Bernie Grant letter to BTUSM after rioting

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This letter from Bernie Grant to the London Steering Committee of the Black Trade Unionists Solidarity Movement addresses the urgent need for black trade unionists to organize in response to recent rioting and ongoing racism. It highlights the failures of earlier civil rights efforts and emphasizes the importance of discipline, unity, and leadership within the trade union movement to combat workplace discrimination and broader social injustices.

Key points:
– Recent riots demonstrated the need for black people to organize to protect youth and fight racism.
– Previous attempts to create a black Civil Rights Movement failed due to divisions and lack of discipline.
– The economic crisis disproportionately affects black workers through redundancies and workplace racism.
– A National Black Trade Unionists Organisation was agreed upon at a conference in Birmingham on 12 September.
– Black trade unionists are seen as crucial leaders in establishing a Civil Rights Movement because of their experience with organisation and discipline.

This letter connects to Bernie Grant's commitment to black political activism and community leadership during a period of heightened racial tensions and social unrest in Britain. It underscores the effort to build a disciplined Black Trade Unionists' movement that could spearhead wider civil rights campaigns, reflecting Grant’s broader engagement with anti-racism, trade unionism, and Black British political history.

Source note: The OCR transcript contains some minor typographical errors and formatting artifacts, but the core content is clear and has been carefully interpreted.