diversity in the workplace coupled with low opportunities to meet others in the city; prompted her to take action.​

​Kike is a Forbes 30 under 30, Maserati Top 100 Most Innovative Founders and a Financial Times Top 100 BAME Leaders in Technology.

Region: Wales

Sector: Health Campaigner

Mercy Shibemba is an award-winning activist for children, young people and women living with HIV. Using her story of growing up with HIV to educate, challenge and inspire.

Shibemba works on youth engagement and participation across paediatric clinical trials and research. ​She’s passionate about ensuring that the voices of young people are centred. In addition, Mercy is co-leading the development of a fund enabling Black children and young people to reach their full potential.​
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A public speaker and consultant, Shibemba regularly works with organisations that want to embed community-led practice and capacity building within their work.

Region: Manchester, North-West England

Sector: Music/Business

Michael Adex is a creative entrepreneur and businessman who is the founder of the Manchester-based 360-talent and entertainment company, NQ (formerly known as Northern Quarterz).

​Boasting the likes of chart-topping rapper and fellow Mancunian, Aitch on its roster, NQ has helped re-energise Manchester’s music scene. ​
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NQ are a Record Label, Publishing House and Talent Management company with ambitions to expand into other creative fields such as Film/TV Production and Media.

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Education/Journalism

Nadine made history when she became the United Kingdom's first dedicated race correspondent for The Independent in 2021.​

White told Press Gazette that reporting about issues relating to race, and amplifying black perspectives in particular, was “part and parcel” of why she became a journalist. ​Wanting to be a part of the change she wanted to see, Nadine talks that being the race correspondent was both her “dream role and an important continuation of the work I’ve been doing over these years”.​ Nadine previously worked at the HuffPost UK and The Voice.
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In 2020 Nadine won the Paulette Wilson Windrush Award and also that same year was a Forbes 30 Under 30 Honouree.

Region: Nottingham, Midlands

Sector: Activism

Next Gen Movement is a project aimed at empowering young people to make sure the fight against racism continues to be impactful. ​

The murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis sent reverberations around the world, including Nottingham, where thousands of people descended to the Forest Recreation Ground in a show of communal strength against systemic racism in June 2020. ​Behind the protests were two young women, friends  Shan Vincent and Janelle Brown who have since formed , a project aimed at empowering young people to make sure the fight against racism continues to be impactful.​
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They also started a project called Prevent and Reform, where they work with young people to prevent them from getting into a life of crime especially knife crime and drugs. This project is run with Nottingham Violence Reduction Unit and we do this by providing creative and business focus workshops for people from the age of 10 - 24 years old.

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Youth Organisation

The Reach Out Project was founded in 2017 by friends Lillian and Michaela, to help combat the lack of social, cultural, and enriching opportunities afforded to Black boys living in inner-city London. ​

The charity focuses on supporting four key aspects of childhood development: cognitive, behavioural, and social and emotional development. ​They are passionate about creating opportunities for young Black people and hope T can be a model for how all young Black people are supported across the UK. ​
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The Project is supported by football legend Ian Wright and rappers Stormzy, Dave and Krept & Konan.

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Youth Organisation/Activism

Sayce Holmes-Lewis is the Founder & CEO of Mentivity, an inspirational mentoring organisation and alternative educational provision that provides aspirational support for young people, schools, parents and carers across London, Brighton, Kenya and Uganda.

Founded in January 2016, continues to change the lives of many young people through their adaptable approaches and a proven record of expertise in coaching, mentoring and holistic support for young people.​ In March 2019, Sayce and Mentivity were the recipients of the ‘National Mentoring Programme of the Year’ award at The National Mentoring Awards.

Sayce’s dedication to the areas of racial equity and social injustice stem from an encounter he experienced at the age of 14 in which he was assaulted by a Metropolitan Police Officer on the way home from school in South London. Despite having CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts of the assault, the case was thrown out by the Crown Prosecution Service due to lack of evidence. This injustice has remained with Sayce for almost two and a half decades.

Region: Scotland

Sector: Media/Content

Stewart Kyasimire is a BAFTA-nominated director. His company ‘Create Anything’ has set out to authentically tell minority ethnic stories.

​Stewart set up the first BAME production company in Scotland, after noticing the lack of diversity and inclusion within the film and TV industry on and off-screen. set up a BAME Scotland network agency, placing the right talent in front of Execs and commissioners.

Stewart is known for documentaries spotlighting Black Scottish talent in the arts and culture, including Black & Scottish. ​

Create Anything seeks stories that resonate with the audience backed by a visually stunning cinematography experience.

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Charity

In June 2020, Stormzy’s #Merky Foundation announced it would be donating £10 million over ten years to charities and other organisations committed to tackling racial inequality in the UK. ​

​HSBC UK’s partnered with #Merky Foundation’s initial commitment, with the Foundation encouraging other companies to follow suit and join them in pledging.​ The number of Black students at Cambridge University have risen since the launch of the scholarships. In 2017 the University admitted 58 Black British students to undergraduate degree courses. In 2020, this reached 137.​
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All Stormzy Scholarship applicants will also have the option to explore work experience, skills development and mentoring opportunities with the bank.

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Business Campaigner

Former So Solid Crew artist Swiss launched Black Pound Day on 27 June 2020 to encourage the community to buy from Black-owned businesses and services for the day.​​

takes place on first Saturday of every month with the aim to bring money in and to circulate within the community "You can’t always rely on the government,” he explains “so we’ve got to turn to ourselves and make solutions for ourselves. Black Pound Day is one of those solutions.”. ​

​The inaugural Black Pound Day attracted support from high profile figures such as fellow So Solid member and Top Boy star Ashley Walters, chart-topping rapper Tinie Tempah among others.

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: LGBTQ+

Tanya decided to use her experience working in the charity and social work sector to create events which would support other Black queer youth estranged from their families. She started the Queer Black Christmas event, raising over £7000 via Crowdfunder.​​

Tanya went on to create , a project dedicated to creating spaces of joy, community and care for Black LGBTQ+ youth through creative intervention.​ During Lockdown Tanya started raising money to set up the Exist Loudly Fund, which would fund projects including monthly workshops and mentoring projects. The Crowdfunder raised £110,000 which was enough to register as a charity and donate £58,000 to other Black and Trans led youth organisations.

Tanya was tired of seeing Pride campaigns centred around educating cis-heterosexual people around the basics of the LGBTQ+ community.​ Tanya doesn’t want to spread stores of trauma, but stories that centre around joy. Our stories on our terms.

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Business

Since founding the social media agency during his second year of university, Armoo has helped creators and brands like Nike and McDonald's reach Gen Z audiences across various platforms with a specific focus on TikTok. ​

The Fanbytes Impact Fund addresses the pay gap between Black and non-Black influencers, as well as to provide funding and agency expertise to black-owned businesses. ​The fund goes towards partnering with amazing Black influencers and content creators. ​

​The creators get paid for their work and get more experience of working with brands.​ In its first year, the fund has supported 14 Black-owned businesses and 100 Black creators, with over 3 million views on the content so far.

Region: London, South-East England

Sector: Youth Organisation/Activism

We Belong is a migrant youth-led charity based in London, working with over 1,500 young people across the UK. ​

​We Belong exists to ensure young migrants living in the United Kingdom are treated equally and fairly in the society they call home. ​The charity launched a ground-breaking Mental Health Check report, where young migrants talk in heart-breaking detail about the damage done to their mental and physical wellbeing by the immigration system. ​
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They aim to create an open dialogue between young people and policy makers. This includes giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee and meeting with the Immigration Minister Kevin Foster to call for a reform the current immigration system.

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Future Figures 2022

If you know an individual or organisation who deserves to be nominated for 1Xtra's Future Figures 2022, email 1XFutureFigures@bbc.co.uk to submit.