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Black Poppies: Britain’s black community and the Great War

Stephen Bourne talks about his latest book, Black Poppies, published by The History Press to coincide with the centenary of the First World War. Black Poppies explores the military and civilian wartime experiences of Britain’s black community, from the trenches to the music halls. Poignantly, it concludes by examining the anti-black ‘race riots’ of 1919. In cities such as Cardiff and Liverpool, black citizens came under attack from returning white soldiers who resented their presence, in spite of what they and their families had done for Britain during the war.

Stephen Bourne is one of Britain’s leading experts on Black British history. The author of many books on the subject, Stephen has written for BBC History Magazine and is a regular contributor to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. For further information go to his website.

This talk formed part of The National Archives’ Diversity Week 2015.