7 South Asian political Blackness in Britain
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Saffron East
Abstract
When and how were South Asian people Black? This chapter explores three historical case study movements in which South Asian actors engaged with Black political identity: the Black People’s Alliance (BPA), Southall Youth Movement (SYM) and Southall Black Sisters (SBS). The chapter uses the archival records of these movements to demonstrate that this political Blackness was socialist, anti-racist and anti-colonial in nature, bringing together racialised communities across a translocal network. The chapter argues that South Asian political Blackness was not homogeneous, and instead was characterised by locality, gender and generation. While the BPA – a first-generation male-dominated movement – focused on on-the-street demonstrations and strikes surrounding issues of immigration and workplace racism, SYM – a hyper-masculine second generation movement – focused on issues of police brutality and carceral racism, and SBS – a South-Asian-led Black feminist group – focused on autonomous organisation to tackle sexism within their community as well as British state racism. All three movements were Black and included South Asian people in their leadership, yet the nature of their activism differed based on the diverging politics and lived experiences of these leaders. Using these historical case studies and an analysis of more recent discourse surrounding the question of South Asian Blackness, the chapter explores how this history can inform anti-racist unity and solidarity in the present. It argues that, today, new lexicons of solidarity are more pertinent in fostering collective action among racialised socialist movements.
Abstract
When and how were South Asian people Black? This chapter explores three historical case study movements in which South Asian actors engaged with Black political identity: the Black People’s Alliance (BPA), Southall Youth Movement (SYM) and Southall Black Sisters (SBS). The chapter uses the archival records of these movements to demonstrate that this political Blackness was socialist, anti-racist and anti-colonial in nature, bringing together racialised communities across a translocal network. The chapter argues that South Asian political Blackness was not homogeneous, and instead was characterised by locality, gender and generation. While the BPA – a first-generation male-dominated movement – focused on on-the-street demonstrations and strikes surrounding issues of immigration and workplace racism, SYM – a hyper-masculine second generation movement – focused on issues of police brutality and carceral racism, and SBS – a South-Asian-led Black feminist group – focused on autonomous organisation to tackle sexism within their community as well as British state racism. All three movements were Black and included South Asian people in their leadership, yet the nature of their activism differed based on the diverging politics and lived experiences of these leaders. Using these historical case studies and an analysis of more recent discourse surrounding the question of South Asian Blackness, the chapter explores how this history can inform anti-racist unity and solidarity in the present. It argues that, today, new lexicons of solidarity are more pertinent in fostering collective action among racialised socialist movements.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Series editors’ foreword vii
- List of abbreviations viii
- Introduction – Anti- racism in Britain 1
- I Domestic, imperial and global anti-racist alliances and encounters 23
- 1 Countering racial discrimination in Britain, 1880s–1913 25
- 2 From racist humanitarianism to colonial human rights 44
- 3 George Orwell, pan-Africanism and reconciling antiimperialism with ‘Britishness’ 64
- 4 British anti-racism in Australia 79
- II Anti- racism and the making of post imperial Britain 101
- 5 Celebrating African culture in the north- east of England, 1930s–40s 103
- 6 British Jews and the Race Relations Acts 124
- 7 South Asian political Blackness in Britain 143
- 8 ‘Unfinished activisms’ 164
- III Anti-racism, memory and identity 185
- 9 Memory, multiculturalism and anti- racism in east London, 1990–2006 187
- 10 Tartan inclusivity or workers’ internationalism? The St Andrew’s Day Anti-Racism March and Rally in Scotland 207
- 11 ‘Martin Luther King fought for a colour-blind society’ 228
- Afterword 247
- Index 254
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Series editors’ foreword vii
- List of abbreviations viii
- Introduction – Anti- racism in Britain 1
- I Domestic, imperial and global anti-racist alliances and encounters 23
- 1 Countering racial discrimination in Britain, 1880s–1913 25
- 2 From racist humanitarianism to colonial human rights 44
- 3 George Orwell, pan-Africanism and reconciling antiimperialism with ‘Britishness’ 64
- 4 British anti-racism in Australia 79
- II Anti- racism and the making of post imperial Britain 101
- 5 Celebrating African culture in the north- east of England, 1930s–40s 103
- 6 British Jews and the Race Relations Acts 124
- 7 South Asian political Blackness in Britain 143
- 8 ‘Unfinished activisms’ 164
- III Anti-racism, memory and identity 185
- 9 Memory, multiculturalism and anti- racism in east London, 1990–2006 187
- 10 Tartan inclusivity or workers’ internationalism? The St Andrew’s Day Anti-Racism March and Rally in Scotland 207
- 11 ‘Martin Luther King fought for a colour-blind society’ 228
- Afterword 247
- Index 254
