Black Voices In Conversation: Shaun Campbell on the legacy of Arthur Wharton - the world's first black footballer

"Until black history matters, black lives will never matter": Watch our interview with Shaun Campbell

Black Voices In Conversation is a new series of interviews by ITV News to mark Black History Month 2020. Across the UK and Northern Ireland we have spoken to groundbreaking individuals from the black community to learn about their life experiences and to hear their vision for the future.

Tafadzwa Mudiwa from ITV News Tyne Tees sat down with Shaun Campbell who campaigned for a statue to honour Arthur Wharton. Wharton made his debut for Darlington Football Club in the 1880s and went on to become the world's first black professional footballer.

After hearing about Wharton in 2007, Campbell said he couldn't understand why he had "never been properly celebrated and why he seemingly was almost written out of history".

Shaun told ITV News about the life and times of the footballer, who also played rugby and cricket as well as setting a world record for the 100-yard dash.

Campbell wanted to make sure a fitting tribute was paid to Wharton, so started the Arthur Wharton Foundation.

Shaun told us about how the captain of Middlesbrough FC and, remarkably, American musician Stevie Wonder helped his campaign.

In 2014, a statue of Wharton was erected at St George's Park, the English Football Association's national football centre - but Shaun was determined that the statue would only be the beginning of his mission to create a legacy that can inspire, motivate and "put right the wrongs of history".

Campbell also talks about the challenges he has faced being mixed race.

Watch more interviews from our Black Voices in Conversation series here - or listen below: