Paul Stephenson (civil rights campaigner)
Encyclopedia
Paul Stephenson, born Rochford
, Essex
(6 May 1937), is a community worker, activist and long time campaigner for civil rights
for the British African-Caribbean community
in Bristol. As a young social work
er, in 1963 Stephenson led a boycott
of the Bristol Omnibus Company
, protesting against its refusal to employ Black or Asian drivers or conductors. After a 60 day boycott supported by thousands of Bristolians, the company revoked its colour bar
in August. In 1964 Stephenson achieved national fame when he refused to leave a public house
until he was served, resulting in a trial on a charge of failing to leave a licensed premises. He is a Freeman
of the City of Bristol and was awarded an OBE in 2009.
in London
, where he was the only black child in the school. Service in the Royal Air Force
followed from 1953 to 1960. Stephenson gained a Diploma in Youth and Community Work from University College Birmingham in 1962 and then moved to Bristol to work as a youth officer for Bristol City Council
.
ran a series of articles in 1961 exposing this colour bar. The union publicly denied the bar, but the company general manager, Ian Petey, did admit it. He attempted to justify the company policy by stating in a meeting with the city's Joint Transport Committee that he "had 'factual evidence' that the introduction of coloured crews in other cities downgraded the job, causing existing (white) staff to go elsewhere."
Several members of the city's West Indian
community set up an organisation, the West Indian Development Council, in order to fight discrimination of this sort, aided by Paul Stephenson who was the city's first black youth officer. In 1963 Stephenson established that the bus company
was indeed operating a colour bar and inspired by the example of Rosa Parks
' refusal to move off a "whites only" bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama
, leading to the Montgomery Bus Boycott
, a Bristol bus boycott was organised.
As an articulate and university educated person, Stephenson became spokesman for the boycott, which soon attracted nationwide media interest and the campaign grew to receive support from Bristolians of all colours, Tony Benn
, MP for Bristol East
, and Harold Wilson
, leader of the Labour
opposition. After 60 days, on 28 August 1963, the bus company capitulated and in September Raghbir Singh became Bristol's first non-white bus conductor
.
Following this, he left Bristol to work in Coventry
as a Senior Community Relations Officer. In 1972 he went to London to work for the Commission for Racial Equality
. He was appointed to the Sports Council
in 1975 and campaigned prominently against sporting contacts with apartheid South Africa
. Stephenson became honorary president of Bristol's West Indian Parents' Association in 1979 and in 1981 was appointed to the Press Council
. On his return to live in Bristol in 1992, he helped set up the Bristol Black Archives Partnership, which "protects and promotes the history of African-Caribbean people in Bristol."
Community Award for Achievement and Services Rendered to the Black Community and the West Indian Community Publishers Award. Further awards include the Bristol West African and Caribbean Council Community Achievers' Award (1996), and the city council's One Person Can Make a Difference Award (2006).
In 2007 Stephenson was granted the freedom of the city
of Bristol, being the first person of Black origin to be so honoured. The citation stated "Paul Stephenson has devoted his life to improving race relations and encouraging community involvement and is a founder member of the Bristol Black Archives Project which has contributed greatly to an understanding of the history of the City and has helped to build closer relations between all the communities of Bristol."
In 2009 he was given an OBE in recognition "for his services to equal opportunities
and to community relations in Bristol." The University of the West of England
awarded Paul Stephenson an honorary degree
of Master of Education in November 2009, "in recognition of his substantial contribution to pioneering work in race relations and the extension of opportunity to socially excluded young people".
Rochford
Rochford is a small town in the Rochford district of Essex in the East of England. It is sited about 43 miles from Central London and approximately 21 miles from the Essex county town, Chelmsford...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
(6 May 1937), is a community worker, activist and long time campaigner for civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
for the British African-Caribbean community
British African-Caribbean community
The British African Caribbean communities are residents of the United Kingdom who are of West Indian background and whose ancestors were primarily indigenous to Africa...
in Bristol. As a young social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
er, in 1963 Stephenson led a boycott
Bristol Bus Boycott, 1963
The Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963 arose from the refusal of the Bristol Omnibus Company to employ Black or Asian bus crews in Bristol, England. In common with other British cities there was widespread discrimination in housing and employment at that time against "coloureds." Led by youth worker...
of the Bristol Omnibus Company
Bristol Omnibus Company
The Bristol Omnibus Company is the former name of the dominant bus operator in Bristol, one of the oldest bus companies in the United Kingdom. The company once ran buses over a wide area of Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire and neighbouring counties. The name was in operational use until 1985...
, protesting against its refusal to employ Black or Asian drivers or conductors. After a 60 day boycott supported by thousands of Bristolians, the company revoked its colour bar
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
in August. In 1964 Stephenson achieved national fame when he refused to leave a public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
until he was served, resulting in a trial on a charge of failing to leave a licensed premises. He is a Freeman
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of the City of Bristol and was awarded an OBE in 2009.
Early life
Stephenson was born in 1937 to a West African father and a British mother. His maternal grandmother Edie Johnson was a well known actress in the 1920s. He received his secondary education at Forest Gate Secondary SchoolForest Gate Community School
Forest Gate Community School is a secondary school located in Forest Gate in the east of London, United Kingdom. The school has been awarded specialist Business and Enterprise College status...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he was the only black child in the school. Service in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
followed from 1953 to 1960. Stephenson gained a Diploma in Youth and Community Work from University College Birmingham in 1962 and then moved to Bristol to work as a youth officer for Bristol City Council
Politics of Bristol
The city of Bristol, England, is a unitary authority, represented by four MPs representing seats wholly within the city boundaries. As well as these, Filton and Bradley Stoke covers the northern urban fringe in South Gloucestershire and the north eastern urban fringe is in the Kingswood constituency...
.
Bus boycott
In January 1955 the Passenger group, that is the section representing those working in Passenger Transport, of the local branch of the Transport and General Workers Union had passed a resolution that "coloured workers should not be employed as bus crews" by the Bristol Omnibus Company. The Bristol Evening PostBristol Evening Post
The Bristol Evening Post is a newspaper covering news in the city of Bristol, including stories from the whole of Greater Bristol, Northern Somerset and South Gloucestershire....
ran a series of articles in 1961 exposing this colour bar. The union publicly denied the bar, but the company general manager, Ian Petey, did admit it. He attempted to justify the company policy by stating in a meeting with the city's Joint Transport Committee that he "had 'factual evidence' that the introduction of coloured crews in other cities downgraded the job, causing existing (white) staff to go elsewhere."
Several members of the city's West Indian
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
community set up an organisation, the West Indian Development Council, in order to fight discrimination of this sort, aided by Paul Stephenson who was the city's first black youth officer. In 1963 Stephenson established that the bus company
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
was indeed operating a colour bar and inspired by the example of Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
' refusal to move off a "whites only" bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, leading to the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social protest campaign that started in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, intended to oppose the city's policy of racial segregation on its public transit system. Many important figures in the civil rights movement were involved in the boycott,...
, a Bristol bus boycott was organised.
As an articulate and university educated person, Stephenson became spokesman for the boycott, which soon attracted nationwide media interest and the campaign grew to receive support from Bristolians of all colours, Tony Benn
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
, MP for Bristol East
Bristol East
Bristol East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, and Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
, leader of the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
opposition. After 60 days, on 28 August 1963, the bus company capitulated and in September Raghbir Singh became Bristol's first non-white bus conductor
Conductor (transportation)
A conductor is a member of a railway train's crew that is responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve the actual operation of the train. The title of conductor is most associated with railway operations in North America, but the role of conductor is common to railways...
.
Further career
In the following year Stephenson achieved national prominence when he refused to leave a public house without being served. He was charged with failing to leave a licensed premises and was tried in a magistrate's court. The case was dismissed and the barman was dismissed by his employers.Following this, he left Bristol to work in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
as a Senior Community Relations Officer. In 1972 he went to London to work for the Commission for Racial Equality
Commission for Racial Equality
The Commission for Racial Equality was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which aimed to tackle racial discrimination and promote racial equality. Its work has been merged into the new Equality and Human Rights Commission.-History:...
. He was appointed to the Sports Council
UK Sport
UK Sport is the UK Government's organisation for directing the development of sport within the home countries.-History:The Sports Council previously had been formed in 1972, and had the motto Sport for All. There was also the Central Council of Physical Recreation. In July 1994 it was decided to...
in 1975 and campaigned prominently against sporting contacts with apartheid South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Stephenson became honorary president of Bristol's West Indian Parents' Association in 1979 and in 1981 was appointed to the Press Council
Press Council
Press Council may refer to:* Danish Press Council, a Danish independent public tribunal press council under the Ministry of Justice* International Press Telecommunications Council, a consortium of the world's major news agencies and news industry vendors...
. On his return to live in Bristol in 1992, he helped set up the Bristol Black Archives Partnership, which "protects and promotes the history of African-Caribbean people in Bristol."
Awards and honours
In 1988 Stephenson received the Bristol City CouncilPolitics of Bristol
The city of Bristol, England, is a unitary authority, represented by four MPs representing seats wholly within the city boundaries. As well as these, Filton and Bradley Stoke covers the northern urban fringe in South Gloucestershire and the north eastern urban fringe is in the Kingswood constituency...
Community Award for Achievement and Services Rendered to the Black Community and the West Indian Community Publishers Award. Further awards include the Bristol West African and Caribbean Council Community Achievers' Award (1996), and the city council's One Person Can Make a Difference Award (2006).
In 2007 Stephenson was granted the freedom of the city
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of Bristol, being the first person of Black origin to be so honoured. The citation stated "Paul Stephenson has devoted his life to improving race relations and encouraging community involvement and is a founder member of the Bristol Black Archives Project which has contributed greatly to an understanding of the history of the City and has helped to build closer relations between all the communities of Bristol."
In 2009 he was given an OBE in recognition "for his services to equal opportunities
Equal opportunity
Equal opportunity, or equality of opportunity, is a controversial political concept; and an important informal decision-making standard without a precise definition involving fair choices within the public sphere...
and to community relations in Bristol." The University of the West of England
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles north of the city centre...
awarded Paul Stephenson an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of Master of Education in November 2009, "in recognition of his substantial contribution to pioneering work in race relations and the extension of opportunity to socially excluded young people".