A figure often overlooked in black British history has been commemorated with a plaque unveiled at a central London church.

Reverend Lucy Winkett, of St. James’s Piccadilly, emphasized that it is the church's "responsibility and privilege to commemorate the 250th anniversary" of the baptism of Quobna Ottobah Cugoano, a prominent abolitionist during his time.

The Diocese of London noted that the exact birth and death dates of Cugoano remain uncertain. The only verified information about him pertains to his baptism at the church on August 20, 1773, a year after he gained his freedom from slavery.

In his 1787 book "Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil of Slavery," Cugoano recounted his experience of being trafficked at the age of 13 to work on a plantation in Grenada before eventually achieving his freedom in 1772.

Additionally, the church plans to install the world's first permanent art commission by Trinidad-based artist Che Lovelace, commemorating Cugoano's life at the church's entrance next month. Photo by Mark Kobayashi-Hillary from London, United Kingdom, Wikimedia commons.