32:
702:. In addition, the lack of the word "party" in its title was deemed to be of crucial significance - signalling a potential retreat from outright battles in the political arena. A few months later the BUFP convened for the last time and formally transferred all of their collective assets to the new organisation, before permanently adjourning their last General Meeting.
441:
The journal was published in editions of up to 24 pages with print runs of up to 2,000 between one and four times a year (although it was initially intended to be a monthly journal). However, in the late 1990s print runs were reduced to as little as 500 copies, appearing once or twice a year. The
662:
However, probably the most familiar member, at least to other activists among London's
African-Caribbean fringe political groups was Minkah Adofoh, who had joined the organisation in the late 1970s and, after 20 years of continuous BUFP activism, became one of the founding members of the group's
650:
However, one member did achieve a small amount of posthumous recognition. Afruika Bantu (formerly
Annette Blair), whose membership lasted more or less continuously (with occasionally breaks) from the mid-1970s until her death in 2000, was honoured in the renaming of the Tulse Hill weekend school
593:
Even during its heyday in the early 1970s the BUFP was an extremely small organisation, never having more than about fifty paid-up members. For most of its history membership fluctuated between about 10 to 15. Its low point was in 1983, when following a split, it dwindled to just three regular
642:
Indeed, anonymity played a fairly constant role in the organisation's activities. Perhaps surprisingly, most of the membership, although often of labouring class origins, were employed either as professionals - such as teachers, doctors or accountants – or as minor local authority officials.
566:(founded by Kwame Ture), the "Kwame Nkrumah Convention People's Party" and the "Movement for African People's Unity" to establish the "African United Action Front" with a view to joint activities. The organisation also gave initial support to Omali Yeshitela's call for establishing an
643:
Therefore, in order to protect their membership of a far-left, radical organisation becoming known, some members would either adopt pseudonyms when addressing public meetings, such as "Lumumba" – or just use their first name, such as "Sister
Annette", etc. This was also true of
425:" assertion that "contradiction'" between the working classes of all ethnic groups and capitalism was paramount, outweighing the contradictions between workers of different ethnic groups. In other words, it envisaged anti-capitalist unity between "black" and "white" workers.
428:
A typical issue throughout the 1970s and 1980s might contain an article about violent incidents between the
British police and African-Caribbean or Asian residents, often referred to as "police brutality". In addition there would be pieces about the
453:
Contributors, editors, page production workers and sales workers were all unpaid. Print was purchased at commercial rates from sympathetic printers. Participation in street paper sales was considered to be an unpaid duty of party membership.
442:
main avenue of distribution was BUFP members standing on city street corners and engaging (usually black) citizens in conversation. Some editions were placed in left-wing or black-owned bookshops, such as the Index Book Centre and the
433:
regime in South Africa and party analyses of various controversies such as the education of
African-Caribbean children in British schools. For several years in the early 1980s, the party published articles by the American Professor
236:". Alrick (Ricky) Xavier Cambridge, George Joseph, Danny Morrell and Sonia Chang, among others, were involved in its foundation. In its early years the organisation had three branches, two in London and one in Manchester.
685:
In 1998, after two years of internal discussion and public consultation, BUFP members, along with several members of the public launched the
African People's Liberation Organisation (APLO). The APLO was far more
597:
Members were particularly visible in support of public black community protest campaigns and demonstrations involving alleged 'police brutality' and other allegations of "racially motivated" violence such as the
395:. This was printed in the form of a tabloid newspaper with pictures and articles documenting British and international political developments from a party perspective. In 1995 they changed the paper to
617:
The Black
Panthers (named after America's Black Panther Party), which was in origins and programme quite similar to the BUFP, had some members who achieved high public profiles in the UK, such as
678:
sales were down to about 1,000 a year. A radical revision aimed to create a new body with more appeal to the
African-Caribbean youths who had grown up in a post-apartheid, post-colonial and post-
268:
By 1970, migration to
Britain from the country's former colonies in the Caribbean, West Africa and South Asia had led to substantial communities in its major cities, particularly London,
883:
538:
The BUFP was never a wealthy organisation, and did very little serious fundraising. It therefore lacked capital to invest in activities such as publishing. As well as street sales of
633:
to promote white racists, that he depicted Black men as violent and that he had forgotten his roots when he declared "I have no nation or country" in an interview in the newspaper
893:
808:
888:
614:(shot inside a police station) would certainly hear a BUFP member lecturing the assembled crowd about the ills of capitalism and its links to racism through a megaphone.
315:
As a result, activists established a variety of independent organisations to represent the settler communities. Among these were the West Indian
Standing Conference, the
878:
671:
Despite various initiatives aimed at "rebuilding the black movement", the organisation was, by the mid-1990s, more of a marginal fringe group than it had been in 1970.
873:
49:
405:
was heavily critical of British and US government policies, whether Labour or Conservative, Republican or Democrat. The editorial line took a radical anti-
320:
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formed a British organisation called the Black Panther Party, the programme and activities of the BUFP reflected much of the combination of militant
563:
316:
96:
585:
ran editorials urging the black community to boycott the elections, claiming that they merely served to "legitimise the capitalist state".
578:
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554:
celebrations in collaboration with the Black Liberation Front, a similarly small organisation based in the Grassroots bookshop in London's
530:
editor and General Secretary. Members were required to participate in internal political education classes, as well as internal democracy.
550:
The party spent much of its energy participating in common activities with other organisations. These included the yearly organisation of
450:, south London. There were also regular postal subscribers both in the UK and internationally, from as far afield as Australia and India.
68:
719:
518:", which organised meetings for the Black community to discuss its history, culture, conditions and "most importantly, the way forward".
542:, the organisation relied on membership contributions and collections at its public meetings. It never paid its officials or members.
75:
495:
381:
115:
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370:, UK. However, in the British context (such as an unarmed police force) there was no impetus for armed militants to shadow them.
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stance on every issue. While the organisation did not permit "white" membership (on the grounds of "black self-determination"),
567:
82:
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and a perception of racism in the ranks of the police and other institutions contributed to an atmosphere of social conflict.
475:
53:
832:
625:. Howe, who eventually became a controversial television raconteur and presenter married one of the BUFP's early leaders,
64:
422:
526:
Internally, the party had a democratic structure, regularly electing officials to carry out tasks such as Treasurer,
594:
members for a few months. However, its members were always very highly motivated, studious and committed activists.
474:
Including the Broadwater Farm Defence Campaign and the Tottenham 3 Are Innocent Campaign, formed in the wake of the
42:
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The Black Unity and Freedom Party never stood candidates in official British state elections. During the
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20:
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Membership hovered at around the ten-person mark, public meeting attendance was around 30 to 50 and
483:
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639:(20 March 1995). No BUFP member ever achieved any significant public profile during its lifetime.
328:
293:
690:
in its rhetoric and programme. Unlike the BUFP, it did not admit Asians and labelled itself as "
651:(established 1999) to the Afruika Bantu Saturday School, a small education project based in the
602:
march in 1981. Therefore, anyone attending community demonstrations in support of, for example,
232:
The BUFP held its first congress in London on 26 July 1970, "being the commemorative day of the
752:
How Black Power Overcame Fifty Years of Oppression in Britain 1945–1995 (Volume One: 1945–1975)
713:
How Black Power Overcame Fifty Years of Oppression in Britain 1945-1995 (Volume One: 1945-1975)
355:
288:. However, there was significant opposition to black settlement, stemming from the perceived
629:. By 1995, the BUFP regarded Howe as a "sellout", complaining that he used his TV programme
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19:"Black Voice" redirects here. For non-black actors voicing black animated characters, see
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216:) (c. 1970 – 1999) was a political organisation that was part of Britain's
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Africa and the Caribbean in Caribbean consciousness and action in Britain
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323:. Of strong importance to this process was the influence of American
289:
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343:, each of whom visited and spoke at public meetings in Britain.
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to coordinate black revolutionary activities across the world.
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Guest speakers included the Jamaican academic and activist Dr.
391:
Throughout its 30-year history, the BUFP published its journal
25:
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was also an influence, and although other activists such as
502:
ambassador to Britain, representatives of South Africa's
724:, David Nicholls Memorial Trust, 2000. ISSN 1740-1577
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articles, most of which were published anonymously.
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area. In the 1995, the organisation joined with the
809:
National Association of Black Supplementary Schools
764:Wild, Rosie; Lubbers, Eveline (17 September 2019).
308:. In addition, far-right organisations such as the
196:
185:
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149:
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56:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
733:, Independent Race and Refugee News Network, 2004.
244:At the outset the BUFP used its official journal,
16:Defunct Black British political movement 1970-1999
292:attitudes fostered during Britain's colonial and
546:Inter-organisational relations ("broad fronts").
296:history. Foremost among such opposition was the
252:". In 1990 it revised this to "Marxism-Leninism-
884:Defunct political parties in the United Kingdom
145:African People's Liberation Organisation (APLO)
694:" rather than refer to the European theorists
562:group, the Pan-African Congress Movement, the
466:, BUFP activities constituted the following:
8:
894:1999 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
804:"Afruika Bantu Saturday School - Tulse Hill"
128:
438:under the banner "Across the Colour Line".
256:thought" and in 1997 changed it again to "
127:
889:1970 establishments in the United Kingdom
116:Learn how and when to remove this message
879:Political parties disestablished in 1999
743:
610:(died during a violent deportation) or
564:All-African Peoples Revolutionary Party
321:Universal Coloured People's Association
317:Campaign Against Racial Discrimination
874:Political parties established in 1970
490:Public lecture and discussion forums.
421:always carried in its programme the "
332:
7:
581:UK national election campaigns, the
54:adding citations to reliable sources
793:, Vol. 25, No. 1, May – July 1995.
730:Racism in the Age of Globalisation
663:"political descendant", the APLO.
522:Internal meetings and discussions.
510:, as well as the Florida activist
470:Protest and information campaigns.
248:, to proclaim its ideology to be "
14:
846:Leftist Parties of Great Britain
327:and black power figures such as
30:
568:African Socialist International
65:"Black Unity and Freedom Party"
41:needs additional citations for
772:. Special Branch Files Project
766:"Black Power – 2. Main groups"
1:
387:Vol. 19, No.3, published 1988
210:Black Unity and Freedom Party
129:Black Unity and Freedom Party
718:Professor Harry Goldbourne,
208:In politics and history the
173:; 25 years ago
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18:
841:University College London
754:, Zulu Books, 1998 p. 89.
504:African National Congress
860:Papers of Sanford Berman
858:List of Personal Members
516:Black History for Action
837:Small Press Collections
667:Decline and dissolution
444:Black Cultural Archives
552:African Liberation Day
462:As well as publishing
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341:Martin Luther King Jr.
155:; 54 years ago
770:specialbranchfiles.uk
478:between residents of
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833:Black Voice journals
692:Scientific Socialist
560:cultural nationalist
514:. They also set up "
508:Pan-African Congress
498:, Maria Florez, the
298:Member of Parliament
258:Scientific Socialism
50:improve this article
21:Whitewashing in film
715:, Zulu Books, 1998.
682:political climate.
484:Metropolitan Police
476:1985 civil conflict
446:, both situated in
366:'s organisation of
348:Black Panther Party
130:
851:2006-08-26 at the
606:(shot by police),
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198:Area served
192:organisation
134:Abbreviation
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106:January 2024
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48:Please help
43:verification
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791:Black Voice
676:Black Voice
645:Black Voice
619:Darcus Howe
612:Colin Roach
608:Joy Gardner
583:Black Voice
540:Black Voice
528:Black Voice
464:Black Voice
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411:anti-racist
403:Black Voice
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385:Black Voice
375:Black Voice
254:Mao-Tsetung
246:Black Voice
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218:Black Power
190:Black power
868:Categories
815:2020-09-03
738:References
653:Tulse Hill
589:Membership
407:capitalist
346:America's
274:Manchester
270:Birmingham
264:Background
160:1970-07-26
76:newspapers
776:29 August
696:Karl Marx
623:Tariq Ali
480:Tottenham
431:apartheid
415:socialist
352:Michael X
337:Malcolm X
278:Liverpool
168:Dissolved
150:Formation
142:Successor
849:Archived
482:and the
413:and pro-
399:format.
319:and the
448:Brixton
368:Oakland
360:Marxism
286:Cardiff
282:Bristol
240:Outlook
176: (
158: (
90:scholar
680:Soviet
333:a.k.a.
290:racist
92:
85:
78:
71:
63:
839:) at
500:Cuban
228:Birth
97:JSTOR
83:books
778:2023
698:and
621:and
579:1992
577:and
575:1987
506:and
339:and
300:for
284:and
220:and
214:BUFP
186:Type
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137:BUFP
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