Juneteenth – The abolition of slavery
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. It is observed annually on 19 June. It is also called Emancipation Day, or Juneteenth Independence …
Historical events
Tacky’s Rebellion
When the English took over the colonisation of Jamaica from the Spanish, they imported thousands of Africans as slaves to work on plantations of wealthy Englishmen. Like other colonised islands, the …
The Kashmir conflict: A history of turbulence and warfare
The Kashmir conflict, a long-standing territorial dispute between India and Pakistan, has been a flashpoint for multiple wars and ongoing unrest since the partition of British India in 1947.
The …
The partition of India
The partition of India between 14-15 August 1947 resulted in the creation of India and Pakistan, two separate states divided along religious lines. This decision was made by the British government, …
Bloody Sunday – Selma to Montgomery
The Selma to Montgomery march was part of a series of civil rights protests that occurred in 1965 in Alabama, a Southern state with deeply entrenched racist policies.
Death and …
History of Brazil: From colonisation to independence
Brazil, the largest country in South America, is known for its diverse culture and rich history. The nation’s development has been shaped by centuries of colonisation, imperial rule, and …
Malcolm X visits Smethwick, West Midlands
In February 1965, civil rights campaigner Malcolm X was in Britain to speak at the London School of Economics. Avtar Singh Jouhl, general secretary of the Indian Workers Association, invited him to …
Remembering the 13 young people killed in the New Cross fire
On Sunday 18 January 1981 a fire broke out in a house in New Cross Road, Deptford, South East London, killing 13 young people and marking a massive change for black people in Britain.
Thirteen …
How Haiti won its independence
On 5 December 1492, European navigator Christopher Columbus came upon an island in the Caribbean that he claimed for Spain and called La Isla Española (“The Spanish Island”, later Anglicised as …
Samuel Sharpe and the 1831 Christmas Rebellion
Samuel Sharpe instigates a rebellion
On 27 December 1831, the Christmas Rebellion began at the Kensington Estate in St James, Jamaica.
Samuel Sharpe was the main instigator of the 1831 Slave …
1919 race riots in Britain
Britain’s 1919 race riots started at the end of the First World War starting with an outbreak of violence in Glasgow in January, race riots happened around the United Kingdom until late in the …
UK race riots – The murder of Charles Wotten
Charles Wotten was a 24-year-old ship’s fireman from Bermuda who was murdered by an angry white mob during the Liverpool race riots of 1919.
What led to Charles Wotten’s …