Unveiling of a memorial plaque to Pastor Daniels Ekarte and the African Churches Mission
Pastor George Daniel Daniels Ekarte (known as Daniels Ekarte) was a minister and community activist. Originally from Nigeria, he arrived in Liverpool around 1915, establishing the African Churches Mission in Hill Street, Toxteth in 1931. The mission served not only as a place of worship, but also provided a hostel and community facilities. This included a canteen providing cheap meals with free breakfasts for local children, in addition to music and secondary school classes. The mission also helped directly in cases of financial hardship.
As an activist, he supported a strike by African seamen demanding parity with their European colleagues on wages, living conditions and rations. He also advocated on the issue of ‘brown babies’ i.e. those fathered by African American servicemen stationed in Britain. Some were cared for at the mission when given up by their white mothers, marriage then being prohibited by the American Army.
Pastor Daniels died aged 67 in 1964, the same year the Mission was demolished by the city council.
Liverpool Black History Research Group (LBHRG) cordially invites you to the unveiling of a memorial plaque to commemorate the African Churches Mission on Saturday July 13th, 1pm at 151 Hill Street, the corner of Park Place (Road) and Hill Street, L8 5UL (opposite St. Patrick’s Church). See map below.
Update: July 2024
The unveiling of a plaque to the African Churches Mission and Pastor Daniels Ekarte took place on Saturday 13th July – the plaque was unveiled by Cilla and Joe Ankrah who both attended the Mission when they were children (picture above).
The unveiling was reported in the Liverpool Echo
Many thanks to Plus Dane Housing for allowing us to place a plaque on the site of the former African Churches Mission.
This memorial plaque has been achieved through funds raised by the Liverpool Black History Research Group, in collaboration with the Liverpool Enslaved Memorial project.