Migrants In Britain: 5.5

Question 1

Who was Claudia Jones and what did she do ?

Answer 1

• Trinidadian civil rights activist and communist
  [] she was an active civil rights activist in the US, helping black communities organise rent strikes against white landlords that overcharged them
  [] 1955, deported for her activity in civil rights and communist circles and moved to England
• founded the West Indian Gazette in 1958; the first major black newspaper in Britain
  [] significant, as newspapers were the main way to receive important news, opportunities and job vacancies important to the black community
  [] any stories in white newspapers about black people were racist, accusatory of black people as rapists or criminals, or sensationalised
  [] newspapers were also useful in arranging/publicising equal rights campaigns
  [] the office in Brixton received many racially charged letters from the KKK, and was even attacked by them at a point
• lobbied for black people to move past colour bars in employment
  [] argued for promotion of black people in the TFL and NHS
  [] argued for hiring of black people in places like banks and other skilled jobs
• campaigned against racist governmental policies like the 1962 Commonwealth immigration policy (allowed white Commonwealth migration but restricted black Commonwealth migration)
• organised the Caribbean Carnival which ran from 30 January 1959 until her death in 1964 as a DIRECT response to the Notting Hill and Nottingham race riots of 1958
  [] sponsored by the West Indian Gazette
  [] the first one was held indoors at St. Pancras Town Hall, King’s Cross, and was televised live on the BBC; many leading black British music artists performed
  [] the Carnival included lots of black music, food, celebration of black culture, as well as a beauty pageant to challenge Eurocentric beauty standards that defined black women as “ugly”
  [] some of the money raised in the first Carnival went towards paying the bail of wrongfully arrested black men in the 1958 riots
  [] moved the venue around England to gain publicity and exposure

Question 2

How did Notting Hill Carnival begin ?

Answer 2

• after Claudia Jones’ death in 1964, the Caribbean Carnival (indoor event) stopped for a while
• 1966, Rhaune Leslet (president of the London Free School) wanted to continue Jones’ work, but as an outdoor event in August
• thanks to the pre-existing Caribbean Carnival, many people were already excited to join, and it was easy to find black music artists to perform
• Leslie Palmer, the director of the new Carnival from 1973-75, worked to bring more Caribbean representatives into the event, as well as invite more steel-pan groups, install more sound systems for ‘sound clashes’ and so on; his work popularised the Carnival amongst all groups of people in England, and by 1976, 150 000 attended annually

Question 3

Who led the BBP (British Black Panthers) ?

Answer 3

• Alethia Jones-LeCointe
• Darcus Howe
• Barbara Reese

Question 4

Who were the BBP (British Black Panthers) ?

Answer 4

• black self-defence and community action group inspired by the American Black Panthers
• founded in 1968
  [] campaigned for civil rights
  [] campaigned against police brutality
  [] educated about black history and legal rights
  [] provided legal aid to black people
  [] helped to build a sense of black community
  [] helped black people to find homes, better jobs and good healthcare
  [] championed black power like the American Black Panthers
  [] campaigned for social issues

Question 5

What was the significance of the Mangrove restaurant and Frank Crichlow for the black community ?

Answer 5

• served good Caribbean food
• a community hub
• many famous musicians both black and white enjoyed eating there (like Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Diana Ross etc.)
• BBP used it as a meeting place
• Notting Hill Carnival organisers also met there
• Crichlow had a lawyer in the restaurant who would give legal advice to (young) black people suffering under the Sus law or police brutality
• Crichlow sponsored the Mangrove Steel Band
  [] gave black young people a chance to learn a new skill and connect with their culture + entertain the community

Question 6

What caused the Mangrove march in August 1970 ?

Answer 6

• from 1969-1970, 9 police raids on the grounds of trying to find drugs
• never found any drugs; highly likely the raids were simply racist or to disturb the peace of the black community and instill fear that made them easier to oppress and control

Question 7

Describe the setting-up and events of the march to ‘protect the Mangrove’ from police action

Answer 7

• set-up:
  [] BBP helped organise the march
  [] set up the Action Group for the Defence of the Mangrove, which sent a letter to the British Home Office, the PM, the leader of the opposition and the high commissioners of Trinidad, Guyana, Jamaica and Barbados detailing the plans for the march
• events:
  [] took place on the 9th of August 1970
  [] 150+ marchers, none armed o aggressive
  [] monitored by the Special Branch of police (disproportionate amount of police to marchers)
  [] many arrests were made on that day, including the Mangrove Nine on the grounds that the protesters had tried to incite racial violence (baseless)

Question 8

Who were the Mangrove Nine ?

Answer 8

• the leaders of the BBP
  [] Darcus Howe
  [] Alethia Jones-LeCointe
  [] Barbara Reese
• Frank Crichlow
• Rhodan Gordon (who later set up the Unity Association and other black self-help groups)
• Rothwell Kentish
• activists:
  [] Rupert Boyce
  [] Anthony Innis
  [] Godfrey Millett

Question 9

Why were the Mangrove Nine tried in court ?

Answer 9

• at first magistrates threw the charges out
• then the Director of Public Prosecutions insisted on pressing charges for inciting violence against the Mangrove Nine

Question 10

Where was the trial against the Mangrove Nine and why is it significant ?

Answer 10

• the Old Bailey
• only the MOST SERIOUS TRIALS there
• insisted there by Home Secretary
  [] works to make black activists look violent and unreasonable, dangerous etc.
  [] incites racist white attitudes against black activists and decreases media support

Question 11

What was significant about the Mangrove Nine’s jury ?

Answer 11

• Mangrove Nine wanted to be tried by an all black jury to fulfill “tried by their peers” law
• rejected 63 jurors, but final jury only had two black jurors
  [] shows power of activists in getting that many jurors rejected, but also the extreme institutional racism in refusing to give more than two black people/jurors the power to decide on the verdict of the Mangrove Nine, allowing it easier for white bias and prejudice to run the case

Question 12

What happened during the trial and what was the verdict + its significance ?

Answer 12

• during:
  [] case focused on accusations of police brutality and racism from MN side
  [] Howe + Jones defended themselves in court and broke down the persecution’s case, showing much of police evidence to be falsified or exaggerated to suit racist ends
  [] helped the jury to see the MN as victims and not dangerous revolutionary criminals
  [] attracted HUGE media coverage; made it clear that racism exists in the police and government, made clear black standpoint and how racism affects black people’s lives negatively
• verdict:
  [] all MN acquitted of serious charges
  [] 4/9 given suspended sentences for minor offences
  [] judge ruled that “there is clearly evidence of racial hatred on both sides”
  [] this admission of racism in the government and police was huge and made clear that black people were the victims of extreme racism
  [] helped to further civil rights campaigns in Britain + inspired many to organise against institutional racism