1968 RACE RELATIONS ACT

Reflections of a Windrush Descendant

Myparentsandextendedfamilywereamongthegroupof immigrantsinthe1960sforwhomattemptsweremade tolegislativelyaddressthedepthofracialdiscrimination and societal exclusion they faced;for example,being denied public housing,while at the same time being also denied a mortgageortheabilitytopurchaseinsurance,allbecauseofthecolour oftheirskin.TheRaceRelationsActsof1965,1968and1976 emerged, offered varying degrees of protection against racial discrimination, with each Act strengthening weaknesses in the preceding one. TheRaceRelationsAct 1965was thefirst Act but didnot provide any relief to my relatives from any of the fundamental barriers that society had constructed for them (and others).Within months of its enactment,the defects and deficiencies of the Act were obvious;for example,the Act made discrimination in some limited respects a criminal offence punishable by a fine.However,people who discriminated,suchaslandlordsandbusinessownerswereprepared to pay damages in civil cases,or a fine in a criminal case,as the price for continuing to subject a section of society to acts of indignity. It therefore could not have remained in place if racial inequality were to have been treated as a serious social problem. The pressure to address these short¬comings was immediate and extensive,which coincided with the Political and Economic Planning (PEP) report that was published in April 1967.The report documented multiple instances of racial discrimination and concluded that there was substantial discrimination in Britain against non-white immigrants in employment,in housing and in the provision of certain services,such as motor insurance and car hire. The report was largely responsible for the 1968 Act which followed but could also be seen as representative of the process of the changes taking place at the time,particularly in the United States.Consequently,Parliament yielded to pressure and the second Race Relations Act was passed in 1968,strengthening the provisions of the 1965 Act. The Race Relations Act 1968 prohibited discrimination in both public and private employment,housing and public facilities;this was crucial because these were the spheres in which discrimination against the newly arrived immigrants took place most frequently and had the most significant bearing on most aspects of their everyday lives.Additionally,discrimination within the terms of the 1968Act laterbecameknownasdirect orintentionaldiscrimination. The Race Relations Act 1968 therefore began to prevent and even dismantle barriers blocking equal access to services,public facilities,housing and employment.However,the legislation being basedoncomplaint systembelieditsweakness;thus,anewstrategy becamenecessary,whichwasprovidedintheRaceRelationsAct1976. Itssignificancewasnotonlytighteningupagainstracediscrimination inemployment,providingsomeprotectionfromsummarydismissals ofblackworkersfrom theirjobs,asoftenoccurred,but alsolegislated against direct discrimination.It moved the problems of racial disadvantage away from being deemed to be one solely on the basis of interpersonal relations and laid the foundations for my family to become homeowners and later the more comprehensive Race Relations Act 1976 and consequent policies and regulations that have since advanced equality generally in the UK.

DR VIVIENNE CONNELL-HALL (PHD)

Sociologist and Visiting Lecturer in Social History

Black influences on British culture (1948 to 2016)

PAULA PERRY, BRITISH BLACK HISTORY BOOK BLACK BRITISH HISTORY: BLACK INFLUENCES ON BRITISH CULTURE (1948 TO 2016) is aimed at parents and teachers who would like solid information to teach their children Modern

Black British History,and to exercise the historical skills required by the National

Curriculum.Itisanengaging,well-researched and comprehensive text that you can buy on Friday and put to work on Monday. The book is subtitled 32 HOURS OF

TEACHING AND LEARNING MATERIAL FOR

PARENTS, GUARDIANS, AND TEACHERS OF

SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.Theclasses follow chronologically from 1948 to 2016 dealing with politics and culture,and the role Black British people played. ThebookcontainsaPictureAppendix and a discussion of Black History in the most recent update to the English National

Curriculum.The material is designed for children at Key Stage 3 Level (young people aged 11 to 14). The lessons can work with slightly older or younger people.We,for example,have profitably used this material with adults. The book highlights Black Migrant,African AmericanandBlackBritishinfluenceson the hostcommunity.However,culturalinfluences are always multi directional. Black Migrant culture has massively been shaped by being in the UK.Thus,Black Migrant culture evolved into Black British culturebyadoptinginfluencesfrom thehost cultures.Moreover,the book narrates how Black Britain gradually won acceptance as a part of British mainstream culture through boxing,athletics,football,art,textiles,literature, drama,and politics. Toourknowledge,nootherbookaimedat schoolchildrencarriesthisempoweringcontent.

All BHM readers can receive the book for £10 with £2 p&p instead of £12 with £2 P&P using the link: http://bit./ly/BHMOFFER For bulk orders please enquire at info@you4us.com where orders can be reviewed and discounts applied.