60 years of Struggle: Civil Rights , African Odysseys @BFI
About this Event
60 Years of Struggle: Black British Civil Rights, a film on education, housing, policing, health, migration and anti-racism since 1965. Plus a deep conversation with legendary academic, activist and octagenerian, Professor Gus John.
PLUS Caribbean in Crisis rare screening of 1989 film linking to Cuba/Venezuela/Grenada
The films and conversation will cover:
- His UK arrival in the 1960s to become a priest
- Life as a gravedigger
- Setting up Birminghams first Saturday school in 1964
- Fighting the Far Right in the 1970s
- Setting up the Black Parents Movement with John La Rose/New Beacon books
- 20,000 people and the Black People's Day of Action 1980s
- The first Black Director of Education in Hackney
- The London School and Black Child conferences of the 1990s
- Breaking academic barriers and mentoring
- Writing anti-racist laws in the 2000s and advising governments on equality
- The Home Office/Windrush scandal
- Police brutality and systemic racism at the BFI in 2026
He will discuss problems, solutions and lessons learned in 60 years of fighting the power.
The film was produced by Souleyman Garcia. Like many African Odysseys titles it has rarely been screened since the initial sold-out British Film Institute event in 2015 when 2000 people chased 450 tickets. In 2025 the British Film Institute cancelled the African Odysseys monthly, educational film programme ;ignored a 18,400 strong petition to keep it, refused to answer any questions, refused do a legally required Race Equality Impact Assessment and refused to meet Professor John three times
The film will therefore tour different London locations over the next 6 months to recognise 61 years since the first ever Race Relations Act in 1965 and 20 years of African Odyyseys
- The Price of Memory.Reparations plus Q&A with Chrystal Rose
- Black history Bus tour/ Steam train trip/River cruise
- Frantz Fanon weekender
- Remembering Joy Gardner: Black Lives Matter 1993
- Black Women and Film Exhibition
- Graphic Novels: Publishing, Black History and movies
- Mayfair, Hackney, Notting Hill, Southbank, Trafalgar Square, Regents Canal and Soho walks
- I fought the law and I won, a Black judge of 60 years of Equality legislation
- Champion Black Boxers and businessmen in 1800s London:
- Black British Boxing history
- Sign petition to save African Odysseys and Black film history at BFI Southbank HERE
About African Odysseys
The volunteer-run, African Odysseys film programme screens educational, popular, anti-racist, films with Q&A's . It regularly filled the Southbank 450 seater at 2pm on Saturdays when cinemas are typically 'dead'.The British Film Institute refused to answer 8 simple questions or meet the volunteers, then cancelled the programme so they could 'cut costs and promote diversity' HERE
African Odysseys continues to show films across London as can be seen HERE
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 20.00
