Guide to the Archive

Bernie Grant Trust Guide to the Bernie Grant Archive inspiration | innovation | inclusion Contents Compiled by Dr Lola Young OBE Bernie Grant – the People’s Champion . 4 Edited by Machel Bogues What’s in the Bernie Grant Archive? . 11 How it’s organised . 14 Index entries . 15 Tributes - 2000 . 16 What are Archives? . 17 Looking in the Archives . 17 Why Archives are Important . 18 What is the Value of the Bernie Grant Archive? . 18 How we set up the Bernie Grant Collection . 20 Thank you . 21 Related resources . 22 Useful terms . 24 About The Bernie Grant Trust . 26 Contacting the Bernie Grant Archive . 28 page | 3 Bernie Grant – the People’s Champion Born into a family of educationalists on London. The 4000 and overseas. He was 17 February 1944 in n 18 April 2000 people who attended a committed anti-racist Georgetown, Guyana, thousands of O the service at Alexandra activist who campaigned Bernie Grant was the people lined the streets Palace made this one of against apartheid South second of five children. of Haringey to follow the largest ever public Africa, against the A popular, sociable child the last journey of a tributes at a funeral of a victimisation of black at primary school, he charismatic political black person in Britain. people by the police won a scholarship to leader. Bernie Grant had in Britain and against St Stanislaus College, a been the Labour leader Bernie Grant gained racism in health services Jesuit boys’ secondary of Haringey Council a reputation for being and other public and school. Although he during the politically controversial because private institutions. passed his O Levels turbulent late 1980s, and he tackled some of the with flying colours, Bernie celebrates being elected as leader of Haringey Council went on to become the most difficult issues As one of the most he left school a year Member of Parliament that affected the lives of outspoken black political later because he wasn’t black students that it full time. for Tottenham, a multi- people in this country leaders in recent times, allowed to study his prevented them from cultural area of north campaigning for racial preferred subjects. He participating in work He joined the Tottenham and social justice for then worked for two experience in apartheid Labour Party in 1975, over three decades, years as a laboratory South Africa. and was elected a Bernie Grant made analyst before he left councillor for the an indelible impact on for England to join his For the next nine London Borough of the public, through the family. years, he worked Haringey in 1978. He attacks on him in the as an international helped to found a media and through his Bernie Grant’s first job telephonist, becoming national organisation speeches at meetings. on arrival in London a shop steward in the for Black and Asian In making the transition was railway clerk, Union of Post Office councillors, and was from left wing activist before studying at Workers, and fighting a prime mover in the to Parliamentary office, Tottenham Technical for the rights of fellow fight for Black Sections the story of his life College in 1965-67. workers. By 1978 he in the Labour Party. mirrors the changes that After leaving college, became a full time Area Not everyone accepted the country was going Bernie Grant went to Officer for what was Black Sections, as some through, as it attempted study for a degree in then the National Union claimed that they were to come to terms with Mining Engineering at of Public Employees divisive. However, Bernie becoming a multi-racial Heriot-Watt University (NUPE), responsible for Grant argued that it was society after decades of in Edinburgh. He left its local authority and necessary to set them being an imperial power. the University in 1969 health workers. Bernie up as the Labour Party without completing his Grant then founded the had failed to listen to degree in protest at the Black Trade Unionists its black members and discrimination against Solidarity Movement, was not doing enough Bernie Grant aged 6 years at Ituni, Guyana and by 1983 worked for to promote black page | 5 page | 4 their presence. During who felt excluded from internationally. He was the unrest, a policeman politics and from society a founder member was murdered and in general. Migrants, and chair of the Bernie Grant quickly black people, pensioners Parliamentary Black rose to national – all sought his support Caucus, which was prominence, as he on the concerns that established in 1988, and defended the youths mattered to them. He brokered links between who had rioted against brought to Parliament black people in Britain police harassment. a wealth of political and people of African experience, and quickly descent elsewhere in Bernie Grant’s set about using his new the world. remarks about the status to convene a wide riots were consistently variety of events and Making links between misrepresented in organisations to take what happened in north newspapers, and the those issues forward London, in the rest of British tabloid press in locally, nationally and Britain and across the particular singled him Bernie Grant and Neil Kinnock meet with local community representatives following Brodwater out as a figure of hate. Farm disturbance 1985 But in spite of a negative campaign of crude people to positions of was Prime Minister. unsettled by civil unrest racial stereotyping, the responsibility within Bernie Grant was a across the country. In Tottenham electorate the party. By 1985 he pioneer of equalities Liverpool, Birmingham, voted him into had become the Leader for all and insisted that and London young Parliament in 1987, as of Haringey Council, Haringey Council’s jobs people rioted. Although one of the first black responsible for services and services should frequently described as MPs in modern times. to its ethnically diverse be equally available ‘race riots’ the people Famously, ever conscious population of 250,000 to everyone. Positive involved were often of his ancestral roots, he people. He was the first action for lesbian from those black and entered his first State ever black person to and gay people, for white communities Opening of Parliament hold such a position, women, for black and who felt that they their in African clothing or in fact to hold any minority communities, voices were not being something he continued Bernie outside parliament real political power, in were hallmarks of heard by politicians to do throughout his Europe. his leadership, as was and officials. Violent career, attracting outrage his stance against the disturbances took from some quarters Equal opportunities Government attempts place on Haringey’s - but huge respect from policies and practices to curb the spending Broadwater Farm Estate others. are now commonplace powers of deprived in 1985 after police but this was not so inner city Councils. raided the home of Bernie Grant had built in the 1980s when In the early to mid Cynthia Jarrett who up credibility with a Margaret Thatcher 1980s, England was collapsed and died in range of communities page | 6 page | 7 The Global Trade For 13 years, he Grant’s campaigning Centre (founded 1995) used the floor of the energies were also and Caribbean Links House of Commons directed towards were both concerned to considerable issues as diverse as with ensuring that effect, to further his the incidence of TB, black communities in campaigns against pensioner’s rights, Britain maintained and racist policing methods, prostitution and its developed economic deaths in custody, and negative impact on and cultural ties in apartheid. He spoke on Tottenham residents, and the developing world. institutionalised racism disabled parking permits. Building on his desire in health, in sport, Away from the public to develop pride in housing, education and gaze he was renowned their locality through in immigration policy, for his empathy with the regenerating the area, and arguing for greater many thousands who Bernie Grant’s last big resources for inner city approached him with battle was to work areas. With the advent of their personal difficulties. towards establishing a the Labour Government Queues at his MP’s dedicated black arts and in 1997, he became advice surgery were cultural facility in his Chair of the All Party legendary, as was his A powerful orator - the collection contains Bernie Grant’s many speeches Tottenham constituency. Group on Race and passionate advocacy for Community, and of the victims of injustice. world was an important of his release after 22 to establish was the This major building British Caribbean Group. aspect of Bernie Grant’s years imprisonment. Africa Reparations project – which has In addition, he was Bernie Grant articulated political work, and he Later on, Bernie Movement (ARM) in been granted £12m appointed as member of the concerns of his came to be seen as the Grant established an Britain in 1993. As – is now to be named the Select Committee community at the unofficial ‘Minister for information technology chair of ARM, he was The Bernie Grant Arts on International highest levels of Black People’: his public centre amid the keenly aware of the Centre. Development, Government, and speaking skills were in impoverished townships importance of history continuing to argue was regarded as great demand both in in the Free State, South and heritage for African for the elimination the authentic voice the this country and Africa, which is named diaspora peoples: of overseas debt for of Britain’s ethnic abroad. He travelled after him. ‘Only if we understand poor nations, and for minorities. However, widely, especially to our past can we as the recognition of the diabetes dogged his Africa and to his beloved Noting the problems Black People move ongoing consequences health, and with his Caribbean region.

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