Black USAF

12/06/2026

😃Project update!!!

The project's researchers, Isobel Keith and Eleanor Root, have written an article about their experiences on the project.

From being conscious that their whiteness could result in biased research results, they were mindful and checked their biases every step of the way.

As experienced heritage professionals, they started with archive research, but this was a challenge! The stories are probably there, but very hard to find.

They also realised that music is the most traceable connection between local communities and the African American airmen. This is really important in research because we need evidence.

Sadly, the local USAF air base historian was unable to get involved due to Federal agency policy. With a change in policy in the future, we hope they'll be able to help out.

You can't always connect food to a certain group of people - same with sport and fashion. But it became clear that the Black American USAF staff brought their music to our neighbourhoods. And thank goodness that they did!

Check out the very honest account from Isobel and Eleanor here: https://www.blackusaf.org/post/where-to-start-with-big-questions

Huge thanks to and to making this happen!

Photo: Credit: Photo by Haywood Magee/USAF in England, 1952 (In the canteen) via Getty Images



Alt text: 1950s black and white photo of two Black men sitting at a table in a old canteen smoking ci******es. One is in a white shirt and the other is in USAF uniform. On the table is a napkin holder, sugar bowl, cups, spoon, vinegar bottle and salt shaker.

06/06/2026

🤔🥹 We've been quiet over the last couple of months! That's because we've been busy wrapping things up as phase one of the project comes to a close.

😃It's been a wonderful journey - we've heard fascinating stories, we've engaged with people across generations and we've discovered that East Anglia played a central tole to the evolution of music in this country. Yes, little old East Anglia.

We had a feeling that was the case, but our research has more or less confirmed this. And we've only just started!

⭐⭐Our brilliant researchers, Eleanor Root and Isobel Keith, have written a collection of blogs which outlines their research. They cover their methods, findings and the challenges. If you're a researcher or just interested in African American culture in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, check out the articles!

📰Huge thanks to for providing such great news cuttings. And thanks for giving us permission to use your cuttings / Iliffe News & Media Ltd.

And of course thank you to Arts Council England and Essex Cultural Diversity Project!

👉👉👉 Head over to blackusaf.org/blog

Image credit: Iliffe News & Media Ltd.

25/04/2026

Can anyone help?

WERE YOU THERE?

We are keen to speak to anyone who was at the Johnny Nash gig at The Athenaeum, Bury St Edmunds, on May 6, 1972, which featured future reggae superstar Bob Marley.

About 200 people were in the crowd.

Did you see Marley take to the stage? We believe this could be one of, if not the earliest, Bob Marley gigs in the UK and we are keen to know if he performed.

If you, or someone you know, was present, then please email [email protected]

26/03/2026

⭐️⭐️⭐️Huge thanks to Peterborough Telegraph for sharing Del Singh's story! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A celebrated writer, social historian and former DJ from Peterborough has spoken of his experiences at a USAF base as part of a black history project.

25/03/2026

Tom Collis, now living in Birmingham, looks back at growing up in Mildenhall and Ipswich in the 1970s, surrounded by the presence of nearby US air bases. Now a mental health professional, musician and artist, he reflects on how those formative years in Suffolk shaped his outlook.

Through childhood friendships with the children of US airmen at his local primary school, he encountered Black American culture first-hand – far beyond what he had seen on TV. Tom links the influence of diverse US culture on Suffolk's music and art. Including musicians like Geno Washington, and Rod Stewart who'd perform with Black American airmen and other local musicians.

He also touches on his involvement in activism and his career in mental health, influenced by his experiences. Although not directly connected to African American culture, Tom also recounts the impact of the Mildenhall Air Shows on him, the fascination with US military might, and the mixed feelings about the US military presence in the UK.

🔗https://www.blackusaf.org/tomcollis

Supported by and



Alt text: A graphic with yellow, light grey and dark blue curved background sections featuring the BLACK USAF logo in the top left corner. A young boy stands on an airfield wearing a light jumper and jeans, with a jet aircraft positioned behind him on the runway. A yellow circular badge on the right reads “Meet Tom”. Along the bottom is the website www.blackusaf.org, with Arts Council England Lottery Funded and Essex Cultural Diversity Project logos displayed.

24/03/2026

Ted Marriott reflects on the enduring legacy of African American servicemen stationed in East Anglia during the Second World War. Although his story doesn't originate in the Cold War period, Ted speaks about the American Civil Rights movement and possible links to the GIs in England in the 50s/60s.

Living between a Suffolk village and West London, Ted shares his family’s connection to an African American GI who met his grandmother, Olive, while serving locally in the 1940s. Their relationship led to the birth of his father in 1944 – one of several Black mixed-heritage children born in the area at that time.

Ted also reflects on in*******al relationships and the overlooked presence of African American GIs in Britain, and talks about the play about his family history.

🔗 https://www.blackusaf.org/tedmarriott



Supported by and



Alt text: A graphic with purple, light grey and dark blue curved background sections featuring the BLACK USAF logo in the top left corner. A close-up photo shows a smiling young man wearing a red shirt looking toward the camera. A purple circular badge on the left reads “Meet Ted”. Along the bottom is the website www.blackusaf.org, with Arts Council England Lottery Funded and Essex Cultural Diversity Project logos displayed.

23/03/2026

Eddie Huggins, offers a rare insight into the rhythm and blues and jazz scene in East Anglia during the early 1960s. A classically trained pianist and semi-professional musician, he became one of the few local players immersed in the real sound of Black American soul and blues.

Then based in Norwich, word of his talent reached nearby US airbases, and he was soon performing with African American servicemen stationed at Lakenheath, Mildenhall, Bentwaters and Alconbury.

​Through gigs on and off the base – from Norwich’s legendary Orford Cellar to venues across Norfolk and Suffolk – he entered an informal but influential musical network shaped by Black airmen, touring artists and local players.

His story highlights a largely overlooked cultural exchange in Cold War East Anglia, where music, food and fellowship created connections that extended beyond the stage.

🔗 https://www.blackusaf.org/eddiehuggins

Supported by and



Alt text: A graphic with pink, light grey and dark blue curved background sections featuring the BLACK USAF logo in the top left corner. A black-and-white archival photo shows a man wearing sunglasses and a striped shirt, reclining casually with one arm resting on his knee. A pink circular badge on the right reads “Meet Eddie”. Along the bottom is the website www.blackusaf.org, with Arts Council England Lottery Funded and Essex Cultural Diversity Project logos displayed.

22/03/2026

Singer, Nate James, found fame when he released his first album Set The Tone in 2005, then went on to be scouted for The Voice UK 2013.

From barbecues soundtracked by Marvin Gaye and Blackstreet to trips onto the air base to buy the latest albums and trainers before they reached the UK high street, his upbringing was rooted in a rich mix of music, food and community.

​At the same time, Nate acknowledges the complexities of race, belonging and identity, and what it meant to grow up Black American-British in East Anglia.

👉
🔗 https://www.blackusaf.org/natejames

Supported by Arts Council England and Essex Cultural Diversity Project.



Alt text: A graphic with orange, light grey and dark blue curved background sections featuring the BLACK USAF logo in the top left corner. A close-up photo shows a male singer wearing large black glasses and a sparkling shirt, holding a microphone with his eyes closed mid-performance. A yellow circular badge on the right reads “Meet Nate”. Along the bottom is the website www.blackusaf.org, with Arts Council England Lottery Funded and Essex Cultural Diversity Project logos displayed.

21/03/2026

Bishop Lynwal Williams and wife Lady Orlene Williams, are church leaders of Global Bibleway Churches based in Cambridge. Interviewed by Black USAF, the couple each reflects on how the Black service people at the local Mildenhall and Lakenheath US Air Force bases intersected with their services.

Husband and wife also talk through their move from Jamaica to London then Cambridge, and how Lynwal A. Williams became a Bishop. They explore reasons for their popularity among African American airmen - they had a tase of home with the church itself originating in America, and gospel being a huge part of worship.

Orlene also runs a City centre restaurant Orlene's Kitchen Café

🔗 https://www.blackusaf.org/bishoporlenewilliams
👉

Supported by and



Alt text: A graphic with yellow, light grey and dark blue curved background sections featuring the BLACK USAF logo in the top left corner. A cut-out photo shows a smiling couple: a woman wearing a white hat and a man dressed in clerical robes with a red collar and gold chain. A yellow circular badge on the right reads “Meet Bishop & Lady Orlene Williams”. Along the bottom is the website www.blackusaf.org, with Arts Council England Lottery Funded and Essex Cultural Diversity Project logos displayed.

20/03/2026

Thank you Suffolk News for supporting us!

A new collection of audio stories examining the cultural impact of black American United States Air Force personnel in East Anglia has been released.