THE WOMAN BEHIND BLACK OXFORD UNTOLD STORIES
PAMELA ROBERTS
Founder & Director, Black Oxford Untold Stories
Historian · Author · Creative Producer · Cultural Entrepreneur.
Pamela Roberts, is an award-winning creative producer, historian and published author, whose work has brought overlooked Black histories into public view.
A different perspective on Oxford's history
As the Founder and Director of Black Oxford Untold Stories, she has spent more than two decades researching the lives, achievements and contributions of Black scholars at the University of Oxford, challenging conventional narratives about the University's history and the people who helped shape it.
Her research led to the publication of Black Oxford: The Untold Stories of Oxford University's Black Scholars in 2013, revealing the remarkable stories of pioneering scholars whose achievements had received little public recognition.
What began as an independent research project has since developed into a cultural platform encompassing publishing, film, exhibitions, performance, public events and heritage experiences.
At the heart of Pamela's work is a belief that history should not remain confined to academic publications and archives, but should be accessible, engaging and visible in the places where it happened.
RESEARCH INTO CULTURAL CHANGE
Making history visible
Pamela's work extends beyond recovering historical narratives to creating opportunities for those histories to become part of Oxford's visible cultural landscape.
Her research and campaigning contributed to the installation of a commemorative plaque honouring Christian Frederick Cole, Oxford's first Black African student and Britain's first Black barrister, at University College in 2017.
She subsequently wrote, produced and directed a film about Cole, which was screened at London's Old Bailey, bringing his extraordinary story to new audiences.
Her work has also supported the recognition of Kofoworola Moore, one of Oxford's pioneering African women scholars, through the installation of her photograph at St Hugh's College, and the launch of the Lady Kofoworola More Project.
Combining historical scholarship with creative production, Pamela has developed projects that take Black Oxford's stories beyond the written page. These include the Black Oxford Guided Bus & Walking Tour, the Trailblazers cultural programme and the Alain LeRoy Locke Afternoon Tea, alongside lectures, exhibitions and performances.
Through these initiatives, she has created different ways for audiences to discover Oxford's Black history, encouraging greater recognition of the people and achievements that form part of the University's heritage.
BEYOND THE ARCHIVE
Taking history into the world
Combining historical scholarship with creative production, Pamela has developed projects that take Black Oxford's stories beyond the written page. These include the Black Oxford Guided Bus & Walking Tour, the Trailblazers cultural programme and the Alain LeRoy Locke Afternoon Tea, alongside lectures, exhibitions and performances.
Through these initiatives, she has created different ways for audiences to discover Oxford's Black history, encouraging greater recognition of the people and achievements that form part of the University's heritage.
RECOGNITION & FELLOWSHIPS
Research, writing & recognition
Pamela is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). She was also awarded an Eccles Centre Visiting Fellowship at the British Library in recognition of her historical research.
Her publications include Black Oxford: The Untold Stories of Oxford University's Black Scholars (2013) and The Adventures of a Black Edwardian Intellectual: The Story of James Arthur Harley (2022).
In 2026, she published a revised and expanded edition of Black Oxford, bringing together further research, previously untold stories and developments in the recognition and representation of Black scholars at the University.
Pamela continues to research, write and produce cultural projects that challenge historical omissions and introduce these stories to new generations.
Her work is driven by a central question: whose histories are remembered, whose achievements are recognised, and how can the stories we tell change our understanding of the past?