Plus books and Europe fact file UnityAnti-racist and anti-fascist magazine Summer 2015 Issue 12 uaf.org.uk ‘Nobody is normal’ Comedian Francesca Martinez on disability and equality Inside this issue Emmett Till: the 14 year old Rabbi Howell: forgotten whose death shocked the world Romani footballer who Multicultural Britain: Race won the league twice Relations Act anniversary and played for England Unity summer 2015 3 Plus Europe fact file books and UnityAnti-racist and anti-fascist magazine Tremendous show of strength and unity Summer 2015 Issue 12 uaf.org.uk against racism and fascism I hope you enjoy reading this latest not Hate that the issue of Unity magazine, sponsored by NUT was pleased to the National Union of Teachers. support—14% more ‘Nobody is Back in March I was very pleased to of our young people normal’ Comedian Francesca join thousands of people on the streets registered to vote Martinez on disability and equality of London at the Stand up to Racism than at the 2010 Inside this issue and Fascism demonstration. The turnout election. Emmett Till: the 14 year old Rabbi Howell: forgotten whose death shocked the world Romani footballer who was a tremendous show of strength to Secondly, Multicultural Britain: Race won the league twice Relations Act anniversary and played for England those who seek to whip up divisions and there was scapegoat minorities in our communities. another Unity magazine is distributed free This year’s well deserved winner of the resounding to members of the National Union of NUT’s Blair Peach Award is Juno Roche. defeat at the ballot box for the racist Teachers for use with young people Juno has shone a light on the policies of the British National Party (see in schools. To get free copies for your discrimination facing many transgender page 6). school, NUT association or division, please teachers. You can read more about Juno’s Their highest share of the vote was a email [email protected]. The magazine achievements on page 21. mere 0.9%. The BNP now only has one is also sent free to members of Unite Whatever your thoughts on the outcome district councillor across the whole of the Against Fascism. Other individuals, union of the general election, there are certain country. branches or organisations who would things that should cheer us all. Firstly, For the latest news from the NUT please like to receive copies should email the despite changes to the registration system, follow us on twitter @NUTOnline. UAF office on [email protected] For in the final few weeks before the election Best wishes, advertising or editorial enquiries, please over two million people applied to register Christine Blower email [email protected] or write to: to vote. In particular—thanks in large part General secretary Unity magazine, c/o UAF, PO Box 72710, to the work of Bite the Ballot and Hope National Union of Teachers London, SW19 9GX Contents News round-up ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4 Europe fact file: Slovakia ............................................................................7 Emmett Till, the ‘little nobody who shook the world’ ................................8 Unity summer 2015 Fifty years since the first Race Relations Act ............................................10 Production team Weyman Bennett Cover story: Francesca Martinez interview ...............................................12 Tash Shifrin Mary Phillips Unite Against Fascism Football: England player and league champion Rabbi Howell .................16 Standing up to injustice 0208 971 7426 [email protected] Books: a quartet that brings home the Holocaust ....................................18 uaf.org.uk facebook.com/UAFpage Blair Peach Award winner Juno Roche .....................................................21 The NUT is proud of the work it does alongside Unite Against twitter.com/uaf Unite Against Fascism Fascism to campaign against racists and fascists. PO Box 72710, London, SW19 9GX www.teachers.org.uk/edufacts Obituary: lifelong anti-fascist fighter Morris Beckman ............................23 Thanks to the contributions of thousands of teachers to the union’s Love Music Hate Racism political fund, the NUT is able to sponsor Unity magazine and to [email protected] support campaigns against racist and fascist election candidates. lovemusichateracism.com nut.campaigns Love Music Hate Racism The fight for justice will continue until we have equality for all PO Box 66759, London WC1A 9EQ teachers and students. © Unite Against Fascism @NUTOnline Printed by TU Ink 4 Unity summer 2015 Unity summer 2015 5 News round-up Diary dates Saturday 27 June Teachers find Unity magazine Central London: LGBT Pride See prideinlondon.org for more information—and look out for strikes a chord in the classroom Pride events across the country over the summer months By Paul Sillett, Unite Against Fascism exist?’ and ‘Why did Hitler come magazine around in the common room Saturday 4 July national campaigner to power?’ The current issue of the and encouraged students to read it. Golders Green, north London magazine and its back copies will be a “They told their friends about the Defend the Jewish community: UNITY MAGAZINE went down a storm at very useful teaching tool.” magazine and I now have to order extra the National Union of Teachers’ annual copies of the magazine. Please keep it up.” counter-protest against conference in April. More than 1,000 Popularity If you would like to order copies of neo-Nazi group copies were distributed to delegates Sue from Leicester ensured that copies Unity magazine in bulk to hand out to See uaf.org.uk for details and a number of NUT associations put of the last three Unity magazines were your students and use in lessons, please in extra orders for the magazine. distributed among the students taking contact the Unite Against Fascism office Saturday 4 July Jenny, a delegate from Bournemouth, general studies at her school. She said, by emailing [email protected]. Sheffield: demonstrate against said, “Recently we had the English “The issue which really got students the English Defence League Defence League marching locally. I saw excited was the one with Kasabian on For further details see uaf.org.uk someone on our counter-demonstration the front page. The band hails from with the magazine, which he told me was Leicester and is very popular locally. Saturday 1 August supported and funded by my own union. The popularity of the magazine is Ms Dynamite onstage Liverpool: LGBT Pride “Unity magazine provides teachers growing. Students actually came up to See liverpoolpride.co.uk for and students with the sort of materials me to request the last issue.” that need to be in schools to help ensure Bob, a teacher from Loughton, Essex, details racist and fascist lies are challenged. I rang the office to say: “It’s hard at times Sun shines on Newcastle’s Unity Festival Saturday 15 August think the George the Poet interview will getting some of my students to read Liverpool: stop the racist be of interest to my students.” materials. This is where your magazine By Zak Cochrane, Unite Against Fascism by another far-right group called John, a teacher from Newcastle, comes in. The feature on Billie Holliday national office Pegida UK, a rebrand of various fascist “White Man March” said, “Some of what I teach takes up resonated with students who are heavily splinter groups intent on whipping up See uaf.org.uk for details questions such as ‘Why does racism into music. In the past I have left the MORE THAN 6,000 people came to Islamophobia in the city. Sunday 8 to Thursday 12 party at the Newcastle Unity Festival The local community responded in the city’s Leazes Park on Saturday spectacularly by organising a 3,000- November 24 May. It was an amazing display of strong counter-mobilisation to oppose Holocaust education trip to Waltham Forest says no to EDL racists and fascists—again community unity. Pegida UK. The fascists were only able to Warsaw and Treblinka By Claire Chandler, Walthamstow UAF We stopped them reaching their people who stopped them marching. Highlights of the festival included muster a few hundred supporters. The See uaf.org.uk target of Walthamstow town hall and They were unable to enter the borough multi-award winning headliner Ms network of activists who arranged the AROUND 1,000 local people turned peacefully prevented their rally. when they tried again a few months later. Dynamite, hip-hop artist Akala, and counter-demonstration moved on to set Friday 13 – Sunday 15 out against the English Defence The EDL first tried to march in This time around, the atmosphere reggae stars Natty and Panjabi MC. The up the Unity Festival. November League in Waltham Forest, east Walthamstow in September 2012 when among anti-racists was vibrant and event also embraced much local talent The festival was a proactive way of Black Teachers’ Conference 2015 London, in May. they were met by around 4,000 local celebratory, bringing our community including the Newcastle Allstars steel strengthening community ties and at Stoke Rochford Hall together. The crowd was diverse and band and dance performances from promoting unity in the face of those speakers included representatives Inspired Support, an organisation that who sought to cause divisions and For more information from the Council of Mosques, Christian provides opportunities for people with besmirch the North East. see teachers.org.uk/ clergy, local trade unionists and an MEP. autism. There were also sets from several The event was funded solely by black-teachers-conference Irfan Akhtar, from the Waltham Forest top DJs from the North East. donations and sponsorship from Muslim Association, pointed out that we The music and dance performances members of the public and from the Friday 13 – Tuesday 17 should, paradoxically, thank the EDL for were accompanied by stalls selling food trade unions.