Blazing a trail

Marking October’s Black History Month, Surrey History Centre looks at the county’s most important black figures

- Judith Palmer

The Black Lives Matter movement may have dominated headlines this year but American President Gerald Ford officially recognized October as Black History Month back in 1976, when he called on the public to seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black people in every area of endeavour throughout our history.

Surrey History Centre works continually to research, record and celebrate the lives of our diverse communities. Here are the stories of just three black people who have had a lasting impact on our county.

LUCEAN ARTHUR HEADEN

Lucean Arthur Headen was an American who became a leading industrialist in Camberley and whose inventions played an important part in the British war effort. Dr Jill D Snider (an American independent scholar and writer) was due to talk about her biography of Headen at Surrey History Centre this month, but due to COVID-19 is unable to travel. Dr Snider hopes to return in 2021 but gave us this insight into just how important Headen’s work was: “Headen came to Camberley in 1932 looking simply to manufacture a converter kit he had patented. The kit allowed autos and lorries to burn paraffin and other heavy oils, which were cheaper and more widely available than petrol.