Yahoo News Royal Mail launches special edition painted post boxes to honour Black Britons
Royal Mail have unveiled four special edition painted postboxes to honour Black Britons on the eve of Black History Month (30 September).
The postboxes will be located in special locations in all four UK nations, including London (close to the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton), Glasgow (close to Glasgow University), Cardiff (close to Cardiff City Hall) and Belfast (close to Belfast City Hall). The Belfast box is a parcel postbox.
The London postbox features the image Queuing at the RA by Yinka Shonibare (CBE). Shonibare was one of six artists commissioned by Royal Mail to produce original artworks for a set of Special Stamps issued to mark the 250th anniversary of the Royal Academy.
The Glasgow box has an image of Walter Tull, who had signed on to become the first Black player for Rangers, before being tragically killed in action in his post within the British Army (where he was the first black officer to command troops in a regular unit).
The Cardiff postbox features nurse and businesswoman Mary Seacole, who nursed wounded British soldiers back to health during the Crimean War (1853-1856) and built a dedicated place for them to recuperate known as the British Hotel.
The Belfast box displays an image of Sir Lenny Henry CBE. Stand-up comedian, actor, singer, writer and television presenter, known for co-founding the charity Comic Relief.
The social media-activated postboxes are painted black with a gold trim, and each feature a figure of significance to the British black community, who has also appeared on a Special Stamp.
The postboxes highlight the prominence and nationwide success of all the Black Britons featured and a full list of black Britons who have appeared on Special Stamps over the years can be found by scanning a QR code on the boxes. This links through to a dedicated online gallery on the Royal Mail website.
Peter De Norville, Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Royal Mail said: "Black History Month is a great opportunity to celebrate the contributions that black people have made to this country over many generations. We are also using it as an opportunity to celebrate the vital work that our black employees do throughout the nation, from the mail bag to the meeting room."
Artist Yinka Shonibare, CBE, who created the painting that features on the London box, said: "It was a pleasure to work with Royal Mail on a national postage stamp in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Royal Academy. As a citizen of the commonwealth, it was particularly important to me to be making a visible contribution in a historic public space."
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