Book Review: Under Fire - Black Britain in Wartime by Stephen Bourne

Everyone knows that Black people didn't exist in the UK until recently, right? Despite mountains of evidence of everything from Black Tudors and Victorian actors, some myths perniciously persist.

What was the experience for Black Britons during the second world war?

I find it fascinating how the US cultural hegemony rewrites history. I've heard people in the UK talk about "Jim Crow laws" as though that was a thing that happened in the UK. It wasn't. While there were barriers and racism (as the book makes clear) the experience of Black people in the UK was vastly different than it was for African Americans. To the point that white American GIs were routinely castigated for trying to impose their vile racism onto our country.

What makes this book special is the contemporary reports and modern interviews. There are some amazing stories to be told and it is fascinating to hear first-hand accounts. The book also contains a list of prominent Black people living in the UK (including their addresses) which feels a little like padding - but then this is fleshed out with mini-biographies of most of them. What is astounding is, given the range of people living in Britain, you occasionally get little revelations like this:

Only one black evacuee has ever been interviewed for a television documentary.

Some people profiled are, for want of a better word, ordinary. People who had normal lives, kept the home fires burning, and took part in ordinary civic life. And then there are guys like Ras Prince Monolulu who were bona-fide celebrities.

It is fair to say that modern Britain's relationship with the notion of "Empire" is complicated. When the call to arms came, people from the farthest colonies rushed to aide the "motherland". In many cases, they were initially rejected due to formal or informal colour-bars. The social acceptability of and legal ramifications of these practices is evidenced in Constantine v Imperial Hotels Ltd.

But for every story of casual and institutional racism towards people who came to help, there are stories of love and acceptance.

The English people opened their homes to us, we were invited out for dinners, teas, no problems at all. There were problems with the American forces, but it didn’t hinder us.

As with any history book, some of the language used can feel a little shocking or distasteful. History is never easy to engage with, but this book presents an even handed look at a turbulent period. It ends a little abruptly, but it is an excellent overview of the literature. Recommended for anyone who wants to understand our history.

🆕 blog! “Book Review: Under Fire - Black Britain in Wartime by Stephen Bourne”
★★★★☆

Everyone knows that Black people didn't exist in the UK until recently, right? Despite mountains of evidence of everything from Black Tudors and Victorian actors, some myths perniciously persist.

What was the experience for Black Britons during the second…

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