West Indian World: Bernie’s Our Man

About this item

This 1987 article from West Indian World highlights Bernie Grant’s selection as the Labour candidate for Tottenham and his commitment to fighting racism both within and outside the Labour Party. It also documents a racist arson attack in East London, revealing ongoing racial tensions and community responses. The piece captures a moment of political activism and grassroots struggle against racism in Britain during the 1980s.

Key points:
– Bernie Grant, then leader of Haringey Council, was selected as the Labour candidate for Tottenham and pledged to combat racism.
– Grant emphasized that black people must represent themselves politically, criticizing white representatives claiming to speak for black communities.
– The emergence of 'black sections' within the Labour Party played a key role in increasing black political representation and influenced Grant’s selection.
– The article reports a racist arson attack against Mrs X in Chingford, East London, which the police treated as accidental despite evidence and community concern.
– Mrs X intended to pursue the matter further with the Council for Racial Equality due to dissatisfaction with police response.

Bernie Grant was a pioneering figure in Black British political history, known for his leadership in local government and his vocal opposition to racism within British politics. His candidacy marked a breakthrough for Black representation in Parliament, supported by organised 'black sections' within the Labour Party. The documented arson attack illustrates the everyday racism and dangers faced by Black communities in 1980s Britain, against which activists like Grant and others campaigned tirelessly.

Source note: The OCR transcript exhibits minor punctuation and formatting inconsistencies typical of scanned newspaper material, but the overall content and key messages are clear and have been cautiously interpreted.