Background
The Arthur Wharton Foundation is a registered charity based in Darlington, England.
It was created to acknowledge and celebrate the life and achievements of a true national and international sporting pioneer and trailblazer.
The foundation does this through education and events aimed at promoting equality and diversity in order to impact the hearts and minds of a generation.
The foundation came into existence in 2010, following a campaign by founder Shaun Campbell (pictured above, left) that began in October 2007.
In 2007, Shaun was invited to give a talk at Middlesbrough Town Hall on the subject of ‘The History of Black People and Music’ as part of Black History Month.
At this event, Shaun picked up a brochure which contained a brief passage about Arthur Wharton.
Inspired, Shaun felt the need to pay tribute to Arthur in some way and bring him to the attention of the people of Darlington, where he made his name.
This led Shaun to start his research into Arthur the very next day and began Shaun’s story of championing the legacy of Arthur Wharton.
In 2008, legendary music icon Stevie Wonder (pictured above, centre) invited Shaun and former pro footballer George Boateng (pictured above, right) on stage at his concert to unveil the first maquette (pictured below) of Arthur Wharton.
Aims
The foundation’s campaign to see Arthur Wharton celebrated and honoured appropriately has three primary aims:
- To create and raise awareness of Arthur Wharton’s pioneering and trailblazing legacy in athletics, football and sport.
- To ensure that there is a meaningful testament to the legacy of Arthur Wharton in the form of a statue.
- To work towards the promotion of embracing culture and diversity, and to fight against racism in sport and beyond, using Arthur Wharton’s story to inspire, motivate and educate.
View Arthur Wharton’s patrons.
Support the Arthur Wharton Foundation.
