They were once two of Britain's top boxers — now there are plans to commemorate Bill Richmond and Tom Molineaux with a plaque outside the National Gallery.
Both Richmond and Molineaux were born into slavery in 18th century America, later obtaining their freedom and moving to London where they plied their trade as bareknuckle fighters. The pair — who became friends — went on to make a dramatic impact on the sport, taking on eminent white boxers of the day like Tom Cribb (commemorated in the name of a pub just off Leicester Square) at a time when the slave trade was still thriving. Some of these fights were witnessed by many thousands of spectators.
In 1810, Richmond created London's first public boxing academy in a pub on the site of today's National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, where he trained the likes of Lord Byron — and it is here that Black History Walks is fundraising to put up a plaque dedicated to the two African-American boxers.
Permission has already been granted to install a plaque, and Black History Walks is now raising £2.2k that will cover listed building application, plaque manufacture, publicity, legal fees and the unveiling ceremony. To be clear, this blue plaque is not part of the official 'Blue Plaque' scheme administered by English Heritage, but is a much-deserved accolade nontheless.
This will be the 11th plaque Black History Walks has had installed, the most recent being one marking the visit of American writer James Baldwin to Dalston's CLR James Library in 1985.
Recently, both Richmond and Molineaux have got their flowers in hit TV shows A Thousand Blows and Bridgerton. A prominently-placed plaque will illuminate many more people to their impact on the city they came to call home.
Read more about the proposed plaque, and donate via this GoFundMe.
