Nubian Jak Community Trust is a commemorative plaque and sculpture scheme that highlights the historic contributions of Black and minority ethnic people in Britain. The first NJCT heritage plaque, honouring Bob Marley, was unveiled in 2006 after "two years of research and behind the scenes negotiating". The scheme has been run and managed by the not-for-profit organization Nubian Jak Trust Ltd since August 2016, with a remit to commemorate and celebrate the diverse history of modern Britain. Its objectives include the promotion of social equality and to encourage activities that promote cultural diversity in society.
Overview
The Trust was founded by Jak Beula and works in partnership with educational groups, cultural institutions, local government, and public- and private-sector organizations. Its activities include exhibitions, seminars, workshops, and learning programmes, as well as managing a national plaque and sculpture scheme. The scheme, which is the only one of its kind in Europe, highlights BME presence in Britain by commemorating individuals who have made a recognisable contribution to the nation. These individuals are either nominated by members of the public, or recommended by a special panel within the Trust, to receive a commemorative plaque. One of the most famous plaques of recent years is the Bob Marley Blue Plaque, which the Nubian Jak Community Trust arranged in partnership with the Mayor of London in October 2006. It was the first commemorative event organised by the Nubian Jak Community Trust, as well as also being County Hall’s first ever blue plaque. The installation of the Bob Marley plaque was filmed as a feature for a 90-minute Arena documentary aired on BBC1 the following October called Bob Marley: Exodus 77. The next three Nubian Jak Community Trust plaques were installed as part of the bicentenary commemoration for the British abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807. The first of the plaques installed in 2007 had a public ceremony unveiling inside Luton Town Hall in February 2007. The Luton Bicentenary Plaque is now installed outside Luton Central Library in Central Square. This was followed by the historic plaque to Ignatius Sancho erected in October 2007 at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the City of Westminster, near which site Sancho lived and had a grocery store. It is the only black plaque in Whitehall. A couple of weeks later, on 26 October, another NJCT bronze plaque was installed on Senate House, part of the University of London, to Bermuda-born abolitionist and author Mary Prince. To date, the Nubian Jak Community Trust Plaque Scheme has installed 50 commemorative plaques around the UK. On 24 August 2018, Nubian Jak unveiled the world's largest blue plaque, honouring the pioneers of the Notting Hill Carnival.
On Armistice Day 2014, as part of the four-year centenary commemorating World War I, the Nubian Jak Community Trust temporarily displayed Britain's first dedicated African and Caribbean War Memorial to servicemen and women from Africa and the Caribbean, who served alongside Britain and the Allied Forces during World War I and World War II at the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton, before its eventual permanent installation on London’s Windrush Square, on 22 June 2017.
