Gus John: The Struggle for Racial Equity and Social Justice, Then and Now

Professor Gus John has been at the forefront of anti-racist campaigning for six decades. Hear him discuss his life’s work.

Professor Augustine "Gus" John - a renowned scholar, equality, and human rights campaigner.

Professor Gus John has been fighting racism and standing up for Black youth ever since he first arrived in Oxford from Grenada in 1964.

 

His work with other students challenging the racism of Oxford landlords at that time was instrumental in pushing the government to adopt the Race Relations Act, which outlawed racial discrimination in housing and employment for the first time. In 1968 he founded the supplementary schools movement for Black children, to counter the racist attitudes and curriculum they faced and to instill a sense of pride in Black history.

In the 1980s, Gus John became the first Black Director of Education in Britain and his work today focuses on challenging the school exclusions and criminalisation of Black youth.

Gus John will speak for an hour on some of his work spanning six decades, followed by Q and A.

Food will be served after the talk

Location: Blackbird Leys Community Centre Blackbird Leys Road Oxford OX4 6HW

Date and time: Starts on Thu, 11 May 2023 18:30 BST

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