Ita Ekpenyon

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Ita Ekpenyon (1899–1951) was a Nigerian teacher and actor who was also the only known black Air Raid Precautions (ARP) warden in the United Kingdom. Ekpenyon was a teacher in Nigeria but came to London to study law. A speaker of the Efik language, he contributed to a textbook that was used by colonial authorities in Nigeria. Ekpenyon later taught the language to American actor Paul Robeson, with whom he acted in the 1930s films Sanders of the River and King Solomon's Mines. When the Second World War broke out, being too old to serve in the military, he joined the ARP service as a warden. He recounted that some London residents regarded him as lucky because of the colour of his skin, but he also encountered casual racism. Ekpenyon witnessed foreign nationals being barred from one air raid shelter and intervened to persuade the occupants to admit the newcomers; the incident was made into an animated film in 2010. Ekpenyon wrote a memoir on his ARP service and also featured in wartime broadcasts to demonstrate the commitment of West Africans to the war effort. In 2021, a Lucy Worsley docudrama featured Ekpenyon's life. After the war, Ekpenyon gave up on his ambitions for a career in law and became a postman.