You’ve probably never heard of Sislin Fay Allen, Mae Jemison or Claudia Jones. But we’re sure you have heard of some of their achievements and life changing creations. But if not, then read on as you are about to be blown away. We believe that they were so ground-breaking that history will forever echo their names.

They travelled through space, chased robbers, owned newspapers and brought communities together. With their actions they gave a voice to those who didn't and don’t have one. These days it is more common to see black women reaching great heights, it may be due to the commitment and dedication of these three helping to break down barriers - often without their even knowing it.

Because we’re #ProudToBe the first Jamaican-owned bank in the UK we want to celebrate these amazing black women who made History!

Sislin Fay Allen

The UK’s first black female police officer in 1968

Sislin Fay Allen was born in Jamaica in 1938, moving to the UK in the 1960’s. Before joining the police she pursued a different public service career as a nurse in a geriatric facility in south London.

In 1968 , after seeing a recruiting advert in her local newspaper, she applied and was accepted to the Metropolitan Police. Sislin was the UK’s trailblazing first black female officer! However, things didn’t always go smoothly, as she experienced prejudice not only from her colleagues and white people in Croydon but also from her own black community. Sislin didn’t let this stop her and even after the Metropolitan Police received racist mail about her, she stayed an officer until she relocated back to Jamaica with her family in 1972.

Being a police officer was already in her DNA, so upon her return she joined the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

Sislin’s life is full of trailblazing moments. That is why in 2020 she was recognized with a lifetime achievement award by the National Black Police Association.

Imagine the challenge of being on the receiving end from not only people of a different race but also your own colleagues. It takes amazing fortitude and resilience in the face of such a challenge.

Mae Jemison

The first black woman to travel to space in 1992

Star Trek’s opening sequence of “Space: the final frontier” to this day still rings true. But amongst amongst her other ground breaking achievements Mae Jemison brings closure to the last bit of that sequence and is way more important: “To boldly go where no Man has gone before!”

As a child Mae Jemison grew up dreaming of one day going into space, despite the fact that, at the time, no women or people of colour had ever done it before. What a crazy notion a black female being an astronaut.

But sticking to planet earth was just way too small for her: so incredibly at only 16 years old she secured a place at Stanford University and even though facing discrimination she earned a degree in Chemical Engineering and a further BA degree in African and African-American Studies. But why have two degrees when you can have three? So she also attended Cornell University to pursue a career in Medicine and gain a MD degree, during which time she travelled to Cambodian refugee camps and worked for the Flying Doctors in East Africa. Leaving just enough time to continue to study dance at a modern dance theatre in New York.

After joining the Peace Corp in 1983, it was in 1986 the year of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, that Mae applied for the NASA astronaut training programme. Mae was the Science Mission Specialist on the Endeavour’s second flight, becoming the first African American woman in space.

She left NASA a year later to found a technology consultancy and a non-profit organisation called the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence. Through her foundation, Jemison is now leading the US government-funded 100 Year Starship project, which aims to help develop the technology needed to achieve interstellar space flight within a century (we’re sure Matthew McConaughey wants to be in it!). Her foundation also runs a science camp for young people called The Earth We Share.

Mae is a trailblazer after making history becoming the first black woman in space, uses her time to encourage everyone to become involved in technology and to empower young women to engage in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).  

So what do you think of those little achievements Captain Kirk, Jean-Luc? We suspect that the Klingons would have not stood a chance if Mae had boldly gone where no Person had gone before!

Claudia Jones

Created Britain’s first major black newspaper and founded Notting Hill Carnival.

Claudia Jones is a citizen of the world: she was born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1915, at the age of 13 her mother passed away and due to poor living conditions was struck down with Tuberculosis just 4 years later.

Struggling for work Claudia started to write. With her objection to the Italian invasion of Ethiopia Claudia joined the American Communist movement. Leading her to become the editor of the monthly Journal for American youth for Democracy movement. During the political upheaval in the US , her role as a political activist, feminist and black nationalist led her to be incarcerated and then deported in 1955, where she settled in the UK at the age of 40.

Three years later she proudly founded Britain’s first black newspaper, the West Indian Gazette And Afro-Asian Caribbean News, designed to not only bring news from the Caribbean to the people in the UK but it also commented on the Arts, as well as published poems and stories.

That same year, 1958, was when the Notting Hill Race Riots happened. Claudia couldn’t stay indifferent – as a fellow activist, Claudia received visits from many members of the black community and national leaders who were concerned for their citizens.

Claudia saw this as an opportunity to make a difference and decided that there was a need to come together as a community to put the race riots in the past: in December of that year she suggested the black community hold a carnival, and in January 1959 the first Notting Hill Carnival took place. It was broadcast nationally by the BBC.

Her footprint as an activist who stood up to what she believed remains alive as she paved the way for black people in the UK and founded one of the largest carnivals in Europe to this day.

Today’s Britain was and is being shaped by several outstanding trailblazers from numerous areas and regions of the world, so stay connected with our social media profiles (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) as we frequently share stories of these true #JNTrailblazers!