London is the Place for Me: Black Britons, Citizenship and the Politics of Race

by Kennetta Hammond Perry

Black people in the British Empire have long challenged the notion that "there ain't no black in the Union Jack." For the post-World War II wave of Afro-Caribbean migrants, many of whom had long been subjects of the Empire, claims to a British identity and imperial citizenship were considered to be theirs by birthright. However, while Britain was internationally touted as a paragon of fair play and equal justice, they arrived in a nation that was frequently hostile and unwilling to incorporate Black people into its concept of what it meant to be British. In London Is The Place for Me , Kennetta Hammond Perry brings together a variety of sources including calypso music, photographs, migrant narratives, and records of grassroots Black political organizations to explores how Afro-Caribbean migrants navigated the politics of race and citizenship in Britain. Her examination expands our understanding of race and the Black experience in Europe and uncovers the critical role that Black
people played in the formation of contemporary British society.

Genres: Politics, History, British Literature

317 pages, Paperback

First published January 4, 2016

Reviews

[Amal Omer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars! i learned a lot— i liked the beginning which felt more narrative and easier to follow than the end. i definitely knew just about nothing about carribean and west indian migration to London and the parallels between the fight against anti Black racism there w/ that of it in the US in the 60s. i wanna learn more!

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Perry looks at the black migration from the West Indies (particularly Jamaica) into London after legal changes in the late 1940s made members of the British Commonwealth into British citizens. For many Jamaicans, this was a sign they were as "British" as any white person, like it or not; many Brits did not see it that way, to the consternation of the government, which presented Britain as above such things (unlike the Jim Crow USA). Perry does a good job chronicling how the various players thought about race and about blacks' role in England; however the writing is heavy on sociological jargon (she uses "discourses" a lot) which bogs it down. And the story doesn't have a dramatic arc (there's no landmark like the Civil Rights Act to wrap things up with) so it's more informative than entertaining. But as far as the information goes, it's top notch.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it VERY quickly, so this review is likely not fair or accurate, but it was too heavy on historical observation and too light on analysis in my opinion.

[megs]

Read for a book review for uni.
So much information that I will not be able to fit this into 750 words haha.

[gaverne Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely great book.