An international scholar will visit Enfield to round off Black History Month’s closing ceremony this weekend.

Dr. Hakim Adi, will speak on black people coming to Britain before the Windrush, pre World War Two, and how the presence of people of African origin in Britain dates back almost 2000 years.

Entitled Black People in Britain before the Windrush, the event has been organised by the Enfield Caribbean Association (ECA) and will take place Trinity at Bowes Methodist Church, in Palmerston Road, Palmers Green on Saturday, November 1.

"In Roman times Britain was governed by the ‘African Emperor’ Septimius Severus, who was born in what is today Libya and died in the city of York in 211. Septimius, was not the only African ruler of Britain and recent discoveries have found evidence of many other Africans living in Britain during Roman times" said the scholar.

“People assume that black history only starts at the windrush but there is clear history to show this is not the case.”

Dr Adi is hoping that his works can enter into the national curriculum to help educate children about the history of black people in the UK.

"It is important to remember that Black people haven't newly arrived on these shores, aren't here  as economic migrants, or scroungers, but contributors to the development of Britain, with a long history here. This is a wonderful opportunity to set the record straight" said ECA’s vice Chair, Desrie Thomson-George.