Mapping Black London

The Mapping Black London in World War II project began in January 2020 and was completed in March 2021 by a team of Northeastern researchers in Boston and at the New College of the Humanities in London. In that time, the team discovered evidence of a black presence in the capital across over 500 locations involving 425 named individuals from across the world. The results, in our view, provide a powerful and visually impactful tool that demonstrates the long-range presence of non-white people in London. In addition, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to explore this data opens up a range of exciting analytical possibilities for researchers to explore new lines of enquiry about the nature, scale and local dynamics of the multiracial city.