WW2

During 1943 an international cricket match was to be played at Lords and I was asked to take part. I booked rooms at the Imperial Hotel for my wife and daughter and myself, and having had unhappy experiences in the past, at the time of booking I enquired “Have you any objection to coloured people?” the answer was: “No.”

I arrived at the hotel with my superior officer from the Ministry of Labour and the manager of the cricket tour … The hotel manageress said to my superior officer: “We will not have niggers in the hotel because of the Americans. If they stay tonight their luggage will be put out tomorrow.”

Learie Constantine, Colour Bar 1954

In a village near Newcastle called Silverdale I found a family who were very friendly to me and to the other East Africans …In was used to bossy settlers at home. I had known mostly arrogant and rude army officers who had no sympathy for African advancement. The Evans family were different. They toiled in the coal-pits during the day, and at home they did not have a single servant. Mrs Evans did everything at home, just like my mother. As workers, they were very close to Africans. They were friendly and understanding, and I found them willing and sympathetic listeners. They wanted to know about East Africa, and especially about Kenya. They were surprised and indignant to hear how their own government was oppressing Africans. This was news to them. At that time the majority of English people believed that their government in the African colonies was a benevolent one which ‘worked very hard to uplift the African’. They felt ashamed to hear that the main task of ‘their’ government was to exploit Africa and to do everything possible to keep Africans poor and backward. - Bildad Kaggia, Roots of Freedom (1975)

Up in Cumberland the camp was near a small town by the sea. There were only a few Jamaicans there. One hot afternoon four of us were lazing around on the beach when two children came by, a boy about eleven and a girl a few years younger. They stared at us very hard but didn’t say anything…

‘Our teacher told us that black men live in trees and they don’t wear shoes and they don’t wear clothes and they don’t have houses.’

‘You can tell your teacher now that you met some black men who do wear shoes and clothes.’

My friends were furious now. Why should we educate these stupid kids just because their teacher was ignorant? … Are the teachers really so ignorant or do they tell the children lies? We were angry with the teachers but I couldn't be angry with the children.

- Eric Ferron, Man You’ve Mixed (1995)

A fine of £5 imposed at Liverpool Police Court on … a 31-year-old West Indian, for failing to attend Home Guard duties without reasonable excuse was reduced at Liverpool City Quarter Sessions yesterday… to one farthing. Roberts was also given the costs of the appeal. When asked by his Commanding Officer why he had failed to do picket duty Roberts explained that he had been refused admission to a dance hall because of his colour. He had returned to the hall wearing his Home Guard uniform, but had again been refused admission. Roberts, in evidence, said that he stayed from Home Guard parades because he had been insulted while wearing the uniform. There was no colour bar in the West Indies.The Times 2.8.1944.