Join us for a screening of the seminal documentary work, BLACKS BRITANNICA, and to also celebrate the publications of Bisi Akintoye’s incredible new history of the Black British experience and policing. Featuring Bisi Akintoye and chaired by Dr Remy-Paulin Twahirwa.

Blacks Britannica (1978) is a landmark documentary examining the experiences of Black communities in Britain during the 1970s. Through interviews and contemporary footage, the film explores racism, policing, immigration, employment and resistance, capturing a period of intense political struggle over race and belonging. Its account of Black British life provides a powerful historical backdrop to continuing debates about racialised policing, citizenship and the relationship between Black communities and the state.

Bisi Akintoye’s new book, Black Britons, Race, and Policing: The Long Shadow, explores the historical and contemporary policing of Black communities in Britain, revealing how much has — and hasn’t — changed. Drawing on 58 interviews with young people, elders, and community workers in a heavily policed North London neighbourhood, it offers a powerful, intergenerational account of racialised policing and its everyday consequences. Through an intersectional lens, it examines how race, gender, class, and place overlap to shape Black Britons’ encounters with police and their sense of belonging. Through the voices of those most affected, the book traces how these experiences have produced enduring cultural narratives of mistrust, resistance, and exclusion. Exposing how policing continues to racialise and criminalise certain communities designated suspect status, it connects these practices to the legacies of empire and the politics of othering. It concludes by considering what these histories mean for the present and future of police-community relations and offers practical recommendations for building trust, accountability, and justice.

To celebrate the launch of this vital new book we welcome Bisi will be in conversation with Dr Remy-Paulin Twahirwa; the two will draw out key themes from the documentary and Bisi’s vital book. Expect illuminating discussion and some drinks and snacks. We look forward to seeing you there.

As always, tickets are priced on a sliding scale. If you are unable to pay for a ticket please do not hesitate to contact us at shop@housmans.com, and a free ticket will be made available.

If you choose ‘book + entry’ your copies of the book will be available to collect on the evening. If you would like to collect it earlier, or arrange for delivery, please contact us (postage is £2.95). Telephone 020 7837 4473 or email shop@housmans.com.

Please note copies of the book will be for sale on the night.

Doors Open at 6:45pm, Event Starts 7:00