Art inspires football kit for Black History Month

The new strip has been designed for Black History Month

A painting depicting a slavery abolitionist and his family has inspired new artwork that will be displayed on Cambridge United's football kit.

The 2022 painting - An Eighteenth-Century Family - was recently acquired by the Fitzwilliam Museum in the city. Painted by artist Joy Labinjo, it featured Olaudah Equiano, his wife Susanna Cullen, and their daughters.

The museum worked with the football club, young people from charity Romsey Mill and digital artist Antonio Roberts to design a limited-edition kit for the team.

It will be worn by Cambridge United's first team for a special match on Saturday during Black History Month, and will subsequently be auctioned to raise funds for charity.

The painting, An Eighteenth-Century Family, has been used to inspire a special football kit design

The initiative was conceived as part of the Fitzwilliam's commitment to bring culture and community together, highlighting themes of identity, legacy, and representation in a tangible, relevant way, the museum said.

"This project is about more than designing a kit," said Michael Corley, its interim deputy director of learning and public programmes.

"It's about these three key organisations coming together to celebrate the extraordinary ambitions of people both past and present."

African anti-slavery activist Olaudah Equiano was born in about 1745, was sold into slavery as a child, but managed to earn enough to buy his freedom.

He married an English woman, Susanna Cullen, and lived in Soham in Cambridgeshire with their daughters.

Equiano came to prominence in the late 18th Century as a leading black campaigner for the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

African anti-slavery activist Olaudah Equiano lived in Cambridgeshire

The colourful design will be worn on Saturday

Romsey Mill's youth development worker, Laura Kahlbaum, said: "[We're] passionate about collaborating with local organisations like The Fitzwilliam Museum and Cambridge United to create exciting opportunities that our young people might not otherwise experience.

"It's particularly meaningful when these opportunities are not only unique but also deeply significant, like this one, which celebrates Black History Month."

Alex Tunbridge, the chief executive of Cambridge United, said: "At Cambridge United, we believe football has the power to bring communities together and shine a light on important stories.

"This collaboration with the Fitzwilliam Museum and Romsey Mill is about more than a shirt - it's about celebrating Black heritage, educating through creativity, and giving a platform to voices that deserve to be heard.

"We're proud to play our part during Black History Month and beyond."