This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Darcus Howe: a Political Biography examines the struggle for racial justice in Britain, through the lens of one of Britain’s most prominent and controversial black journalists and campaigners. Born in Trinidad during the dying days of British colonialism, Howe has become an uncompromising champion of racial justice. The book examines how Howe’s unique political outlook was inspired by the example of his friend and mentor C.L.R. James, and forged in the heat of the American civil rights movement, as well as Trinidad’s Black Power Revolution. The book sheds new light on Howe’s leading role in the defining struggles in Britain against institutional racism in the police, the courts and the media. It focuses on his part as a defendant in the trial of the Mangrove Nine, the high point of Black Power in Britain; his role in conceiving and organizing the Black People’s Day of Action, the largest ever demonstration by the black community in Britain; and his later work as one of a prominent journalist and political commentator.
Robin Bunce is Director of Studies for Politics at Homerton College, Cambridge, UK, and a Bye-Fellow in History at St Edmund's College, Cambridge. He is also an editor of Twentieth Century History Review.Paul Field worked as a journalist for many years specializing in issues of policing, asylum and institutional racism, before becoming a lawyer specializing in the fields of discrimination and employment.
Preface Introduction – ‘Darcus Howe is a West Indian’ 1 Son of a Preacher Man2 ‘ Dabbling with Revolution ’ : Black Power Comes to Britain 3 Know Yourself 4 Cause for Concern5 ‘ Darcus Howe is not a Comedian ’6 Revolution in Trinidad: ‘Seize Power and send for James’7 A Resting Place in Babylon: Frank Crichlow and the Mangrove 8 Demonstration 9 Clampdown10 55 Days at the Old Bailey11 Towards Racial Justice 12 Race Today: ‘Come what may here to stay’13 Ten Years on bail: ‘Darcus outta jail’14 ‘Thirteen Dead and Nothing Said’15 Insurrection16 Carnival: Revolutionaries Don’t Wear Glitter 17 Playing Devil’s Advocate 18 Slave Nation 19 Fight to the Finish Bibliography Index
Darcus Howe has had a somewhat dramatic personal and political life, both of which are sewn together seamlessly in the forthcoming book Darcus Howe: A Political Biography.