Birmingham Conference on Reparations, ‘What Do Reparations Mean?’
The Birmingham Conference on Reparations was convened in December 1993, and served as the official launch of the African Reparations Movement UK (ARM). It formed part of a list of initiatives by Bernie Grant in the aftermath of the Abuja Conference, with the aim of publicising the issue of Reparations and creating the foundations for a robust British-based movement. and others. Attended by around 100 people, the event took place in the Birmingham Council Chamber. In a de-briefing letter, Grant noted that the venue, alongside the absence of attendees from Bristol, Liverpool and Cardiff, meant that the conference itself was “a rather low-key affair”. This reflection led ARM to prioritise practical action, with “less emphasis on talking”. The de-briefing letter is an excellent example of the process of self-reflection and self-criticism that is so integral to political organising and movement building.
De-Briefing on preparatory Conference on African Reparations BG_ARM_5_3_3
This document is a de-briefing report on the preparatory conference for African Reparations, highlighting the need for increased action, professional organization, and wider community engagement, with suggestions such as involving high-profile personalities and conducting publicity campaigns. It is useful for understanding Bernie Grant’s role in coordinating the movement and the challenges faced in mobilizing support and formalizing the campaign’s structure.
An important feature of the Birmingham Conference were the papers presented. In The Black Agenda for the Next Century: Rethinking the Past, Dr Patrick Wilmott articulated the urgent need for Reparations, in order to safeguard the future of Africa, Africans and African descendents from the persistent conditions of racism, Eurocentrism and neo-colonialism: “in the diaspora Africans are discriminated against, abused, harassed, denied promotion and murdered in random racist violence. On the continent, in wars reminiscent of the Slave Trade, outside forces supply both sides with weapons to wage war against their own people”.
The Black Agenda for the Next Century, DR P.F. Wilmot Birmingham 1993 BG_ARM_5_3_6
This 1993 document by Dr. P.F. Wilmot titled "The Black Agenda for the Next Century" critically examines the legacy of African enslavement and colonisation, highlighting the ongoing economic dislocation and racial discrimination faced by Africans both on the continent and in the diaspora. It is useful for understanding Bernie Grant’s campaign themes by framing the struggle against systemic racism and inequality within a historical context of exploitation and emphasizing the importance of African self-determination and historical reclamation.
The most famous speech that has originated from Britain’s Reparations movement, and that which remains seminal in the history of Reparations activity, was delivered by Bernie Grant, entitled ‘Reparations or Bust!’ . This speech formed the basis of many public addresses as part of Grant’s speaking tour in the time between the Abuja conference of April 1993, and the Birmingham Conference in the same year. The version of this speech which has been documented in written form, is that which Grant delivered at a rally in Birmingham to a crowd of 300. He also spoke in Brixton, North London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester and elsewhere. Grant’s speech touched on many key issues, one of which was the issue of reclaiming Africa’s influential role in the history of humankind. Another, was the role that Black politicians should play in the Reparations movement: “We have not been in a position before in Britain where people like me, Members of Parliament who can raise matters in Parliament, who can get reported in the newspapers. Well it is about time that we put some of these people to the test – because if you are a person of African origin, knowing the situation and you sit in the House of Commons and do nothing and do not raise these issues, you are doing a disservice to your people”.
Reparations and a New Global Order by Professor Chinweizu BG_ARM_5_3_6
This document, "Reparations and a New Global Order" by Professor Chinweizu, is a comparative overview presented within the Bernie Grant Archive that explores the historical and systemic causes of oppression faced by Black communities globally, emphasizing the need for comprehensive reparations beyond specific acts to include transforming the global capitalist order. It is useful for understanding Bernie Grant’s internationalist anti-racist campaign and his commitment to reparations, as it aligns with his focus on addressing the legacies of colonialism, racism, and economic exploitation in pursuit of justice and systemic change.
In ‘Reparations and a New Global Order: A Comparative Overview’, by Professor Chinweizu asserted that the global system which made the ‘African holocaust’ happen, should be replaced by “a different global order where holocaust will never happen to us”. Chinweizu also argued that African self-organisation was essential for reparations, and “reparation is not even mostly about money; in fact, money is not even one percent of what reparation is about”. The Birmingham Conference papers have been archived in Bernie Grant’s collection, and a recording of the event also exists. The ‘Draft Strategy Paper on Reparations and Repatriation’ by the Ethiopian World Federation Incorporated outlined among other things, the importance of mobilising Britain’s Black communities: “There already exists a body to spearhead the campaign in Britain [ARM]… what is now required is that this campaign is grounded firmly within the grass-roots African communities in Britain”. What all of these papers had in common, was their reference to the existent examples of reparations for crimes against humanity, in the form of apologies, political and financial retributions paid to other historical oppressed and brutalised nations and communities. As these papers stressed, no such recompense had been received by Africans and African descendants.
Strategy for Reparations BG_ARM_5_3_5
This document, titled "Strategy for Reparations," comprises papers presented at the 1990 World Conference on Reparations to Africa and Africans in the Diaspora, outlining the legal basis, historical precedents, and objectives of reparations claims for slavery and colonial exploitation. It is valuable for understanding Bernie Grant’s engagement with reparations campaigns, providing context on the justice-focused arguments and international precedents that informed and supported his activism.
