Miranda Rae meets Draper Film Academy - Bristol Bus Boycott the musical and Roy Hackett

The Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963 arose from the refusal of the Bristol Omnibus Company to employ black or Asian bus crews in the city of Bristol, England.

In common with other British cities, there was widespread racial discrimination in housing and employment at that time against “coloureds”. Led by youth worker Paul Stephenson, Guy Bailey, Owen Henry, Roy Hackett, Barbara Dettering and the West Indian Development Council, the boycott of the company’s buses by Bristolians lasted for four months until the company backed down and overturned the colour bar.

The boycott drew national attention to racial discrimination in Britain, and the campaign was supported by national politicians, with interventions being made by church groups and the High Commissioner for Trinidad and Tobago. The Bristol Bus Boycott was considered by some to have been influential in the passing of the Race Relations Act 1965 which made “racial discrimination unlawful in public places” and the Race Relations Act 1968, which extended the provisions to employment and housing.

Miranda discovers a group of children producing the first ever play about the Bristol Bus Boycott at DFMA - Draper Film & Music Academy in South London. Miranda speaks with Director Luisa and musical director, Katanya of the Academy, they speak about the importance of their aim to "widen the net of integration and racism and what it is and how its so important we are "all one" without losing our identity. Since the referendum in June 2017, a date that many europeans wont forget its been like a ghost sitting on our shoulders breathing", are we in danger of going backwards in our way of thinking? Highlights the importance of the next generation and how important it is we teach our children about our history and history they can relate to and with out anger.
We also hear from Roy Hackett one of our 7 Saints of St Pauls Roy was one of the founders of the Bristol Bus Boycott back in 1963 and ask why he became an activist.

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