A MOBO award-winning rapper and journalist gave an inspirational talk to students in Teesside on Friday.

Hip-hop artist Akala, the younger brother of Ms Dynamite, visited Teesside University to give a talk on the history of black people in Britain.

Prior to a lively Q&A session, Akala highlighted the contributions to British society of diverse figures including Claudia Jones, the political activist known as the ‘mother of Notting Hill Carnival’, Tudor musician John Blanke and radical William Davidson, who was executed for his role in the Cato Street Conspiracy.

He also shared with them information about key moments in UK history, including the 1819 Peterloo Massacre and the 1981 New Cross fire, which killed thirteen youngsters and sparked accusations of a police cover-up.

Before the talk, Akala also spent time with youngsters from the All in Youth project, who had organised his visit.

He said: “It was an amazing session, loads of young people shared their musical creations and set a really high standard.

“They performed, I gave them feedback and it was really beautiful.”

Akala said the lecture that followed was delivered in an attempt to “give us a sense of how long Britain’s interaction with the people of the African continent has been.”

He added: “It was a great session, great questions and interaction from the audience – big up Teesside.”