This is a list of notable Jamaican British people.
Academia
Kehinde Andrews (born 1983), professor of Black studies at Birmingham City University. He is the first black studies professor in the UK and led the establishment of the first black studies programme in Europe, at Birmingham City. Activist and author. Director of the Centre for Critical Social Research; founder of the Harambee Organisation of Black Unity; and co-chair of the Black Studies Association Robert Beckford (born 1965), professor of Black theology at the Queen's Foundation, Birmingham Aggrey Burke (1943–2025), president of the Transcultural Psychiatry Society. vice-chair and a trustee of the George Padmore Institute. Britain's first black consultant psychiatrist, appointed by the National Health Service (NHS) Nira Chamberlain (born 1969), president of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. He is the first black mathematician to feature in the biographical reference book Who’s Who Patricia Daley, vice principal of Jesus College, Cambridge and professor of human geography of Africa at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford Len Garrison (1943–2003), educationalist, historian and community activist. He set up ACER (Afro-Caribbean Education Resource) and co-founded the Black Cultural Archives Alan Powell Goffe (1920–1966), head of the Department of Experimental Cytology at the Wellcome Research Laboratories, Developed the Polio vaccine and has a strain of the Measels named after him. Kei Miller (born 1978), professor of creative writing at the University of Exeter. Poet, fiction writer, essayist and blogger Donald Palmer (born 1962), senior lecturer in immunology in the Comparative Biomedical Sciences Department of the Royal Veterinary College, London Geoff Palmer (born 1940), Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University. Palmer became Scotland's first black university professor in 1989 Winsome Pinnock (born 1961), visiting lecturer at Royal Holloway College and senior visiting fellow at the University of Cambridge. Playwright Leone Ross (born 1969), senior lecturer in the Creative Writing department at Roehampton University. Senior Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. Novelist, short story writer, editor and journalist Tony Sewell (born 1959), educational consultant and chair of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities Shirley Thompson, professor of music at the University of Westminster
Activism and politics Diane Abbott (born 1953), Labour MP since 1987. Abbott is Britain’s first black female Member of Parliament, the first black female Shadow Home Secretary and the longest-serving black MP in the House of Commons Shaun Bailey (born 1971), politician and former journalist Frances Batty Shand (c.1815–1885), early charitable activist Dawn Butler (born 1963), Labour MP since 2015. Butler became the first black woman to speak from the despatch box in the House of Commons in December 2009 Betty Campbell (1934–2017), Welsh community activist and Wales' first black head teacher Janet Daby (born 1970), politician Barbara Follett (born 1942), politician Henry Gunter (1920–2007), civil rights campaigner, trade unionist and the first black delegate to be elected to the Birmingham Trades Council Roy Hackett (died 2022), civil rights campaigner Stuart Hall (1932–2014), cultural theorist and political activist. Co-founder of New Left Review He was voted one of the 100 greatest black Britons Paulette Hamilton, member of the Labour Party and Birmingham's first black MP Darren Henry (born 1968), politician Lee Jasper (born 1958), politician and activist; was Senior Policy Advisor on Equalities to the Mayor of London Sam Beaver King (1926–2016), campaigner and Southwark's first black Mayor David Kurten, (born 1971), politician Baroness Lawrence (born 1952), campaigner Harold Moody (1882–1947), physician and campaigner who established the League of Coloured Peoples in 1931 Olive Morris (1952–1979), community leader and activist in the feminist, Black nationalist, and squatters' rights campaigns Bill Norris (born 1938), General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union from 1992 to 2003, the first black leader of a major British trade union He was voted one of the 100 greatest black Britons Marvin Rees (born 1972), politician who was the Mayor of Bristol. He is the UK’s first directly elected black mayor Patrick Roach (born 1965), NASUWT General Secretary Louis Stedman-Bryce (born 1974), property investor and former politician Patrick Philip Vernon (born 1961), Labour councillor, chair of the Labour Party's Race Equality Advisory Group and political activist James (Jim) Alexander Williams, first (ceremonial) black Lord Mayor of Bristol
Business and law
Jak Beula (born 1963), entrepreneur, cultural activist; founder and chief executive of the Nubian Jak Community Trust Selena Caemawr (born 1982), entrepreneur, autism activist and poet Dyke, Dryden and Wade; Britain's first black multi-million-pound business enterprise Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones (born 1957), businessman, farmer, and founder of "The Black Farmer" range of food products Michael Fuller (born 1959), Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service and Britain's first black Police Chief Constable Emma Grede (born 1982), co-founder and CEO of Good American, a founding partner of Skims, and co-founder of Safely Chris Hohn (born 1966), billionaire and hedge fund manager Eric Irons (1921–2007), Britain's first black magistrate Neil Kenlock (born 1950), media professional. Co-founder of Choice FM, the UK’s first and only licensed, independent black music radio station. Co-founder of the first black British glossy magazine, Root Val McCalla (1943–2002), accountant and media entrepreneur. He was the founder of The Voice, a British weekly newspaper aimed at the Britain's black community Pat McGrath (born 1965), founder of Pat McGrath Labs which has an estimated value of $1 billion Jacqueline McKenzie, human rights lawyer Alexander McLean (born 1985), lawyer and founder of Justice Defenders Heather Melville (born 1962), corporate and international banker Caroline Newman (born 1963), first black solicitor to be elected to the Council of the Law Society of England and Wales. Also an author, entrepreneur and diversity advocate Nathanial Peat, entrepreneur and international motivational speaker Heather Rabbatts (born 1955), solicitor, businesswoman and broadcaster. She was a Football Association director from 2011 to 2017 and was the first ethnic minority person to do so and the only woman on the board. Chief executive of Merton then Chief executive of the London Borough of Lambeth. She became the youngest council chief in the country. Levi Roots (born 1958), businessman, TV personality and founder of "Reggae Reggae sauce" Shaun Wallace (born 1960), barrister, lecturer, TV personality. He is one of the six "chasers" on the ITV quiz show The Chase. He won Mastermind in 2004 Dame Sharon White (born 1967), businesswoman and Second Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury from 2013 to 2015. She became the first black person, and the second woman, to become a Permanent Secretary at the HM Treasury Jacky Wright, chief digital officer and a corporate vice president at Microsoft US
Entertainment Josie d'Arby (born 1972), actress, TV presenter and painter; in 1999, she became the youngest British woman to host her own chat show Akala (born 1983), rapper Aml Ameen (born 1985), actor Samuel Anderson (born 1982), actor Ella Balinska (born 1996), actress (Jamaican mother, Polish father) Marcia Barrett (born 1948), singer Les Ballets Nègres, Europe's first black dance company, founded in 1946 by Jamaican dancers Berto Pasuka and Ritchie Riley Sheyla Bonnick, singer-songwriter, performer, co-producer, fashion designer, author, inventor Gabrielle Brooks (born 1990), actress Errol Brown (1943–2015), singer-songwriter, best known as the frontman of the soul and funk band Hot Chocolate Simona Brown (born 1994), actress Keisha Buchanan (born 1984), Sugababes founding member, singer Alexandra Burke (born 1988), singer-songwriter and actress Mahalia Burkmar (born 1998), singer-songwriter Celeste (born 1994), soul singer Chip (born 1990), rapper Lloyd Coxsone (born c. 1945), sound system operator and record producer Doña Croll (born 1953), actress Olivia Dean (born 1999), singer Michelle de Swarte, comedian, presenter, actress, former model Alesha Dixon (born 1978), rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer, TV personality, and author Stefflon Don (born 1991), rapper, singer Omari Douglas (born 1994), actor Skaiwater (born 2000), rapper Sharon Duncan-Brewster, actress Leonie Elliott (born 1988), actress Jade Ewen (born 1988), singer, actress and former member of the girl group Sugababes Rebecca Ferguson (born 1986), singer Giggs (born 1983), Grime MC Mo Gilligan (born 1988), comedian Sandra Godley (born 1964), singer-songwriter, philanthropist, OBE medal for charity work Andrew Gourlay (born 1982), conductor Stephen Graham (born 1973), actor Jackie Guy, dancer, choreographer and teacher Alison Hammond (born 1975), TV personality, actress Mona Hammond (1931–2022), actress Ainsley Harriott (born 1957), chef and TV presenter Naomie Harris (born 1976), actress Lenny Henry (born 1958), comedian Kirby Howell-Baptiste (born 1987), actress Marvin Humes (born 1985), singer, disc jockey, TV presenter and radio host Rochelle Humes (born 1989), singer and presenter Jamelia (born 1981), singer-songwriter and TV presenter Diane Louise Jordan (born 1960), actress, TV and radio presenter; first black presenter of the children's television programme Blue Peter Janet Kay (born 1958), singer-songwriter and actress Erin Kellyman (born 1998), actress Natalia Kills (born 1986), singer Malachi Kirby (born 1989), actor Beverley Knight (born 1973), recording artist and musical theatre actress Lianne La Havas (born 1989), singer-songwriter and record producer Cleo Laine (born 1927), singer and actress; Grammy Award winner and voted one of the 100 greatest black Britons Tamara Lawrance (born 1994), actress Rustie Lee (born 1949), TV personality, TV chef, actress, singer and former politician Adrian Lester (born 1968), actor Don Letts (born 1956), film director, DJ and musician Shaznay Lewis (born 1975), singer-songwriter and actress Delroy Lindo (born 1952), actor Judi Love (born 1980), comedian Lashana Lynch (born 1987), actress M1llionz (born 1997), rapper Mad Lion, British rapper/Reggae performer singer Madeleine Mantock (born 1990), actress Ella Mai, singer-songwriter; Grammy winner Julian Marley, influential singer-songwriter Jo Martin, actress Colin McFarlane (born 1961), actor Dominique Moore (born 1986), performer Liz Mitchell (born 1952), popular reggae singer Ms. Dynamite (born 1981), singer-songwriter and record producer Nao (born 1987), singer-songwriter and record producer Nemzzz (born 2004), rapper Aaron Pierre (born 1994), actor Courtney Pine (born 1964), jazz musician, voted one of the 100 greatest black Britons Leigh-Anne Pinnock (born 1991), singer Jessica Plummer (born 1992), actress Maxi Priest (born 1961), singer-songwriter Paulette Randall (born 1961), theatre director Slick Rick, British rapper, producer Colin Salmon (born 1961), actor, director and executive producer Jorja Smith (born 1997), singer Myles Smith (born 1998), singer-songwriter Karla-Simone Spence, actress Neville Staple (born 1955), singer Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn (born 1994), actress Steel Pulse, reggae band; Grammy Award winners Antonia Thomas (born 1986), actress Marsha Thomason (born 1976), actress Carroll Thompson, singer, best known as the “Queen of Lovers Rock” Ruby Turner (born 1958), singer-songwriter, and actress FKA Twigs (born 1988), singer-songwriter, producer, and dancer Micheal Ward (born 1997), actor Jamael Westman (born 1991), actor