Marika Sherwood (1937-2025): A Pioneer and Mentor of Black British History Who Changed Lives

Marika Sherwood
(8 November 1937 – 17 February 2025)

I was very sad to read this morning of  the passing of Marika Sherwood, a true giant of Black British history who touched my life in profound ways. I first met Marika through the Black and Asian Studies Association now the BASA mailing list  , where she organized inspiring meetings on all aspects of Black history and cultures at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies in Senate House. It was through her natural gift for connecting people that I met Miranda Kaufmann when exploring my interest in Black Tudors and John Blanke – a connection that would prove invaluable to my work.

What I'll remember most about Marika was her incredible generosity with her knowledge. She was never too busy to offer guidance, share insights, or point me in the right direction as my work in Black British history developed. I felt particularly honoured when she contributed to my John Blanke Project, fills me with pride – having one of the pioneers of Black British history engage with my work meant a lot.

Reading Marika's Paper in Bangor (2022)

In recent years, though her mobility was limited, her mind remained razor-sharp. I had the privilege of being her voice at the WHBBH conference, reading out her meticulously researched paper. Even then, her scholarly excellence shone through every word.

Her groundbreaking work on Black women's history continues to inspire my research today. Long before it became a popular area of study, Marika recognized this crucial gap in our historical understanding. She approached it with her characteristic brilliance, asking probing questions that opened up new avenues of research.

I will deeply miss her presence– our conversations, her guidance, and her unwavering support. While her loss leaves a void in our field, I carry forward the lessons she taught me, grateful for every moment I had to learn from this remarkable woman who helped shape not just Black British history, but my own journey as a historian.

Thanks to  Abdul Alkalimat / Gerald Mcworter for  allowing me to add examples of Marika's scholarship and activism: 

Lectures
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrafYov45S0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBddTi7BJjA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baQQq_PTUss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT1ZZPYVoI4

Interviews
https://millennialsarekillingcapitalism.libsyn.com/researching-nkrumah-with-marika-sherwood
https://www.johnblanke.com/marika-sherwood.html
https://philpapers.org/rec/SHETCT

Articles
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/6-author/marika-sherwood/
https://www.historytoday.com/author/marika-sherwood
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/entities/publication/0130d99e-34b7-458b-8f4f-ca9107e5e795

Books
https://www.racearchive.org.uk/marika-sherwood-kwame-nkrumah-and-the-pan-african-congress-archive/
http://www.savannahpress.co.uk/

Black and Asian Studies Association
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEdxy_az-B4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJxlyupu0N0
https://www.blackandasianstudies.org/

Honor
https://www.chi.ac.uk/news/distinguished-historian-and-activist-marika-sherwood-given-honorary-award-from-university-of-chichester/