Anna Njie is being recognised as an honorary for Black History Month

WHEN Anna Njie first moved to Islington aged 21, she felt overwhelmed by isolation and rejection as she struggled to make sense of the community around her.

Now, more than three decades later, she’s officially being recognised as an honorary for Black History Month. She will be commended as part of the “Honouring Black Britain 2026” awards programme for her transformative community work within the borough.

Sir Lindsey Hoyle, speaker of the House of Commons, will officially honour her at a reception in Westminster Palace later this month.

Ms Njie founded the Go Africa Community Hub that brings together culture, business and education to engage with the African and Caribbean communities in Islington.

They have also run a series of black-owned business markets from Chapel Market, the last of which took place last weekend.

Ms Njie told the Tribune she was “in shock” after receiving an email confirming she was a recipient.

“I was told that I’d been nominated for this award by multiple people within the community, I still don’t know who!” she said.

“This one is for Islington because Islington shaped me.

“The bottom line is that I came to the borough when I was just 21, and so I never want another young black woman to come to the area and feel like they don’t belong. When I came to Islington, I was very alone. So I built up a community of other isolated people around me, from scratch.

“I’ve worked with so many black people in the borough who feel isolated, from many different places, and so through my work we always want to give people a place to belong. We want people to be themselves and feel strong in who they are.”

Things have not always been easy, and she said she has been met with significant barriers and difficulties in trying to do the work that she does.

“This is all work that has grown over time. I’ve had to have fights with the council to ensure we can keep doing it how we want, I’ve had to focus really hard on being able to make a difference.

“It was surreal to receive the award – it’s not a recognition for just me alone, it’s a recognition for the whole community.

“Even having these problems and having battled, people have listened and I’ve been able to grow in the work I’ve been doing and I have to thank Islington for that. This award is dedicated to Islington, because of the people I’ve met and the battles I’ve won.”

Black History Month 2026 is centred around the theme of “Honouring Our Communities”, which focuses on “recognising everyday people whose vital contributions often go unseen”.

The official Black History Month organisation said: “Anna Njie’s work is about more than organising events. It is about creating pride, opportunity and connection, and making sure African and Caribbean communities have places they can be seen, supported and empowered.”