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Staying Power: The History of Black People in Britain
“A fascinating account of the growth of the black community in Britain over the past centuries.”— Guardian
“For this retrieval of the lost histories of black Britain, Mr. Fryer has my deep gratitude. An invaluable book.”—Salman Rushdie Staying Power is a panoramic history of black Britons. First published in 1984 amid race riots and police brutality, Fryer's history performed a deeply political act, revealing how Africans, Asians, and their descendants had been erased from British history. Stretching back to the Roman conquest, encompassing the court of Henry VIII, and following a host of characters from the pioneering nurse and war hero Mary Seacole to the abolitionist Olaudah Equiano, Peter Fryer paints a picture of two thousand years of black presence in Britain. By rewriting black Britons into British history, showing where they influenced political traditions, social institutions, and cultural life, Chapters *'Those Kinde of People'
*Britain's Slave Ports
*The Black Community Takes Shape
*Eighteenth-Century Voices
*Slavery and the Law
*The Rise of English Racism
*Up from Slavery
*Challenges to Empire
*Under Attack
*The Settlers
*The New Generation As Fryer writes in his preface, “This however, though peopled to a large extent by Africans, West Indians, Afro-Americans, and Asians, is a history of the black presence in Britain. And it is written, not just for black or just for white readers, but for all who have a serious interest in the subject.” Staying Power presents a radical challenge to racist and nationalist agendas. This edition includes a new foreword by Gary Younge examining the book's continued significance in shaping black British identity today, alongside the now-classic introduction by Paul Gilroy.
“For this retrieval of the lost histories of black Britain, Mr. Fryer has my deep gratitude. An invaluable book.”—Salman Rushdie Staying Power is a panoramic history of black Britons. First published in 1984 amid race riots and police brutality, Fryer's history performed a deeply political act, revealing how Africans, Asians, and their descendants had been erased from British history. Stretching back to the Roman conquest, encompassing the court of Henry VIII, and following a host of characters from the pioneering nurse and war hero Mary Seacole to the abolitionist Olaudah Equiano, Peter Fryer paints a picture of two thousand years of black presence in Britain. By rewriting black Britons into British history, showing where they influenced political traditions, social institutions, and cultural life, Chapters *'Those Kinde of People'
*Britain's Slave Ports
*The Black Community Takes Shape
*Eighteenth-Century Voices
*Slavery and the Law
*The Rise of English Racism
*Up from Slavery
*Challenges to Empire
*Under Attack
*The Settlers
*The New Generation As Fryer writes in his preface, “This however, though peopled to a large extent by Africans, West Indians, Afro-Americans, and Asians, is a history of the black presence in Britain. And it is written, not just for black or just for white readers, but for all who have a serious interest in the subject.” Staying Power presents a radical challenge to racist and nationalist agendas. This edition includes a new foreword by Gary Younge examining the book's continued significance in shaping black British identity today, alongside the now-classic introduction by Paul Gilroy.
656 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 15, 2013
A white colleague asked me what I was reading and I said it was a history of black people in Britain. 'When does it start,' she said, 'the 1950s?' More like the 150s AD. Which just goes to show why people like us need to learn about these histories.
The book is compendious rather than profound, is by now some decades out of date, and is written by a white guy who therefore probably shows his whiteness in ways I wouldn't necessarily pick up on. But for me it's been a pretty good starting-point and strikes a balance between exposing the shameful history of white supremacy and chronicling the active lives and achievements of black people (both individual big personalities and collective movements).
The book also reveals, although the author doesn't actually express this, how closely allied white supremacy and misogyny have been in British history: I was pretty astounded by how frequently and consistently the trouble seems to come down to white men attacking black men because white women chose to socialize with and sleep with the latter. The other side of that is that this book doesn't have that much to say about women of colour, with the inevitable (but worthy) exception of Mary Seacole.
Anyway, it's a book I'm glad to have read and glad to have on my shelf for reference and as a starting-point for further reading.
The book is compendious rather than profound, is by now some decades out of date, and is written by a white guy who therefore probably shows his whiteness in ways I wouldn't necessarily pick up on. But for me it's been a pretty good starting-point and strikes a balance between exposing the shameful history of white supremacy and chronicling the active lives and achievements of black people (both individual big personalities and collective movements).
The book also reveals, although the author doesn't actually express this, how closely allied white supremacy and misogyny have been in British history: I was pretty astounded by how frequently and consistently the trouble seems to come down to white men attacking black men because white women chose to socialize with and sleep with the latter. The other side of that is that this book doesn't have that much to say about women of colour, with the inevitable (but worthy) exception of Mary Seacole.
Anyway, it's a book I'm glad to have read and glad to have on my shelf for reference and as a starting-point for further reading.
July 6, 2020
This one is tough to rate. It's a work that was extremely necessary and I would argue is a must-read for anyone interested in British history. However, it also really needed more editing, as it has far too many periods where it reads like a series of micro-biographies while losing track of telling the story of the bigger picture.
July 24, 2011
Some 'salvage' history is shaming in the depth and richness of a recent past that it uncovers: Peter Fryer has done us a great service by taking into (intentionally) forgotten aspects of British history, showing the Black presence in the country during the Roman period, and almost continually since the late 16th century. Accessible, politically savvy, clearly written.
February 28, 2011
Hadrian marched a legion of North African soldiers to Hadrian's Wall to repel the Caledonian Wildmen. That was around AD60. Since then there have been black people on these islands, they didn't arrive in the British Isles in the 1950s, they were here before the Vikings, Saxons and the Normans. The history extends from Roman times to the present day.
Peter Fryer's book is an eye opener but sadly it never appears in Bestseller lists, nor is it packaged up in sexy binding by Publishing houses - if it was, it would be an instant hit. You are more likely to find this book in Social Anthropology or Black History sections of University libraries.
Peter Fryer's book is an eye opener but sadly it never appears in Bestseller lists, nor is it packaged up in sexy binding by Publishing houses - if it was, it would be an instant hit. You are more likely to find this book in Social Anthropology or Black History sections of University libraries.
April 26, 2015
I haven't read other books on black history, but I can honestly say that Fryer's book is probably one of the best.
Enormously well researched, fluidly written, easy to understand - indeed, this book is a well of absolute brilliance.
I learnt so much about black history and black presence in the UK. In reading this book, not only did I learn about the early presence of black people in Britain but I also learnt about their significance in British history. Additionally, I was interested in the origins of racism and how fascinated about the fact that it a top-down process, promoted by the elite in science and the arts, and how racist ideology often stemmed from the need to defend slavery and colonialism - hence, its roots were economic. Even moreso, the shift that occurred, where the working-classes were first allies to black people and then economic rivals who perpetuated the racist ideology that was invented by the elite a century or two before.
Because of the depth of research Fryer engaged in to write this book, it can definitely be used as a starting point into research on black history.
Glad this was recommended to me and I will definitely be recommending this to many others.
Enormously well researched, fluidly written, easy to understand - indeed, this book is a well of absolute brilliance.
I learnt so much about black history and black presence in the UK. In reading this book, not only did I learn about the early presence of black people in Britain but I also learnt about their significance in British history. Additionally, I was interested in the origins of racism and how fascinated about the fact that it a top-down process, promoted by the elite in science and the arts, and how racist ideology often stemmed from the need to defend slavery and colonialism - hence, its roots were economic. Even moreso, the shift that occurred, where the working-classes were first allies to black people and then economic rivals who perpetuated the racist ideology that was invented by the elite a century or two before.
Because of the depth of research Fryer engaged in to write this book, it can definitely be used as a starting point into research on black history.
Glad this was recommended to me and I will definitely be recommending this to many others.
December 13, 2014
There were Africans in Britain before the English came here...
So begins this history of people of African (and Asian) descent in the British Isles. Peter Fryer has gathered a wealth of history commencing from the Roman times, which one would be hard put to find in most books on British history. As well as providing a general description of the lives of Black people over the period, this book details the many individuals and personalities who distinguished themselves over the course of time.
I was pleased to come across many new things in this work but would have liked to have seen something more about the role of Black women. Despite being first published in the 1980's, "Staying Power" is still an excellent reference. With over two hundred pages of appendices, notes and suggested reading, it's a goldmine for anyone wanting to do further research on the subject. Definitely recommended reading.
So begins this history of people of African (and Asian) descent in the British Isles. Peter Fryer has gathered a wealth of history commencing from the Roman times, which one would be hard put to find in most books on British history. As well as providing a general description of the lives of Black people over the period, this book details the many individuals and personalities who distinguished themselves over the course of time.
I was pleased to come across many new things in this work but would have liked to have seen something more about the role of Black women. Despite being first published in the 1980's, "Staying Power" is still an excellent reference. With over two hundred pages of appendices, notes and suggested reading, it's a goldmine for anyone wanting to do further research on the subject. Definitely recommended reading.
April 26, 2020
Still relevant
There have been a number of books since this book's release by black people about this subject but this is still an important read.
There have been a number of books since this book's release by black people about this subject but this is still an important read.
January 31, 2022
WOW THERE IS SO MANY GOOD BOOKS TO READ, WITH THIS ONE I LIKE MANY OTHERS I DONT REALLY NO WHAT BOOK IAM GOING TO READ NEXT, GOODREADS 📚 STAYING IN POWER WORKS FOR ME,
June 25, 2010
this seems broadly informed by ep thompson-style chronicling of active historical agents, with an added hint of contemporaneous 80s cccs discourse on race and identity (paul gilroy: "races are political colectivities, not ahistorical essences. 'race' is after all not the property of powerful, prejudiced individuals but an effect of complex relationships between dominant and subordinate social groups." [union jack, 196]) in the preface, fryer says there are two keys for understanding his organization of the vast amount of research assembled: "one is the contribution made by black slavery to the rise of british capitalism, and in particular, to the accumulation of wealth that fuelled the industrial revolution. that's why there is a chapter on britain's slave ports. the other key is the effect english racism has had on the lives of black people living in this country. that's why there is a chapter on the rise of english racism. these two chapters are not 'background'. they go to the heart of the matter."
it is this strong implicit framework that allows for the terrific wing-spreading and wealth of social/biographical detail, and makes the book so engaging; clr james in his blurb says fryer "never loses his grip in time and place." i loved the potted biographies of people i was largely or totally unaware of, like robert wedderburn and celestine edwards, as well as those of more familar names like equiano and seacole.
it is this strong implicit framework that allows for the terrific wing-spreading and wealth of social/biographical detail, and makes the book so engaging; clr james in his blurb says fryer "never loses his grip in time and place." i loved the potted biographies of people i was largely or totally unaware of, like robert wedderburn and celestine edwards, as well as those of more familar names like equiano and seacole.
January 1, 2020
I finished the main text of the book a while ago, but sadly had a death in the family, so my mind has been elsewhere. Only finished the appendices recently. A brilliant book that at least every Briton should read. Totally unforgettable!
Peter Fryer looks at the Black presence in Britain, and is more than "a modest contribution to setting the record straight". It is the history of Black people in Britain, their lives and experiences from ancient times to the 1970s. What is really good about this is that Black people's voices shine through. It includes information about Black Americans that came and those that came to live in the UK, their achievements, hopes, and fears despite British slavery, colonialism and entrenched racism. Besides the documents written about these people, are quotes and writings from Black people themselves, a history not always heard. One will learn a lot.
At the end of the main text are some appendices which feature, writings, for example, a letter from Olaudah Equiano to Thomas Hardy in 1792, and one from William Davidson in 1820, accused as part of the Cato Conspiracy, a letter to his wife before is execution, among other gems. Some of the people featured in this book, their writings and stories are powerful and heartbreaking. A must for anyone interested in the history of Britain and some of Black people's contributions to it. Great stuff!
Peter Fryer looks at the Black presence in Britain, and is more than "a modest contribution to setting the record straight". It is the history of Black people in Britain, their lives and experiences from ancient times to the 1970s. What is really good about this is that Black people's voices shine through. It includes information about Black Americans that came and those that came to live in the UK, their achievements, hopes, and fears despite British slavery, colonialism and entrenched racism. Besides the documents written about these people, are quotes and writings from Black people themselves, a history not always heard. One will learn a lot.
At the end of the main text are some appendices which feature, writings, for example, a letter from Olaudah Equiano to Thomas Hardy in 1792, and one from William Davidson in 1820, accused as part of the Cato Conspiracy, a letter to his wife before is execution, among other gems. Some of the people featured in this book, their writings and stories are powerful and heartbreaking. A must for anyone interested in the history of Britain and some of Black people's contributions to it. Great stuff!
December 6, 2016
3.5 stars. 7/10.
Read as eBook.
A really good starting point to get a general idea of things from Roman times to the 1970s.
The best parts and the greater focus is given to the history before the 20th century. It was rather frustrating that the 20th century didn't warrant as much detail as the 15th to 19th. Maybe it was too recent for Fryer to wish to cover.
The more interesting parts of the book tend to have a narrative or biographical approach but frequently Fryer resorts to lists of facts, dates and names that make it hard to keep focused.
Occasionally Fryer leans a little too much on the Marxist historian approach to studying the subject which at times feel a bit dubious.
The book will remain rather useful as there is considerable appendices to take advantage of and events mentioned that I hope to research in greater detail at a later date.
If anyone has recommendations for further reading (or a better resource) fire away.
Read as eBook.
A really good starting point to get a general idea of things from Roman times to the 1970s.
The best parts and the greater focus is given to the history before the 20th century. It was rather frustrating that the 20th century didn't warrant as much detail as the 15th to 19th. Maybe it was too recent for Fryer to wish to cover.
The more interesting parts of the book tend to have a narrative or biographical approach but frequently Fryer resorts to lists of facts, dates and names that make it hard to keep focused.
Occasionally Fryer leans a little too much on the Marxist historian approach to studying the subject which at times feel a bit dubious.
The book will remain rather useful as there is considerable appendices to take advantage of and events mentioned that I hope to research in greater detail at a later date.
If anyone has recommendations for further reading (or a better resource) fire away.
April 9, 2016
Absorbing, detailed and long overdue. Fryer's work is an excellent starting point for those researching people of colour in the UK. Of course, there's always more research to be done
May 4, 2021
In this book, Peter Fryer lays out an excoriating attack on institutional and longstanding racism in Britain. Although first published in 1984, little has really changed. Particularly interesting is the catalogue of racist legislation introduced and supported by both Tory and Labour governments (chapters 11 and 12), not to mention the racism perpetrated by British trade unions.
British behaviour on race issues is utterly shaming.
This book is far more hard-hitting and critical than David Olusoga’s more recent ‘Black & British’ and I have to say it has opened my eyes.
There are long sections of detailed historical evidence and long and detailed appendices which make this book something of a reference work.
Essential reading.
British behaviour on race issues is utterly shaming.
This book is far more hard-hitting and critical than David Olusoga’s more recent ‘Black & British’ and I have to say it has opened my eyes.
There are long sections of detailed historical evidence and long and detailed appendices which make this book something of a reference work.
Essential reading.
April 6, 2023
Wow a lot to unpack here. I feel like I just read through a semester’s worth of Black History in Britain. Part of me wishes I could go back and spend a month researching and learning more about each section in this book.
Even though I was already aware of a lot of the struggles, this book perfectly highlights the feeling of the never ending up hill battle Black people (in Britain) have fought against over the past 700 plus years. Many of the origins of current racist thoughts can be found within this history.
It can be hard to get through, but still one I’d recommend you try to read (or listen to).
Even though I was already aware of a lot of the struggles, this book perfectly highlights the feeling of the never ending up hill battle Black people (in Britain) have fought against over the past 700 plus years. Many of the origins of current racist thoughts can be found within this history.
It can be hard to get through, but still one I’d recommend you try to read (or listen to).
September 28, 2019
Torn between 3 and 4 stars. I can only imagine the amount of research that fryer put into this tome. I had been looking for this book for quite some time and stumbled across it at Eso Won in Los Angeles. It has taken me forever to finish this tome. After finishing the book, I realized I was probably more interested in the period from the 1940s until current period versus the complete history that fryer presented. There were quite a few interesting stories and people that I learned about while reading the book.
March 31, 2022
A monumentally important book covering the black experience of life in Britain. This sits neatly alongside honest takes on the British Empire that have examined history through the lens of empathy and disgust. It was particularly useful for this reader to look at the postwar settlers and the hostilities they faced from not just the streets, but also the powers that be which extensively made life impossible for black people through immigration legislation.
A must read for anyone who wants more insight into institutional racism and violence which is still being felt in the present day.
A must read for anyone who wants more insight into institutional racism and violence which is still being felt in the present day.
April 11, 2023
As with every book written about Black people in Britain there is too big a gap between Roman times and the next period of time that black people make a serious appearance in British history. I hope this gets amended before long.
Peter Fryer did do a rather fine job detailing the terrible history of Black people in Britain and the racism that continues. Though at times he did make errors as all white people do when writting about Black people. A very fine effort nevertheless.
Peter Fryer did do a rather fine job detailing the terrible history of Black people in Britain and the racism that continues. Though at times he did make errors as all white people do when writting about Black people. A very fine effort nevertheless.
Read
November 2, 2020A fascinating and comprehensive history of black people in Britain, filled with a wealth of information I’ve never seen before. For those wanting to learn more about the side of British history that isn’t taught in schools (or at least was certainly not taught to me in the 80s and 90s), then this is a great place to start.
July 13, 2021
An insightful, albeit over-academic at times, look at the history of Black people in England. It is also written by a white man, so there's possibly some nuance that's been missed, and potentially mistakes that I missed due to my own ignorance.
CW: this book deals with heavy topics, and the n-word is used uncensored for quotes.
CW: this book deals with heavy topics, and the n-word is used uncensored for quotes.
March 20, 2023
This is an enlightening, myth-busting read. The perfect antidote to ignorant rantings by racist commentators and white supremacists. A QUARTER of the book is given over to references and sources. There are vignettes of prominent black artists, activists and thinkers; unsung heroes in the struggle for equality.
June 6, 2024
This book is essential reading for everyone - it should be part of the national curriculum so that Britain understands how badly we treated Black people. There are no words strong enough for the atrocities we commited against them.
January 26, 2025
Finished at page 400 as the weighty appendixes looked a bit much. That said this is very good, extremely well researched, and gives you an insight into the UK's tumultuous and, at times, shameful, black history.
October 30, 2019
LETS SAY KEEP THE POWER 3 TIMES KEEP THE POWER. LETS KEEP THE POWER.👌
November 13, 2020
YES BLACK PEOPLES WE ARE EVERY WHERE WE NOT ANY WHERE.😎
February 26, 2021
Detail-rich, which is what we NEED.
Black lives are in every fibre and grain: meticulously researched and voiced with scholarly precision here. Compelling, not polemical.
Black lives are in every fibre and grain: meticulously researched and voiced with scholarly precision here. Compelling, not polemical.
October 13, 2021
5* content marred by poor editing. It comes alive in the later chapters but was, initially, fairly heavy going.
July 9, 2022
Detailed and often difficult to get through due to details of barbarity . Took me a while to get through this & I did it via audio book. An important read.
did-not-finish
July 24, 2022Dnf @ 26% - had to return my copy to the library. Will probably pick it up again in the future
May 13, 2023
An incredible document of indignity, inhumanity, brutality and oppression.
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December 13, 2024another book I technically did not read in full but the things I did read were really informative!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews