| Description | Papers of the Black Peoples Alliance and papers and publications of other black organisations active in Britain during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Jagmohan Joshi was convenor, and a founder member of the Black Peoples Alliance, which was established by a number of black organisations following Enoch Powell's 'rivers of blood' speech in April 1968. The Black Peoples Alliance and Indian Workers Association worked together on several campaigns against racism and imperialism during this period. It is likely that the Indian Workers Association also supported the activities of the other organisations whose papers are featured here.
Black Peoples Alliance material consists of:
/1 open letter to James Callaghan, Home Secretary of Harold Wilson's Labour government, condemning the public assault of a Nigerian diplomat following an alleged parking offence, and the treatment of five black youths arrested by Brixton police following this incident, November 1969
/2 Black Peoples Alliance newsletter, January/February 1970, containing articles on racist attacks on black and Asian people worldwide, and further information about the incidents in Brixton in November 1969 which resulted in the arrest of a group of young black people following the assault of a Nigerian diplomat
/3 flyer giving information about a demonstration by 'black and white militants' to protests at the 'extradition and plot to murder Bobby Seale, chairman of the Black Panther Party in the US' following his imprisonment in California, and against police harassment of demonstrators and the arrest of other 'black and white militants'. The demonstration took place at Hyde Park, followed by a march to the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square, March 1970
/4 open letter delivered by the Black Peoples Alliance demonstration to the US Embassy in London 15 March 1970, condemning the actions of the US authorities against the Black Panther Party, the oppression of black people in America, and US imperialism in Vietnam. The letter is signed by Jagmohan Joshi, convenor of the Black Peoples Alliance
/5 undated leaflet giving information about a forum on national liberation struggles in Africa, Asian and the Caribbean at Dr Johnson's House, Birmingham, 20 July. The leaflet gives the names of the speakers at this forum, and discusses the need for all black peoples to campaign against racism and British and American imperialism.
/6 undated leaflet in Punjabi issued by the Black People's Alliance. It addresses some of the criticisms raised against the formation, programme and activities of the organisation
Material of other black organisations consists of:
/7 pamphlet entitled 'Play the Black Man: Britain's Race Laws' prepared and published by the West Indian Standing Conference. The pamphlet explains the terms of the Race Relations Act 1965, and discusses its limitations
/8 pamphlet entitled 'The Unsquare Deal: London's Bus Colour Bar', prepared and published by the West Indian Standing Conference, July 1967. The pamphlet investigates cases of racial discrimination within London Transport, particularly against Barbadian migrants who applied for promotion
/9 Black Power newsletter published by the Universal Coloured Peoples Association [UCPA] and People's Voice September 1968
/10 Black People's News Service, a newsletter published by the Black Panther Movement in Britain, December 1969. The newsletter contains national and international news, including articles about the arrest of young black people in Brixton following the assault of a Nigerian diplomat; several cases of police brutality against black people; the activities of the Black Panther movement in America; and life for black people in Zimbabwe/Rhodesia
/11 copy of Afro-Asian Solidarity, the journal of the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Movement, volume 1, number 3, April 1970. This organisation appears to have been a Maoist Communist group, and the journal contains several articles about the People's Republic of China, as well as other pieces about revolutionary and anti-imperialist struggles across the world
/12 constitution of the United Black People's Organisation, Sheffield, undated. The reverse of this constitution contains handwritten notes in Jagmohan Joshi's writing concerning the activities of the Black Peoples Alliance and Universal Coloured Peoples Association
/13 open letter to supporters from the Black Unity and Freedom Party, discussing the organisation's aims, objectives and activities, and enquiring whether other black movements would consider developing their relations with this group, undated.
/14 leaflet listing the aims and objectives of the Racial Adjustment Action Society, and calling on black people in Britain to participate in the movement. The leaflet is signed by the group's organiser, Roy Sawh, undated
/15 undated flyer protesting against the formation of a 'National Black People's Organisation', described by the flyer as a 'National Uncle Toms Organisation' by black professional people who 'have made it in white society'. The flyer gives a list of some of the committee members of this group, and claims that its formation 'is an attempt to recreate CARD..this is setting us back 10 years' |
| AdminHistory | The Black Peoples Alliance was formed from a number of black and Asian campaign organisations at a meeting at Leamington Spa in 1968, partly as a reaction to Enoch Powell's inflammatory speeches against immigration. A steering committee of six, headed by Jagmohan Joshi and including Roy Sawh, chairman of the Black Power movement, Zakaria Chaudry, Tony Huq, Abdul Matin from the National Federation of Pakistani Associations and Ivan Kelly of the West Indian Standing Conference in Birmingham was established. The Black People's Alliance considered that black workers needed to unite to fight for themselves as black people in Britain, and the organisation campaigned with other black and Asian led groups against racism and imperialism during the late 1960s and 1970s. |