This exhibition presents the history of the Black Liberation Front (BLF) in Britain.   The BLF was active in Britain from 1971-1993 and had its roots in the wider Black Power movement.  The BLF worked with other groups in Britain and had strong international links with organisations and individuals worldwide concerned with Black liberation.

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The BLF organised against the racism of the police and British state and was concerned with liberating the Black community through an understanding of Black history and culture; Pan-Africanism and socialism:

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“We stand for the right of Black people to determine our own destiny. This of course involves great personal sacrifices, but it is a responsibility we must take up. We are our own liberators.”- BLF’s Working Platform 

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“We evaluated what we were doing with raising consciousness and we found that we had no real roots in the community. So, we decided that we should work in the community and we started the various community projects." - Tony Soares, one of the founders of the Black Liberation Front

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This exhibition is based on nine oral history interviews with former members of the BLF and its sister youth organisation the Fasimbas. The Young Historians would like to thank the project interviewees, Joan Anim-Addo, Jackie Daniel, Lennox Drayton, Nkrumah Pepukayi, Terry Rocque, Desrie Thomson-George, Winston Trew , Tee White and Ansel Wong for sharing their memories and inspiring the project exhibition and film. 

These interviews were undertaken and collected by the Young Historians Project on their Heritage Lottery Funded project, Black Political Activism in Britain - The Black Liberation Front (BLF) 1971-1994.  This exhibition was produced with the aim of encouraging the development of young historians of African and Caribbean heritage in Britain and is made available for educational use.  To view the 10 panels click on the thumbnails below: