Sam King, Southwark's first ever black mayor,...

The first ever black mayor in Southwark is to be honoured with a blue plaque.

Sam King, MBE, was voted for by the people of Southwark in 2009 to receive the honour, and will attend the ceremony at 2 Warmington Road, Herne Hill, London SE24 at three o'clock on Sunday 31st January.

Jamaican born Sam King arrived in the UK in 1948 on the Empire Windrush, and soon settled in Southwark. A tireless campaigner for the community he went on to help set up the first Notting Hill Carnival, and was also a driving force behind the first black newspaper, the West Indian Gazette.

After 6 months serving as a local councillor in Southwark, he was elected as Mayor of Southwark in 1983, aged 57 years old. He was the only serving black mayor in London at the time.

Sam King MBE said
“I’m really grateful to be receiving this plaque. As a place Southwark is second to none and the people here have always been helpful and they treated me well. I feel lucky to have been asked to be the Mayor of Southwark and to have had the chance to do work in the community, and this plaque is a lovely honour.”

Cllr Lewis Robinson, executive member for culture leisure and sport at Southwark Council, said
"Sam really is an example to us all, and I believe this honour is deserved on so many levels - for his community work, his campaigning for black and ethnic minority rights, and for his service to the people of Southwark during his time at the council. It's tremendous that he was voted for last year to be given the blue plaque - it's a resounding round of applause from the community for what he's given them over the years."