Your say / protest
‘Let’s celebrate our city of protest and pioneering heroes like Paul Stephenson’
As we approach his memorial service at Bristol Cathedral on Friday, it’s a fitting moment to celebrate the profound impact of an heroic freeman of the city of Bristol: Paul Stephenson.
I feel extremely fortunate to have known Paul and to be able to reflect on my experience of working with him during my term as Bristol’s first elected mayor.
Paul’s passionate commitment to racial justice, alongside his fellow campaigners, Guy Bailey, Roy Hackett and others, has left an indelible mark on Bristol and the UK, and will, I hope, continue to inspire generations to come.
is needed now More than ever
It may seem difficult to imagine now, but in the turbulent landscape of the 1960s, when both community and corporate racism were rife, the Bristol Bus Boycott was a particularly courageous act of resistance.
Paul, the first black social worker to be employed by the city council, emerged as a fearless and dignified champion for fairness at work.
His actions were not merely a response to a gross injustice, but were a clarion call to humanity, exemplified by the American poet Maya Angelou: “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”
Fittingly, Angelou was the first Black American streetcar conductor in San Francisco in the 1940s.
I arrived in Bristol in 1965 to study architecture, wet behind the ears, having travelled widely but never having lived in a real city.
It was love at first sight. The water, the streets, the activity, the bridges, the history.
Although it was a predominantly white city, I soon became aware of our colourful history of defiance, of which the Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963 was still very much alive.
The Race Relations Act of November 1965 was, according to prime minister Harold Wilson, inspired by the Bus Boycott. Although it did not make employment discrimination illegal until 1969.
All this, together with the arrival in Bristol of Ugandan Asians expelled by Idi Amin, in 1972, some of whom stayed with our family in Hotwells, opened my eyes to racial injustice and played a significant part in inspiring me in 1973 to stand for the city council as a Liberal.
Soon after my surprising election I was taunted by councillors on both sides for taking a stand on what now seems as an incredible injustice, the city council’s ban on the use of council property by ‘gay’ (now LGBTQ+) organisations.
I was also moved to join the anti-apartheid movement by the continuing imprisonment of Nelson Mandela and the activism of Steve Biko, to campaign against the inhumane cruelty of the apartheid system and to lead a street protest and, propose a council motion against a planned Bristol Chamber of Commerce trade visit to white-governed South Africa.
All this was small beer compared with the tenacious spirit of resilience by Paul and colleagues which had led them to challenge the racial discrimination that was plaguing our society and is sadly now being rekindled in some UK communities and across the Atlantic.
During this era, Black and ethnic minority communities in the UK faced profound adversity.
In 1963, many companies shamelessly denied employment opportunities based solely on the colour of a person’s skin.
It was within this extremely oppressive environment that Paul and his fellow activists dared to dream of a world where equality of opportunity was not just aspirational, but a birthright for all.
Drawing inspiration from the American civil rights movement and the powerful principles embraced by American Civil Rights heroes such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr, Paul and colleages envisioned a society where the barriers to employment, housing, and education were dismantled and where diversity was celebrated as our collective strength.
The Bristol Bus Boycott became more than just a local protest; it evolved into a symphony of solidarity by students and activists, with good people of all colours united in a just cause.
So on May 22 2013, the 50th anniversary of the Bristol Bus Boycott, I was, as the city’s elected mayor, extremely fortunate to stand alongside Paul, who I had so long admired, to launch Bristol’s Bus Boycott Education Resources initiative as a contribution to the school curriculum.
To hear of the struggles and successes from the Bus Boycott heroes was a real privilege.
I made no excuse for utilising the mayor’s executive powers to secure the necessary funding as I was very aware that this launch was not just another ceremony, but was giving the means for our schoolchildren and future generations to continue the legacy of those who fought so hard for racial justice.
A commemorative plaque was unveiled in 2013 at Bristol Bus Station to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bristol Bus Boycott – photo: University of Bristol
The Bristol Bus Boycott is so much more than a chapter in a history book. It is a powerful reminder of the collective action that transcends race, age and background.
It is also a powerful reminder of Bristol’s proud history of protest of which we were most recently reminded by the dramatic toppling of the Colston statue during the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020, cementing our reputation across the world as a city of passion.
The Bristol Bus Boycott educational resources act as a beacon of hope for young people across the UK, inspiring them to embrace the spirit of activism that Paul embodied.
Hopefully it reminds them that the fight for justice during a time of political upheaval, and the rise of an intolerant and extreme right, is more vital than ever.
In honouring Paul, we should all reaffirm our duty to cultivate diversity, champion equality and forge a community where every voice is heard and valued.
We all have a duty to learn from Paul’s example and be champions of a more just world.
Rest in peace, Paul. Your fight for equality still resonates. You ignited a fire in Bristol’s belly, ensuring we stand committed to carrying your legacy forward.
The ideals you embodied are etched into our future. We shall continue to fight for justice for the oppressed and the excluded in your name.
Let’s end with the exhortation of poet and equal rights activist Audre Lorde: “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognise, accept and celebrate those differences.”
This is an opinion piece by George Ferguson, mayor of Bristol from 2012 to 2016
Main photo: Pride of Britain Awards
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