News & Views

The article examines the rise and fall of political Blackness in the UK, emphasising its role in uniting racialised communities, the effects of division, and the urgent need for renewed cross-community solidarity today.

In 1965, the UK passed the Race Relations Act, its first piece of legislation aimed at outlawing racial discrimination in public places. It was a landmark moment, a recognition that racism was not just a personal failing but a societal issue that required legal intervention. But six decades later, we must ask: how far have we really come? Are we moving forward, or are we regressing?

In this blog post, we revisit the 1964 General Election, when a bitter campaign in a small West Midlands town became a defining moment in modern British race relations. The Smethwick election of that year is still remembered as one of the most openly racist political contests in British history. Sixty years ago, immigration — then as now — acted as a lightning rod for deeper economic and social anxieties. Smethwick, a modest town on the edge of the Black Country, became th

In this blog post, we’ll explore how the concept of a ‘Black community’ in the UK has evolved and whether it remains relevant today. Has the