History of activism in Bristol

In assembly, our Junior School pupils had a robust discussion about equality, discrimination, prejudice and activism, and the part the people of Bristol have played in effecting change.

The girls heard about the Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963, which arose from the refusal of the Bristol Omnibus Company to employ Black or Asian bus crews.

This was a turning point in British history as it was the country’s first black-led campaign against racial discrimination, and the beginning of the struggle for racial equality in the UK.

In the years following the boycott, the British government introduced the Race Relations Acts of 1965 and 1968, which outlawed discrimination on the ‘grounds of colour, race, or ethnic or national origins’.

In 2014, a commemorative plaque (pictured) was unveiled at the city’s bus station to serve as a permanent celebration and reminder of the success of this campaign.

“In addition to the events of 1963, we talked about the global Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, and how the statue of Edward Colston was pulled down by BLM protestors in Bristol 2020,” said Headteacher Mrs Brown.

“The girls were able to make links between different forms of discrimination and the inequalities this creates. I would like to commend them on the sensitive way they considered these important issues.”

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