In June 1943, African American troops based at Bamber Bridge mutinied against the Jim Crow segregation conditions imposed in the European theatre.

They found support from local residents. This international symposium is part of a commemorative weekend of events for the 80th anniversary of the mutiny on 23-25 June 2023, and stems from a project honouring their joint fight against racism in collaboration with the Embassy of the United States, Ministry of Defence, the US Defense Department, South Ribble Borough Council, Studio Canal and Preston Black History Group.

On the afternoon of 23 June, the symposium will be opened by the Spokesperson of the Embassy. The event will feature discussions of historical racism in the US military, collusion by the British Government and responses by locals and the troops themselves. Our keynote speaker and guest of the Institute for Black Atlantic Research (IBAR) will be The Guardian journalist and author Gary Younge. Thanks to a week-long visiting fellowship funded by UCLan’s Research Centre for Migration, Diaspora and Exile (MIDEX), the African American film-maker Gregory Cooke will show his 2023 film Invisible Warriors which documents the struggles of African American women workers in WWII, and take part in a Q&A session led by Professor Alan Rice.

Location: University of Central Lancashire Fylde Road Preston PR1

Get Ticket here

The talks will be streamed on MS Teams at this link. The film screening will not be available to those accessing the event online.

Details of the commemorative events taking place in Bamber Bridge on Saturday 24 June and Sunday 25 June are available from Preston Black History Group at this page.