Faces and Places: Sarwan Singh and the Indian Workers Association [cont.]

Description:RACISM IN PUBLIC LIFE

Discrimination in public bars and social clubs and theatres: There was discrimination in pubs. The black people were not allowed to drink in public bars and social clubs. In those days whites managed all these places. The black peoples started picketing in front of the public bars in the areas where lot of people were living. After these struggles the black people were allowed in some of the pubs. There was still a restriction that they could not go into the smoke rooms. Then there was struggle after struggle. Then there were social clubs, which only allowed entry to members. The criterion to become a member was to fill a membership form, which must be nominated by two existing members. This was only to stop the black people. How can a black person become a member if all the existing members are white? That was another excuse by the white people. This fight is on going and there are still clubs where you cannot go and the example is a few years ago this happened on Oxhill Road, Handsworth Horticultural club in Handsworth, Birmingham. After a long struggle by the people living in the area the membership was given to black people and were allowed in the club. This struggle was supported by other organisations.

Generally there was racism in other areas of public life such as buses, shops. If a black person was sitting in the bus, the white community hated to sit with black peoples. The bus drivers were all white and they even did not like the black people boarding the buses. There were very few shops owned by the black people. The white people did not go to black people’s shops for shopping and vice versa. Some work places had different washrooms for black and white people. The white people did not want to use the washrooms with black people. At some places there were washrooms, which were shared between the blacks and whites. The white people did not share but they used to tell the black people that you use this side and do not use this side as we are using these. They even kept their clothes on one side away from the black people. The white people dominated the washroom facilities.

[Image above: Sarwan and the IWA on a protest march]