Lewis Hamilton means business. He is a seven-time Formula One World Champion and has now been named as the most influential black person in Britain by The Powerlist 2021.
The list is a celebration of culture and brings together the most powerful and prominent people from the African, African Caribbean and also African American people within the United Kingdom.
Do you remember the days where we all celebrated and cheered on Schumacher? Well, nowadays we cheer on Hamilton, as the driving star and legend surpassed the all time record of 01 Grand Prix wins, a record that was set by Micheal Schumacher himself.
Apart from this, Hamilton has been at the forefront campaigning for the Black Lives Matter movement and also launched The Hamilton Commission, a charity that aims to promote motorsports in the United Kingdom. And according to most bookmakers, Hamilton is still not done smashing records and making headlines.
If we mention the name Lewis Hamilon in the motorsports niche, you will be greeted with a hubble smile. Hamilton is regarded as a top dog when it comes to driving and he will be remembered as one for the best drivers of our day and age. He has won 7 titles just like Schumacer and is the only driver of colour that has made it to motorsports.
Following the issuing on the Powelist 2021, Hamilton was humbled with the nomination and greeted the news with absolute honour. He expressed the joy of being a black driver within the sport and also hopes that more drivers with various ethnicities will join the sport in the years and seasons to come.
Hamilton praised his fellow contenders within the list and said it is an absolute honour to be mentioned and celebrated with the other people in the list. Lewis pledged that he will continue to instigate change, to promote the sport and continue to be an ambassador for the Black Lives Matter movement across the globe especially within the United Kingdom.
Other prominent people within the Powerlist 2021 include Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford who campaigned endlessly to promote free school meals for children in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic.
Other notable names include Jacqueline McKenzie who was a pillat in the fight for justice during the Windrush Scandal that occurred in 2018. As you can see, the Powerlist is overflowing with notable people that have made a difference to our society. This is sponsored by J.P Morgan and is currently on its 15th year of listing and recognising notable people for their ongoing efforts.
Only yesterday, the individuals listed in the powerlist were celebrated in a Black Excellence Awards online event that was hosted by Kwame Kwei-Armah who is the Artistic Director at the Young Vic Theatre. At this event, J.P Morgan announced that they will be supporting London based NGOs that are led by black and minority leaders. A 2 Million GBP was announced as a philanthropic move to sustain the community.
New to the Powerlist for 2021 include Marcus Rashford, Nurse leader Dame Donna Kinnair who has been a leader in the bursig industry for years. Others include Windrush and human rights lawyer Jacqueline Mc Kenzie, film director Michaela Coel and Mental Health Leader Dr Jacqui Dyer.
When announcing the funding J.P Morgan pledged to work with all the NGO to strengthen their market presence, offer stable jobs, financial stability and mentoring. All of this is in collaboration with the London Community of Foundation.
Viswas Raghavan, the CEO of J.P Morgan EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) stated that ‘ The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on the health and finances of Black and ethnic minority communities, highlighting and exacerbating structural barriers to economic opportunity.
“As part of our global commitment to racial equity, JPMorgan Chase is focused on helping develop local, community-driven solutions to help historically underserved Londoners share in the benefits of an inclusive economy.”
The Powerlist for 2021 is listed below:
- Lewis Hamilton MBE – Seven-time Formula One World Champion
- Professor Kevin Fenton (New) – Regional Director PHE London
- Stormzy – Grime Artist, Philanthropist
- Michaela Coel (New) – Actress, Screenwriter, Director
- Edward Enniful OBE – Editor-in-chief, British Vogue
- Dame Donna Kinnair – CEO & General Secretary, Royal College of Nursing
- Jacqueline McKenzie – Director at Centre for Migration Advice and Research and McKenzie, Beute and Pope
- David Olusoga OBE – Historian
- Afua Hirsch – Journalist, Author, Broadcaster
- Richard Iferenta – Partner and Vice Chair, KPMG LLP
Responsible for the Powerlist and the people behind the lost is Powerful Media. Other sponsors include PwC, Linklaters, The Leadership Council, Hrmn Miller and Facebook.
One of the main sponsors PwC stated that this is their second year sponsoring the Powerlist and one of their main goals is to celebrate the successes of people of colour in the United Kingdom.
Other sponsors joined in to celebrate the people that made it to the Powerlist, congratulated the nominees and encouraged them to keep on in their quest to influence the people of colour of tomorrow.
In the meantime, since the Formula One Season is in full swing, we encourage you to bet on Lewis Hamilton. The driver advised that seeing the George Floyd matter unfold has brought up so many suppressed memories for him.
The driver thanked everyone that helped him make the list and pledged to keep being a catalyst for change, acceptance and also greatness. According to most bookmakers, Hamilton will be the overall winner of the F1 this season.
Worth a bet or two, don’t you think?