Claudia Jones: A Trinidadian activist who had been involved in the US civil rights movement. In 1958, she set up the West Indian Gazette, Britain's first major Black newspaper. This soon had over 15,000 readers. Jones used the newspaper to campaign against the colour bar and racist immigration laws like the 1962 Commonwealth Immigration Act, which limited Black immigrants.
Notting Hill Carnival: After the 1958 riots, Claudia Jones wanted to celebrate Caribbean culture and bring the community together. She organised a Caribbean Carnival in January 1959, including music, dancing and a beauty show to challenge white beauty standards. The BBC televised it and the Caribbean Carnival ran for five years. In August 1966, Rhaune Laslett who led the London Free School (a group encouraging unity in Notting Hill) turned it into an outdoor event by starting the Notting Hill Carnival, now the biggest street festival in Europe.
British Black Panthers: The political group the Black Panther Party (BPP) was set up in 1968 to fight racism and police brutality, help Black people with housing, and create a sense of pride in the Black community. They were led by Darcus Howe, Altheia Jones-LeCointe and Olive Morris. The BPP organised protests, ran educational sessions about Black history, and published newspapers to spread their ideas.
Mangrove Nine: On 9th August 1970, the BPP organised a protest against the unfair regular police raids of the Mangrove Cafe and over 150 people marched through the area shouting slogans about the police. Nine protestors, including Frank Crichlow and leaders of the BPP, were taken to court, accused of trying to start a riot. The Mangrove Nine spoke eloquently about police racism and brutality. The case gained huge media attention, and eventually the judge rejected all the major charges against the nine. The trial inspired many others to fight against institutional racism.