Saturday, 26 January 2019 at 1:00 pm – Saturday, 26 January 2019 at 4:00 pm

Anti - Racism: Breaking the Colour Bar at The Old Abbey

Date: Saturday 26th January 2019

Time: 1pm - 4pm

Location: Old Abbey Taphouse

As the Windrush generation came to Manchester through the 1950s, joining West African seafarers, Sikhs and others, the colour bar in Manchester was everywhere: at work, finding a place to live, getting into clubs and pubs.

When we think of 'no go' areas for black people we often think of America. But the 'colour bar' and successful resistance to it was also happening in Britain - including at the Old Abbey pub.

In this workshop historians Shirin Hirsch and Geoff Brown will be leading off a discussion on this hidden history. How was the colour bar implemented nationally and in this pub? How did ordinary people, black and white, break the colour bar and achieve a pub where anyone could order a drink?

All welcome to explore this history and discuss how we can mark this local past of racism and anti racism. We hope to get former residents of Greenhey's down to hear their memories of the area and of the pub.

Dr Shirin Hirsch is Lecturer in History at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is a historian based jointly with us and the People's History Museum. She leads on developing this partnership between the museum and the university, through student placements, modules, and research. Co-production shapes her research and she is involved in exhibitions, public events and networks with artists, trade unions, museums and schools. Shirin's own research explores race, migration and the labour movement in modern British history. She has recently completely a book on Enoch Powell, racism and resistance within Wolverhampton

We love hearing the social history at the pub - we are collecting stories on our website here
https://theoldabbeytaphouse.weebly.com/local-history.html 

If you have any memories or would like to lead a workshop please drop a line to theoldabbeytaphouse@gmail.com