The Black Power Movement in Britain: Factors, Influences, and Impact

This essay provides an overview of the Black Power movement in Britain, examining the factors that led to its emergence and development. It explores the concept of Black Power, its objectives, and the context of racial discrimination in both Britain and America. The essay discusses key influences such as Black American thinkers, philosophies like Black nationalism, and figures like Darcus Howe and the impact of the Empire Windrush. It analyses social and political factors, including the Race Relations Act and the Immigration Act, which fueled the movement. Furthermore, the essay highlights the movement's impact on American culture, the importance of unity, and the struggle for economic equality, ultimately contributing to the fight against discrimination and police brutality. The essay also provides details on the Black Power movement's roots in the 1960s in the US and its spread to other nations, and the importance of social and political factors that impacted the movement in Britain.

Black Britain

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Factors that influenced Black power movement in Britain.........................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
This present study is going to show effectiveness and importance of formation of Black
power movement which happened in Britain (Pimblott, 2019). It will show reason as why this
movement happened in Britain and one of the main reason which identified is desire of safety
and promoting equality in African American neighborhood. Both countries discriminated
because of different race and colour. It will also show importance as what impacts does it have
on American culture as well as morale of black people. It improved self-confidence and made
feel valued to black people. Lastly, it will also show influencers and factors which influenced
this movement to the great extent and people who supported in making this movement
successful.
MAIN BODY
Factors that influenced Black power movement in Britain
Before discussing about black power movement it is important to understand black
power. Black power is a political slogan whose main aim of developing is self-determination for
African descent people. It mainly emphasizes on racial pride and creating black political
institutions in order to promote black collective interest and also eliminate discrimination which
happen between black and white people. For eliminating this discrimination on the basis of race
and colour, black power movement was being developed in Britain (Jagessar and Reddie, 2016).
Black power movement is an effective social movement which was being developed by
willingness or desire of safety and self-sufficiency. In this context it is also identified that black
power activist founded black owned bookstores, media, farms, ambulance services and food
cooperatives. There were several factors and people who affected this black power movement
such as: Black American thinkers (Robert F.William) as their views can be seen as the
cornerstone. Some philosophies like Black nationalism, Pan Americanism also influenced and
affected this movement. In this context it is stated that the Black American radical Carmichael
spoke in gathering of Camden that Black people have right to live in Britain and by saying this
he motivated Black people in order to organize against white power. After some years, several
black power groups in Britain created. Among all, some Black group wanted to use ineffective
guerrilla tactics in order to overthrow British state. Rest of groups wanted to develop a mass
movement by which they can bring changes (Rhodes, 2017). All radicals or loose parliamentary
political grouping associated with black power as they believe that black people also have right

or power to save themselves and their community and be safe in Britain and also can use force if
required.
For more supporting this black power movement, Darcus Howe took active participation.
He was traveling from Trinidad to Britain, thinking that British people will welcome him in an
effective manner because he was a fellow member of British Empire but his all expectations vain
because Britain was not like as he thought because Britain was poorer and there was
preconceived opinion. He was then offered a well pay but he was educated and by thinking of all
people he refused to work in well pay and began working as journalist for Hustler. He also
experienced discrimination in housing, job market so, he took participate in black power
movement (Darcus Howe and Britain's Black Power Movement, 2017). Black dimension
magazine were also being published as it was one of the main and effective source because it
helped in understanding all reasons as well as consequences of migration. Initially, first
generation of migrants who all were involved in black power movement were more likely to
believed that Britain was an effective and beloved mother country which respect of all culture.
But in reality they found that it discriminates which caused widespread disillusionment. This
black power movement had great impact on American culture and society. It made a sense of
racial pride and also increased self-esteem in Black people. One of the main key of success of
black power movement and elimination of discrimination on the basis of race and colour was
unity as black people were told that it is all up to them to improve their lives and protect their
society against discrimination so, they require choosing effective ways and support by which
they can prove themselves and make a strong identify in Britain (Bryan, Dadzie and Scafe,
2018). It can be said that this movement started or formed because of promoting safety and self-
determination because it was not available before inside red lined African-American
neighborhoods. It was also found that those people having financial stability and ability to afford
to house, they settled in mother country Britain.
Several acts formed in this regard of living in Britain and as per the Naturalization act
1844, All alien can stay in Britain only if they provide all information like age, residence, trade
and swear an oath of allegiance. After providing all these issues in an accurate manner they are
allowed to stay in Britain by issuing certificate. Several amendments happened in nationality act
and commonwealth immigrant acts because as per the existing act, those British women who
marry with foreign men, will loss British nationality. One of the other main concern and issue

was using and consideration migrants. So, British nationality act considered this point or area
and that is why rather using words like migrants and immigrants it used alien. Someone from the
British Caribbean settling to live in the UK was not idea ted in the act as migrating or migrants.
Labor shortage was one of the main problems at that time because of immigration. UK citizen As
started to leave country at a steady rate in order to start a new life in commonwealth countries.
As per the act of 1948, all those people come under citizenship of Britain who came from
the UK into 1950s and were citizen of CUKC, whether they have been born in and if they had a
connection to remaining colonies or if their father was CUKC at the time of birth so, overall it
can be said that any type of relation with country can be known and considered as Britain
citizenship.
It can overall be said that the main aim of development of black power movement was
gaining economic equality, eliminating discrimination and also police brutality. Having
economic equality is not a right of all countries and people of different cultures but it is
important for improving overall living standard of people and decreasing the gap between the
poor and the rich and also improving relationship between neighborhoods countries. When world
war 3 ended then around 3000-4000 Caribbean ex-servicemen stayed in the UK and with local
white British women raised families. They all were being asked to support their culture and
defend Britain in order to rebuild their country but they denied indirectly. Empire Windrush was
one of the main influencers who grab attention of members of parliament and British Media who
were not welcoming in an effective manner (Kenrick, 2020). The ship brought more than 1000
passengers in which most of the passengers were Caribbean British as well as ethnically diverse.
It is also stated that many es-servicemen in the UK and women were ignored at the time of world
war 3 and majorities of people of the UK who even did not see situation were Black and it was
the main key factor which influenced this black power movement in Britain. Before the landing
of Empire Windrush, all people were seen as migrants and not as a Caribbean British settler. It
was the main thing from which they all got hurt and it was disrespect even after knowing that
most of the British served Britain in world war 3. It has put negative effect on media because
their arrival was not respectful and it also has great impact on their mind regarding settlement in
Britain as how they will live and how they will get equal ans fair chance or opportunities etc. It is
also identified that for around past 400 years British people tried to settled in other countries like
Canada, Australia, North America. And that is why the main question arise here if British people

could have been accepted and agreed to settle in countries then what would life have been like
and some answers were being received and found that no specific changes. But now situation has
been changed because of development of laws and acts.
In 1967 the black movement started in UK which was based on political slogan. In 1960s the
movement was popular in US but with time it started spread into other nations. The black power
is based on ideology which express political goals from defense against racial oppression.
It is found that there are several factors which influence this movement in Britain. it has
been analysed that in 1976 in north London there occurred strict of black workers. It was led by
Asian women. the strike was done to support black power movement in US. besides that, in Race
relation act 1976 was passed in which legal sanctions were there against racial discrimination.
This gave them propaganda related to inequality being faced by those people in nation. thus, they
started rising voice against it and protesting as well. So, it was social factor which influenced
people to engage or support black movement in Britain ( Jagessar and Reddie, 2016).
In addition to it, the British race relation and America civil rights movement was a crucial
factor in this. the act separated rights of people in Britain. however, civil right movement started
in US was to end to racial discrimination. hence, these both are also factor that influenced.
Moreover, it is found that another factor due to which this movement influenced was political
one. here, in 1962 immigration act it reversed party commitment. thus, it states that British
people was racist. so, due to it Black people come forward to raise for their political rights. So, in
anti colonial traditions in UK there began rise in political struggles of black generation.
(Rhodes, 2017).
Besides that, another factor was inequality which was being faced by Black people in
UK. they were not given equal rights by government. However, several acts were passed as well
to limit rights of black people. Black people were not equally treated in Britain. One of the factor
behind it was that activists lost their motivation to pursue political revolution as a practical aim
and redirected their energies into self help projects with more immediately demonstrable results,
cultural forms of resistance, or increasingly nebulous intellectual debates about revolutionary
theory. in journal written on black revolution in 1971 lead to rise in black campaign. also, people
were highly inspired with US revolution of movement.
The reputation of IWA siouthall was factor which is observed as middle class organization. the
party supported CPI along with CPGB. It made a sense of racial pride and also increased self-

esteem in Black people. One of the main key of success of black power movement and
elimination of discrimination on the basis of race and colour was unity as black people were told
that it is all up to them to improve their lives and protect their society against discrimination so,
they require choosing effective ways and support by which they can prove themselves and make
a strong identify in Britain. so, this was reason due to which colour discrimination was done with
black people. (Bryan, Dadzie and Scafe, 2018). Having economic equality is not a right of all
countries and people of different cultures but it is important for improving overall living standard
of people and decreasing the gap between the poor and the rich and also improving relationship
between neighborhoods countries.
Thus, it is stated that in the movement the main factor which influenced was
social and political one. It is because in Britain black people started feeling that they are being
discriminated and not given equal rights in terms of political as well as social one. So, they
started raising voice for their rights. Moreover, in factories as well black people were
discriminated on basis of wages. this led to doing protest against it. However, as movement
already began in US and other countries so it provided a push to black people in Britain to get
equal rights for them. So, as they were already facing discrimination from society it added to
their factor in movement as well. So, this shaped entire movement in Britain and forced black
people to start protesting against society and government. it was done with aim of getting equal
rights.
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been summarized that black power movement had affected
on American culture and also it allowed Black people to get equal and far rights as like
Americans of living in Britain and getting effective treatment. Before starting of black power
movement, many people experienced discrimination in Britain only because of their colour and
race. So, it has shown some reasons of formation or development of this movement and one of
the main reasons was safety and self-determination to black people in Britain as well as
eliminating discrimination. Lastly, it has discussed effectiveness of laws like naturalization,
citizenship and others which also helped and black power movement. Some factors affected this
movement like labour shortage and others.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Bryan, B., Dadzie, S. and Scafe, S., 2018. The heart of the race: Black women's lives in Britain.
Verso Books.
Jagessar, M.N. and Reddie, A.G. eds., 2016. Black Theology in Britain: A Reader. Routledge.
Kenrick, D., 2020. Thinking Black: Britain 1964–1985. By Rob Waters.
Pimblott, K., 2019. Thinking Black: Britain, 1964-1985. By Rob Waters. Journal of Social
History.
Rhodes, J., 2017. Framing the Black Panthers: The spectacular rise of a Black Power icon.
University of Illinois Press.
Online
Darcus Howe and Britain's Black Power Movement. 2017. [Online]. Available through
<https://www.ourmigrationstory.org.uk/oms/darcus-howe-and-britains-black-power-movement>