Film Number

7456

Title

THE STRUGGLE OF BLACK WORKERS, PAUL BOATENG

Producer

WFA

Date

1982

Gauge

U-matic LB

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Running Time

56 mins 59 secs

Description

Paul Boateng addressing a meeting in Manchester, chaired by Elouise Edwards, about racism and the law in the context of the duplicity of the British state & imperialism. He draws on historical evidence of racism and, if the most blatant actions are now outlawed, how the country has failed to deal with institutional racism. Contradictions between the 1976 Race Relations Act and Nationality & Immigration Acts. He talks about failures of the CRE (Council for Race Equality) and the necessity to be engaged in the labour movement and move out of dependency culture. He exhorts examples of black self-help, supplementary schools and Defence Committees. After a 30-minute presentation, the discussion opens to the floor with issues about repatriation, unemployment and youth. Following Boateng's departure (42mins) there is a further presentation by a black trade unionist, and further contributions from Elouise Edwards, Kath Locke & others about multi-nationals, exploitation of Asian workers in Cotton Mills and relationships between black and white workers.

[Catalogued as part of 'Revitalising the Regions' a Screen Heritage UK project, 2011]