After British South Asians reeled from the riots of summer 2024, Taj Ali tells the inspirational story of how the community organised against racism in the past and how it continues to fight in the present.

British South Asians have a long tradition of radical political activism. The 1970s and 1980s saw the community grappling with prejudice in the workplace and violence in the streets. But this history is deeper than you might think, from students agitating for independence at the heart of the British Empire to seafarers organising global strikes on the eve of the Second World War.

Taj Ali reveals how successive generations fought for rights, dignity and a sense of belonging while actively shaping the country they now call home. He shows that British South Asian political life has often been defined less by religious difference than by shared commitments to anti-imperialism and anti-racism. In pursuit of these goals, alliances have been forged with other movements, from Irish republicanism to Black Power.

As racism rears its  head again we ask are we are doomed to repeat the past or will we learn from our mistakes and build a better world together?

Taj Ali is a journalist and historian. He is the former editor of Tribune and regularly appears as a commentator on the BBC, as well as contributing to the Guardian, Al Jazeera English and others. In 2025 he set up Anti-Racist Radar, an organisation that monitors and reports on racist attacks in the UK. Copies of Taj Ali’s book will be available on the night.

Organised jointly by Himmah and Five Leaves Bookshop, leading up to the Bread and Roses Festival

This event is free, but please book

Tea, coffee and snacks are available from 6.30 (donations welcome), with the event starting at 7.00

Himmah Hub is two minutes from the Forest Fields tram stop