Notes on Black History in Britain...

Britain in the 1970s...

• Population in the 1970s was around 54 million.
• There were a number of major strikes that took place in this decade, including: postal strikes, miner strikes and dustmen strikes.
• In February 1972, a three day working week was imposed in order to save electricity.
• Water supplies reached a critical low after a long drought spell in the summer of 1976.
• The Queen's Silver Jubilee was celebrated all round the country in 1977.
• Technology was rapidly increasing, with 91% of families in Britain having a TV by 1971.
• The first domestic microwave, VHS video recorder and Sony Walkman also became available to the public during the 1970s.
• The currency rate of money in Britain also went under dramatic changes.
• The 1970s were also the era of global travel, with the first Pan Am Boeing 747 jetplane landing in Heathrow airport in 1970.

Britain in the 1980s...

• Population of Britain in 1981 was just over 56 million, a 2 million increase in ten years.
• In 1982, over 50% of households in Britain how had a telephone.
• 1988, the first digital mobile phone was invented, although they were expensive and large.
• In 1982, Argentina invaded the Falklands and Britain became involved in the Falklands War.
• The fan heater, kettle, hair dryer, toaster, microwave and phone all became more accessibly to homes in Britain during the 1980s.
• Seat belts were made compulsory for the front seats of cars in 1983.
• Microsoft computer software was invented in 1985, and the World Wide Web was first thought of in 1989.

Racial Tensions in Britain in the 1970s...

• Groups known as the 'Skinheads' or 'Skins' in the 1970s were linked with far-right political views and racism, despite being known for listening to reggae music and using black slang in their language.
• Young Afro-Caribbean Londoners took up what is known as the 'Rasta' lifestyle, adopted from the Rastafarians from the Caribbean. The lifestyle that this group of people adopted was due to them wanting to establish an identity as black people living in London at the time, a new identity away from previous generations who stuck with the stereotype of them being 'West Indian Immigrants'.
• This particular group though experienced a number of racial tensions in the 1970s, with members of these group being made to feel that London was like a place of exile and a place where only conflict that was caused by racial tensions took place.
• The National Front was a political party and was set up in 1967, and by the year 1973 had around 17,000 members. The party had a large number of activists between 1976 and 1977, with a number of these members creating race wars and committing a number of racist attacks.
• There were a reported 31 murders of black people in racist attacks between 1976 and 1981.
• One of the victims was 17 year old Sikh teenager, Gurdip Singh Chaggar, who was stabbed to death in a brutal attack by 5 white youths on 4th June 1976. Despite his murderers being found, they were never convicted of their crime, and the police dismissed the murder as having nothing to do with a racial discrimination.
• Open racism in Britain reached breaking point in the Southall Riots on 23rd April 1979. A mass fight broke out after thousands of protestors gathered to protest against a campain meeting by the National Front.
• The cause for this mass protest was due to the fact this campaign meeting was taking place in Southall Town Hall, an area which at the time was one of the countries largest areas of Asian communities.
• 40 people, including 21 police were injured in the fight that broke out, with a further 300 being arrested. There was also one death, a 33 year old teacher originally from New Zealand died after receiving severe head injuries which were reportedly from a police baton.

Why was the film 'Pressure' made?

• 'Pressure' could have been made in order to get across to the audience the treatment of black people in the UK during the 1970s when the film was set.
• The film gives the audience a clear view of what life for many black people living in Britain was like, for both older and younger generations.
• The film shows how older generations of white people were less tolerant of black people living in Britain at the time, while younger generations are presented as being more tolerant and more accepting of who they are as people and not about the colour of their skin.
• 'Pressure' also gives the audience a real insight into how a number of black people fought to gain the same rights and opportunities as white people that the government at the time were denying them.
• The film represents a different view of Black Britain as it is representing the situation that was taking place in the 1970s from the point of view of a group of black people, giving a more realistic representation possibly to give the audience a real idea of what it was like for a number of black people living in Britain during this time.