Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
COMMUNISM in Britain has had many key black activists since the founding of the party in 1920.
Much of this black communist tradition in the party has gone uncelebrated and is only now being rediscovered and revived.
This isn’t just because of a desire to demonstrate some kind of “right on” stance by the party. There is simply no need to do that.
A lifelong communist and community organiser, Pinder helped shape anti-racist and anti-colonial activism in Britain while dedicating himself to youth work and collective struggle, writes David Horsley
On the 121st anniversary of communist Claudia Jones’s birth ROGER McKENZIE looks at political events that shaped her, and those she helped shape
DAVID HORSLEY reminds us of the roots and staying power of one of the most iconic festivals around
On the anniversary of the implementation of the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act, ROGER McKENZIE warns that the legacy of black enslavement still looms in the Caribbean and beyond


