Birmingham Declaration
Following the precedent set by the Abuja Conference, the Birmingham Conference culminated in the Birmingham Declaration. This declaration emulated the format and arguments present in the Abuja Proclamation, but sought also to place Reparations in a British context, with mention of fateful victims of British racist violence: “Convinced that the murders in Britain, of Rolan Adams, Stephen Lawrence, Joy Gardner, Cynthia Jarrett, Omakase Lumumba and others” were the result of the same system responsible for those historic crimes against Africa and Africans, which “continues to marginalise, mis-represent and oppress us”. The Birmingham Declaration also pointed to the systemic racism manifest in disproportionately high levels of unemployment, poor housing, the over-representation of Black people in mental health institutions and in prison, the miseducation of Black children in the education system, and so forth. In this way, the Declaration drew on the global situation of Africa, Africans and African Descendants while also addressing the domestic issues affecting Britain’s Black communities, providing a clear link between the two.
BG_ARM_1_2 Birmingham Declaration
The Birmingham Declaration document contains papers presented at the 1990 World Conference on Reparations to Africa and Africans in the Diaspora, outlining the legal basis, historical precedents, and demands for reparations linked to the legacy of slavery and colonialism. This document is valuable for understanding Bernie Grant's campaign as it provides context on global reparations efforts and the justice-based framework supporting claims for restitution, which informed and influenced political advocacy for African diaspora rights.
