George Padmore Institute

03/06/2026

Angela Davis, renowned black political activist, feminist, academic and author, is well-known for the phrase ‘If they come for me in the morning, they come for you in the night’. This powerful sentence was reiterated by author James Baldwin in an open letter to Davis in November 1970, where he responds with ‘For if they take you in the morning, they will be coming for us that night’. The phrase can be seen in documents held by the George Padmore Institute.

These materials relate to activities supporting the American activist in the early 1970s in the UK. A benefit was held at the Mermaid Theatre in London on 18 April 1971 which featured prominent activists and cultural figures such as Black British actor Cy Grant and Irish civil rights leader Bernadette Devlin. The event was organised by the Angela Davis Defence Committee to raise international awareness and funds for the release of Davis and George Jackson, who were charged with kidnapping and murder in America. Davis was accused even though she was not present when the crime took place.

The second leaflet, which includes a quote from Baldwin’s open letter to Davis, was also published by the Angela Davis Defence Committee ‘to inform the British public of the facts of the case against Angela Davis and to initiate the campaign on her behalf in this country’.

After one of the largest international campaigns of its kind, Angela Davis was cleared of all charges. Visit our online catalogue to view the documents relating to Davis from the 1960s onwards: www.georgepadmoreinstitute.org/archive

27/05/2026

Our Trustee and co-founder Linton Kwesi Johnson is a world-renowned reggae poet and activist. He is in conversation tomorrow at WoWFest26, Liverpool.

Don't miss hearing him talk of the power of art as a force for resistance and the music, poetry and books that shaped his life.

Details below 👇

✨ Coming up this week at

Join legendary poet and activist Linton Kwesi Johnson for Desert Island Dissent, a powerful in-conversation event exploring art as a force for resistance.

Drawing on his experiences of 1970s Britain, cultural resistance and decades of political struggle, Linton will reflect on the music, poetry and political works that shaped his life and activism.

From one of his most celebrated poems, Sonny’s Lettah:

“Mama,
don fret,
dont get depres
an doun-hearted.”

It promises to be an evening of reflection, performance and urgent conversation with one of the most influential political voices of our time.

📅 Thursday 28 May
🕖 7pm
📍 British Music Experience, Liverpool
🎟 £12

21/05/2026

Last year we announced Gary March as our Artist in Residence, a contemporary sculptor, designer and artist of British and African-Caribbean descent. Over the course of several visits to our archive, Gary has spent time researching a range of collections including the original handwritten placards from the Newton Rose Action Committee defence campaign in the early 1980s.

Newton Rose was wrongly charged with the 1981 murder of a National Front supporter in Hackney. The committee and the broader black community spearheaded a massive campaign involving protests, pickets and marches to fight the alleged police frame-up, which led to Rose's conviction being eventually quashed.

The Newton Rose campaign placards are unique examples of ephemeral material within the GPI’s extensive UK community relations and political archives.

For more details about Gary’s residency at the GPI visit our website:
https://www.georgepadmoreinstitute.org/news-and-events/sculptor-and-designer-gary-march-is-latest-artist-in-residence-at-the-gpi

We look forward to bringing you further news about Gary’s work soon.

Visit our website to learn more about the archive collections on the activism of black and brown communities in the UK: www.georgepadmoreinstitute.org

Image 4 shows Gary with GPI Archivist Sarah Garrod at the George Padmore Institute.



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20/05/2026

Thank you for supporting us! Our fundraiser has generated £1,578 towards the goal of £20,000 for repairs to stabilise the George Padmore Institute’s building. We have some way to go to reach our total, and each donation, however small, makes a huge difference.

Donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/george-padmore-institute-building-fundraiser

For more than 35 years, the George Padmore Institute has preserved the stories, struggles and achievements of black and brown communities in Britain to confront racism and build fairer social systems which are currently under attack.

Safeguarding our rare archive collections for future generations is paramount. From materials documenting the anti-racist campaigns organised by the Black Parents Movement to the work of the New Cross Massacre Action Committee supporting the devastated families who lost 13 young lives to a racist arson attack in January 1981 the archive must be protected. These priceless collections document over 75 years of overlooked political and cultural activism that has shaped this country.

Our home also enables us to carry out many other activities to promote Black British history:

🏠host events – see our YouTube channel for films of conversations, celebrations and insights: https://www.youtube.com/

🏠publish books – visit our online shop for all our publications associated with Black British history: https://www.georgepadmoreinstitute.org/shop

🏠collaborate on projects with universities and other archives, such as the Easy Reads project with the Open University – download three PDFs about our archive collections for people with learning disabilities: https://www.georgepadmoreinstitute.org/discover?categories=Easy+Read

🏠welcome researchers from around the world – read a blog by Leonard Butingan from the University of California, USA and his personal reflections on our archive: https://www.georgepadmoreinstitute.org/news-and-events/new-blog-more-than-an-archive

Every donation helps us reach our goal of £20,000 for the repair and stabilisation of our building. Please support us: https://www.gofundme.com/f/george-padmore-institute-building-fundraiser

Together, we can preserve this important space and its legacy for generations to come.

Thank you!

16/05/2026

Battle Front was the official publication of the Black Parents Movement (BPM), which was formed in the UK in 1975. The paper was produced in collaboration with the Race Today Collective and acted as a vital mouthpiece for black radical activism, covering community battles against police brutality, educational marginalization and the defense of the Notting Hill Carnival.

Purpose and Impact

The BPM rallied against racist school policies, police corruption and state brutality. Battle Front served as the ideological and organizing newspaper to:

Mobilize Campaigns

Provide detailed coverage of major civil rights efforts, such as the New Cross Massacre Action Committee (1981) and campaigns defending framed or wrongfully arrested youth.

Promote Supplementary Schools

Highlight the work of the Black Supplementary School Movement, which taught African and Pan-African history and culture to protect children from institutional neglect in state schools.

Defend Cultural Events

Cover efforts to protect the autonomy of the Notting Hill Carnival against police attempts to censor and control the festival.

Archival Access

Original printings of the paper are rare historical artefacts and are preserved within the BPM collection at the George Padmore Institute.

You can explore the history of the BPM's founding and learn about how Battle Front fueled grassroots campaigns on our website and online catalogue. Visit www.georgepadmoreinstitute.org

15/05/2026

There are a few remaining tickets for Black Women Speak Volumes on 26 May at Wowfest26, Liverpool. Don't miss another inspiring evening presented by our partner Speaking Volumes Live Literature Productions honouring the lives, creativity and activism of older black women whose voices have shaped Britain.

In conversation will be:

🎭 Cathy Tyson
📚 Yvvette Edwards
✊ Maria O’Reilly
🌿 Linda Loy
Chaired by Dr Rebecca Loy.

The evening will also celebrate Challenging Britannia: Black British Women Speak Volumes, edited by Speaking Volumes' co-director and GPI Trustee Sharmilla Beezmohun and published by the George Padmore Institute. The book of seven interviews showcases groundbreaking women creatives whose stories can do much to inspire new generations of creatives and activists.

Event Details:
📅 26 May | 7pm
📍 The Women’s Organisation, Liverpool
🎟️ £8
🔗Book: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/black-women-speak-volumes-tickets-1986756290547?aff=oddtdtcreator

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Black Women Speak Volumes: Cathy Tyson, Yvvette Edwards, Maria O’Reilly and Linda Loy in conversation, chaired by Dr Rebecca Loy

13/05/2026

‘I was never taught about black history at school. As an adult, this information was not available in a format I could understand. Because of that, I feel I lost a part of myself.’ (Paul Christian, ‘Black history is brought to life’, Community Living, Spring 2023).

In January 2022 the George Padmore Institute began a project to make educational materials about history and archives more accessible to those with learning disabilities. Catalogue records are often difficult to find and descriptions can use complicated language, a concern that Paul Christian, a black activist, historian and researcher with learning disabilities, continues to address through his work.

Paul has also stated, 'It is important for people with learning disabilities who are interested in working to stop racism to make links between anti-racism campaigns led by black people in the 1960s and 1970s and those of today.'

In collaboration with Paul and Sue Ledger, a research fellow with The Open University, the GPI Archivist Sarah Garrod helped to develop a series of easy read documents where materials and pictures in our archive collections of Black British history were paired with simple language. The three educational documents cover the life and activism of John La Rose, co-founder of the GPI; the 1981 New Cross fire, a suspected racist arson attack which resulted in the death of thirteen young people; and a third explaining the importance of accessible information. Visit our website to access the easy read documents www.georgepadmoreinstitute.org/discover

Double Discrimination & Made Possible is a new book by Saba Salman which features the work of Paul Christian, Sue Ledger and our Archivist Sarah Garrod to challenge ableism and racism and focus attention on the overlooked dual injustices faced by learning-disabled people of colour while highlighting the solutions. We are so pleased this vital work continues to be recognised and we wish Saba every success.

07/05/2026

Part of Peckham Fringe Festival and the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of Theatre Peckham, the George Padmore Institute is happy to highlight an important play which examines how modern power operates: through data, legality and participation, asking whether it is still possible to gather publicly, protest openly or live anonymously. National symbols, public ritual and 'Britishness' hover throughout, offering both comfort and threat.

Repatriation draws inspiration from real-life events and blends theatre, filmed performance and poetry. The one-man show follows Simon, a British man pulled into the machinery of state that quietly begins to erase him. After attending a peaceful protest, he’s flagged as 'high risk' and what starts as a routine encounter spirals into something far more unsettling. As his citizenship, identity and sense of belonging are called into question, he’s forced to navigate a world where algorithms decide your future, loyalty must be proven and silence becomes survival.

Dates: Wednesday, 13 May and Thursday, 14 May 2026
Venue: Canada Water Theatre, 21 Surrey Quays Rd, London SE16 7AR
Tickets: £15, plus concessions
Age guidance: 15+
Book tickets here: https://www.theatrepeckham.co.uk/show/repatriated/

29/04/2026

📢 We need your help. Our cellar at the George Padmore Institute requires essential repairs.

Who are we?
The GPI is an archive started by a group of ordinary people committed to the histories of black and brown activists in Britain who changed society. Our unique collections contain stories of political and cultural activism over 75 years. This treasure trove of documents record overlooked aspects of British history such as black parents fighting for fair treatment of children in schools to the pioneering radical book fairs and a movement platforming Caribbean artists.

Today, our work continues the legacy of these movements by publishing books, hosting events and welcoming visitors from the UK and the world. Last year we were part of the Open House programme, throwing open our doors to newcomers.

Why are we crowdfunding?
Our home for thirty-five years, a Victorian building in north London, requires ongoing maintenance. Over the last two years we completed major work to our roof, chimney and ceilings, funded by an appeal in 2023. We are hugely grateful for the donations we received including the celebrated painter Peter Doig and the Paul Stolper Gallery in London, and the eminent Birmingham photographer Vanley Burke and BAND Gallery in Toronto.

Now, in 2026, funds are needed for the vital renovation of our cellar. It will happen in stages over the next two to three years, and this summer donations will support:

🔧preparatory groundwork;
🔧installation of steel structure supports for the cellar floor and walls;
🔧work to stabilise the steel supports;
🔧replacement of the floor;
🔧payment for the supports to stay up for a year.

As a small charity we have always operated on a shoestring. Our Arts Council funding does not cover the substantial costs needed to maintain the building, so this fundraiser will help us embark on another crucial building project.

To support this appeal visit our Gofundme page: https://gofund.me/38b3770d6

Thank you sincerely for all your continued support of the George Padmore Institute.

Images: 2+3) work carried out to the main roof last year; 4) cellar.

28/04/2026

Paul Christian is a black researcher with learning disabilities who worked with the George Padmore Institute to produce three easy read documents which make black history more accessible. Each document focuses on a different collection held by the GPI and are available to view on our website www.georgepadmoreinstitute.org/discover

We are so pleased to see Paul featured in the upcoming book Double Discrimination by Saba Salman. See Paul in the short video below at the George Padmore Institute with Sue Ledger, who were both supported by our Archivist Sarah Garrod to produce the easy read documents.

We wish Saba every success with such an important publication 🎉