A blue plaque will be unveiled in Leeds in memory of David Oluval, a British-Nigerian who died in 1969 after being harassed by police.
The plaque will be on Leeds Bridge, near where Oluval was last seen alive, pursued by Sergeant Kenneth Kitching and Inspector Jeffrey Elerker. His body was found two weeks later about a mile in the Eyre River, which flows under the bridge.
In a landmark case in 1971, the two police officers who subjected Oluvale to a long campaign of ill-treatment were convicted of assault by a jury and ordered to acquit them of manslaughter. This was the first successful prosecution of British police officers for the death of a black man, according to the Leeds Civic Trust.
Over the years, several nominations have been submitted for a blue plaque in memory of Oluvale, but in 2019 it was rejected out of confidence in part because it was not festive and his legacy was posthumous. However, the criteria for plaques were changed after an independent review in 2021, commissioned after the assassination of George Floyd and subsequent anti-racist protests.
Max Farar, secretary of the charity Remember Oluwale, said: “After many years of silent campaign by #RememberOluwale, the Black Lives Matter protests have lifted the wind in our sails and this blue sign for David Oluwale is one of several signs that Leeds is committed to be friendlier, more inclusive and more equal.
“The Leeds Civic Trust is one of our many partners who recognize that Leeds must face its shameful history of racism and take active steps to transform itself. We are extremely grateful to all our supporters. “
Remember that Oluwale has launched a successful fundraising campaign for the memorial plaque.
Speakers at Monday’s opening will include author Caryl Phillips, who wrote an essay on Oluvale in his 2007 book Foreigners – Three English Lives (2007), City Council Leader James Lewis and Detective Carl Galvin. . Galvin’s father, Gary Galvin, a police cadet, acted as a whistleblower, revealing that Oluvale had been the victim of severe and prolonged ill-treatment by officers.
The David Oluwale Choir will sing songs composed by Leeds United football fans after the imprisonment of Ellerker and Kitching. One of the chants to be sung on the terraces, to the tune of Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore, was “The River Eyre is cool and deep, All-u-Walle; Never trust the police in Leeds, all-in-vale.
Trust director Martin Hamilton said: “The blue plaque scheme should be more than a pat on the back for famous people of high achievement. He must also tell the story of important moments in history that risk being forgotten or neglected. “
“David Oluvale has not had the opportunity to reach his potential in his own life, but the legacy created after his death deserves to be emphasized.”
A pedestrian bridge named after Oluvale over the Eyre River was erected last month, and a sculpture in his memory was created by British-Nigerian artist Inka Shonibare for the new Meadow Lane Gardens nearby.
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