Speaking about the Poplar Rates Rebellion
Janine gave this illustrated online talk about the Poplar Rates Rebellion for the TUC Tolpuddle Radical History School on 12 January 2021.
Issues and campaigns: History
Pages from (or about) the past. Those who do not learn from its mistakes are doomed to repeat them.
Throwing Stones in 2020
After A Stone’s Throw Away by Paul Weller News just in of last year’s protests starting again in Chile And hundreds of thousands massing in the city streets for women’s rights in Poland Burned-out squatters turning out in Johannesburg … Read more
TUC/Tolpuddle talk: Centenary of the Poplar Rates Rebellion
Janine Booth tells the story of a working-class borough’s fightback against austerity and thirty councillors who went to prison for refusing to levy rates that their citizens could not afford to pay. Celebrate the centenary of an inspiring struggle which … Read more
Triolet: Don’t Mention the War
They never talked about the war, the ones who fought and struggled through it Why speak of memories so sore? They never talked about the war but football, politics and more Unless the young asked them to do it, they … Read more
Triolet: War Is Over
She didn’t say the war was won Instead she said the war was ended Fall silent now, the bomb and gun She didn’t say the war was won There’s future-building to be done Place and people to be mended She … Read more
Guest post: Looking back … and forward.
A personal reflection from my dad, prompted by the last line of my poem, Bristol’s Brilliant Bus Boycott (1963). Back in the spring, after nearly losing his life to coronavirus, the prime minister abruptly declared himself a convert to anti-obesity … Read more
Black culture and resistance: the Harlem Renaissance
Published in Solidarity 569: One hundred years ago, an arts movement was forming in a mainly-black district of New York City. Later known as the Harlem Renaissance, it was primarily cultural but also inescapably political. Literature, poetry, jazz, … Read more
Bristol’s Brilliant Bus Boycott (1963)
Back before barring blacks became banned Bristol buses blocked brown-skinned blokes becoming buscrew But better Bristolians batted back bit the bullet and boycotted the buses Bent-backed, booted bipeds bicycled, as bitter brushes blazed between bile and benevolence Bands of brave, … Read more
How Transport Workers Beat the Colour Bar
A version of this was published in Solidarity 568: This story of colour bars in the UK railway and bus industries begins after the Second World War, when Britain had a labour shortage and people moved to Britain in increasing numbers … Read more
Clerihew: Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes Wrote poems in the rhythm of the blues He gave folk the shivers With ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’
Video: the story of ‘colour bars’ on UK railways
Speaking at an online meeting of rail workers in September, Janine Booth tells the story of the period after the end of the Second World War when black people came to Britain but met opposition from some white workers, until … Read more
Author interview – premiere!
Five Leaves bookshop, publisher of Janine’s biography of Minnie Lansbury, interviews Janine about writing, lockdown, politics, motivation and lots more. Warning: may contain book extracts and poetry.
Clerihew: Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg As I’m sure you must have heard Was jailed and murdered as she would not conform And preferred revolution to reform
Clerihew Times Two: Herbert Morrison / Peter Mandelson
Herbert Morrison was moderate and worrisome He had an appropriate grandson: Peter Mandelson Peter Mandelson could not get a handle on The passionate, radical, principled and quarrelsome: rather like his grandfather, Herbert Morrison
Clerihew: Emmeline Pankhurst
Emmeline Pankhurst among feminists, ranked first Until she ruined her story by becoming a Tory
Clerihew: Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort got off on the wrong foot He persecuted the Jewish but won the Battle of Lewes
Clerihew: Henry III
Henry the Third was somewhat absurd He endorsed the Great Charter and ignored it thereafter
1920 Blind March: a centenary to celebrate
This article was published in RMT News, September 2020. By Janine Booth, Chair of RMT National Disabled Members’ Advisory Committee One hundred years ago, two hundred and fifty blind people from across the UK marched from Newport, Manchester and Leeds … Read more
Poems of the Harlem Renaissance
I have contributed this short article to Black History Month activities where I work. Poems of the Harlem Renaissance – recommended by Janine Booth Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes and Claude McKay were all black American poets who were part of … Read more
Speaking on ‘colour bars’ on the railway
Log in via Zoom here Facebook event here In 1966, Asquith Xavier became the first black guard at Euston station, overturning a “colour bar” which prevented black workers from being employed in certain grades. His struggle was not the first … Read more