Classroom Resource: Resistance to Racism in 1968 Birmingham
Background
In April 1968, British politician Enoch Powell delivered his infamous “Rivers of Blood” speech in Birmingham. He warned that continued immigration would destroy British society. Though widely condemned by politicians, the speech sparked real support from sections of the white working class, who feared job competition, overcrowding, and change.
Powell’s words stirred anger and division—but they also inspired a powerful, united response.
The Indian Workers’ Association Fights Back
The Indian Workers’ Association (IWA) was one of the first groups to respond. They issued a bold public statement:
“Unite and Fight—Don’t Be Divided by Racism.”
They organised a protest in Victoria Square, where people held signs like “Black and White Unite” and “Prosecute Fascist Powell.” These actions showed that migrant communities were not afraid to speak out and would not be silent in the face of racism.
Trade Unions: Divided but Not Defeated
Not all workers agreed with Powell. While some union members supported him, others—especially Black and Asian trade unionists—argued that racism weakened everyone. Progressive union leaders began working with migrant groups to challenge workplace discrimination and build true solidarity.
A National Movement Begins: The Black People’s Alliance
The anger caused by Powell’s speech pushed many to think bigger. In Leamington Spa, 51 delegates from 21 African, Asian, and Caribbean organisations met at the home of activist Dharam Singh. They formed the Black People’s Alliance (BPA)—a new national group determined to stand up against racism and fight for rights across Britain.
Birmingham and Global Solidarity: Honouring Patrice Lumumba
That same year, Birmingham hosted a large public meeting to honour Patrice Lumumba, the Congolese leader murdered in 1961. Over 1,000 people gathered at Digbeth Civic Hall, connecting African independence struggles with the fight against racism in Britain.
Activist Jagmohan Joshi urged people to protest media bias and speak out about racism everywhere—from Birmingham to Congo. This moment showed how anti-racism in Britain was part of a global movement for justice.
Under Watch
These events didn’t go unnoticed. Police and groups like the Economic League monitored the protests. This showed how seriously the government and business interests took anti-racist organising—and how threatening they found it.
Key Takeaways
Enoch Powell’s 1968 speech was a turning point in British race relations.
Migrant communities in Birmingham—led by groups like the IWA—organised quickly and effectively in response.
The Black People’s Alliance helped connect local struggles to national and international movements.
Events like the Lumumba commemoration reveal how anti-racism was tied to anti-colonial and global justice struggles.
“Rivers of Blood” Resistance in Birmingham, and the Birth of the Black People’s Alliance
In April of 1968, when Conservative Member of Parliament Enoch Powell delivered his incendiary “Rivers of Blood” speech in Birmingham, a warning that immigration threatened the very fabric of the nation, he gave voice to anxieties long simmering in working‑class industrial communities. Powell’s apocalyptic rhetoric, delivered amid fears of housing shortages and job competition, emboldened far‑right groups and won surprising assent among some union members in the foundries and factories of Birmingham. Petitions circulated in support of Powell’s demands for stricter immigration controls, reflecting a deep fissure in the lines of solidarity that had bound workers together across race.
Yet the fallout from the speech also triggered a decisive wave of resistance. The Indian Workers’ Association (IWA), among others, responded quickly. Within days, the IWA released a sharp “Unite and Fight” statement, condemning workers who aligned themselves with Powell as betraying the tradition of solidarity that had defined labor struggles. When the Prime Minister visited Birmingham shortly thereafter, the IWA staged a march to Victoria Square. Protestors carried placards reading “Black and White Unite” and “Prosecute Fascist Powell,” symbols of cross‑racial opposition to bigotry. The demonstrations made clear that Powellism was not merely political theatre—it was a call to action for those who interpreted its threat in their daily lives.
Inside the trade union movement, divisions were stark. Whereas the leadership of unions such as the TGWU (Transport & General Workers Union) and the AUEW (Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers) officially opposed racial discrimination, many rank‑and‑file members echoed Powell’s anxieties, worried about jobs, housing, and a changing society. Black and Asian unionists challenged those fears, insisting that racism sapped collective strength, undermined worker solidarity, and left whole communities more vulnerable.
As tensions mounted in Birmingham, a broader movement was forming. In April 1968, in nearby Leamington Spa, 51 delegates from 21 African, Asian, and Caribbean organisations gathered. Convened by Jagmohan Joshi, a leading figure in the IWA, and hosted in the home of Dharam Singh, this meeting founded the Black People’s Alliance (BPA). It was an organisation born out of urgency: to assert unity in the face of Powellism and racist reaction, and to give Black Britons and Asian immigrants a platform beyond local protest—one capable of responding nationally.
Parallel to this surge in organizing came a meeting of another kind: in Digbeth Civic Hall, Birmingham, about 1,000 people came together to honour Patrice Lumumba, the Congolese independence leader assassinated in 1961. The gathering drew crowds not simply in mourning, but in shared political grief and hope. Lumumba’s legacy had become a symbol of anti‑colonial struggle. Jagmohan Joshi addressed the assembly, urging them to take their solidarity further, marching to the offices of the Birmingham Evening Mail to deliver a letter demanding fairer media coverage of Africa and freedom for its oppressed people.
That evening’s meeting made unmistakably clear that for many activists in Birmingham, the fight at home was part of a wider struggle. “Domestic racism and imperialism abroad,” the organisers emphasized, were different faces of the same system. To the authorities, this activity was not harmless: the meeting was monitored by CID officers and watched by groups like the Economic League, underscoring the discomfort that the establishment felt towards black, Asian, and anti‑colonial activism.
Though Powell’s speech exposed deep racial tensions in British society, it inadvertently crystallised a turning point: an awakening of resistance, the building of new alliances, the birth of organisations like the BPA. These events helped lay the groundwork for the anti‑racist activism and civil rights struggles of the 1970s, in which communities in Birmingham and beyond would continue to assert their right to dignity, equality, and inclusion.