WHO WE ARE

The Liverpool Black Men’s Group was established in May 2020 to provide a forum for discussion of issues pertaining to the Black experience in Liverpool, with the hope that it can inspire Black men to become politically and socially active within Liverpool and further afield. 

We are keen that this should not be seen as an exclusively male, sexist or misogynist endeavour, but rather a clarion call to Liverpool’s Black men to catch up with our sisters, who have in recent years been a lot more active and successful politically, to the extent that for a time in May 2021, the city boasted a Black female MP, a Black female Lord Mayor and a Black female elected Mayor! There are also more Black female councillors than there are Black Male councillors. Our founding members wisely sought – and received – the endorsement of some of our respected sister activists, who understand and support our intentions. We intend to work in partnership with Black women where necessary on issues that concern the Black community locally and globally.

LBMG is a Community Interest Company (CIC) and we list a number of things we have already done since our formation, and others we have agreed to work toward in the future:

1.   Some of our members have participated in a series of podcasts initiated by the group to revisit the Liverpool 8 Uprising (often referred to as the Toxteth Riots) which happened 40 years ago. The group members interviewed some men who had been present at the uprising, discussing the factors that led up to the outbreak of violence between the police and the community, and how many of the same issues are faced today.

2.   One of our members presented a piece of drama at the Liverpool Theatre Festival recently. Some of our members went along to support him and publicise the fact that the group has been formed and is awaiting registration.

3.   The same actor member has agreed to stage a performance of another play as a fundraiser and as a publicity drive for the group.

4.   Our members made representations on behalf of a local family whose son had been subjected to racist abuse, to the Anthony Walker Foundation (named after the victim of a racist murder) which provides an advocacy service to the Liverpool Black community.

5.   One of our members found the unmarked grave of a Black man who was the victim of a race riot that happened in the city in 1919. We have agreed that we will take it upon ourselves to raise funds to provide a memorial to Charles Wotten. Another member of the group, who hails from Wotten’s home country (Bermuda) has started making moves to contact the Bermudian government with a view to establishing a bursary in Wotten’s name, to support young Bermudians to study in Liverpool.

6.   We will shortly be making representations to the Museums of Liverpool to ensure that they live up to their stated aims to have more significant numbers of staff of African descent on their staff.  The Museum will be the first of several local institutions with which we will be working constructively in this way.

7.   Three of our members organised an open tour of part of the Liverpool 8 area which focused on how music played a part in creating a sense of community and encouraged activism between the 1950s and the 1990s

We meet once a week: Thursdays at 7:30pm, and all Black men in and around Liverpool are welcome to join.

“Forward ever; backward never!” (Kwame Nkrumah)