Beki Martin, the executive director of education charity Facing History and Ourselves UK, writes about the enduring legacy of Bristol activist Roy Hackett, who died last week.
Roy Hackett, a leading figure in the Bristol Bus Boycott, was born in Jamaica and came to Britain in 1952 in response to a government campaign calling for citizens of Commonwealth countries to move to the ‘motherland’.
The call was reinforced by the British Nationality Act of 1948, which gave all Commonwealth citizens British nationality and the right to live and work in the UK with their families. The government’s scheme sought Commonwealth citizens on account of their economic potential - the idea being that they would plug labour shortages, repair some of the damage caused by the Second World War and kickstart the economy.
Read more: 'A life lived with bravery' - tributes to 'Bristol giant' Roy Hackett
Despite this official invitation, Roy Hackett and countless others who moved to Britain in the post-war period were excluded from housing and employment opportunities, and were the victims of racism and violence. This was the era in which it was not uncommon to see signs stating ‘no blacks, no Irish, no dogs’ outside of lodging houses.
Given this backdrop of racially-motivated hostility and aggression, the bravery that Roy Hackett, and the other organisers of the Bristol Bus Boycott, showed in 1963 by challenging the ‘colour bar’ that prevented Black and Asian people from working as conductors and drivers on Bristol’s buses was remarkable.
During this period, Black people were a significant minority in the Bristol community - and were acting at a time when they had little social agency and there was significant public backlash against their presence in the country. Their courage in speaking out and standing up against injustice helped not only publicise racial discrimination and end the ‘colour bar’ on Bristol’s buses, but it also paved the way for the Race Relations Act 1965 (and its subsequent iterations).
Since Roy Hackett’s passing, much attention, as it rightly should be, has been paid to his pioneering activism, which suggests that we have come a long way from the racial discrimination that characterised the 1960s. However, there is still work to be done. A survey Facing History and Ourselves commissioned in 2021, the results of which were published in the Bristol Post, highlighted the extent to which racism persists in society: in Bristol, almost 80 percent of the 14-17 year old surveyed had witnessed racism, whilst across the UK, 77 percent of young people reported that racism is ‘one of the most significant issues for them in modern times’.
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The survey also highlighted that much more needs to be done to teach a representative curriculum in schools and to teach students about British activism. Whilst the majority of students had heard about Martin Luther-King, only a very small minority (4 percent) had heard of Paul Stephenson - one of the leaders of the Bristol Bus Boycott alongside Roy Hackett.
Students in schools across the country should also be taught about this incredible story of activism, the change that it brought about and the figures who led the movement because it helps them connect with their British heritage - Black British history is British History - and ensures that students are not just learning about history through a whitecentric curriculum.
Studying a representative curriculum means all students understand the diversity of the UK’s past, which otherwise might only be made apparent during events such as Black History Month. Additionally, a representative curriculum can help students of colour excel, academically and otherwise: when students learn about people who look like they do, it can motivate them and help foster a sense of belonging in society, and belonging is vital for cohesion.
Mr Hackett’s story also deserves to be on curricula around the country because it is inspiring and creates hope, which is key to motivating people to fight against social ills: without hope, there is apathy. The Bristol Bus Boycott highlights how, against the odds, people can challenge injustice and oppressive social systems that deny them agency and power, and win. Moreover, Hackett’s story can also help young people learn about strategies they can use to bring about change in the world around them.
In our lesson on the Bristol Bus Boycott - Protesting Discrimination in Bristol - there is an activity called ‘Levers of Power’, which outlines a range of effective ‘levers’ (many of which were used in the Boycott) upon which people can apply pressure to create change. These levers include the media, government (local and national), influential individuals, and schools and education.
By teaching about this history, and the impact that activists like Roy Hackett have had, we can expand our students’ ability to engage with the world around them in an inclusive and empathetic way, and together develop a stronger connection to our collective heritage. Roy Hackett’s story could be the catalyst young people need to stand up against the injustices they see today. We need people to know this story: with knowledge comes hope, and with hope comes action.