Taj Ali calls for anti-racist uprising modeled on 1970s Asian youth movements
A Guardian essay draws parallels between today's far-right violence in Britain and the racism of the 1970s, arguing community self-defense offers a blueprint.
What to know
- Far-right violence has resurged sharply in Britain since summer 2024, with attacks on South Asians, mosques, and refugee hotels echoing the "Paki-bashing" era of the 1970s.
- Ali argues the 1970s Asian youth movements—which organized community self-defense and embraced 'political blackness' to unite people of color—offer a model for contemporary anti-racist organizing.
- The essay contends that fighting racism requires broad coalitions transcending racial and religious divides, not isolated community responses.
- Ali emphasizes that grassroots resistance from ordinary citizens, not top-down solutions, will defeat racism.
The essay presents a vital historical and strategic framework for contemporary anti-racism.
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“This is the way.”
adamgreenfield@social.coop · Mastodon ↗
“We were called 'black bastards' on the streets. We were commonly united with our African and Afro-Caribbean friends. They didn't know they were black until they came here — I didn't know I was a 'Paki' until I came to Bradford.”
Tariq Mehmood, 1970s Asian youth movement member · The Guardian ↗
Taj Ali Author and activistSuresh Grover Racial justice activistGurdip Singh Chaggar 18-year-old victimTariq Mehmood 1970s Asian youth movement member
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump posts
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Ali amplifies essay on Bluesky, emphasizing grassroots resistance
Ali shares the Guardian piece on Bluesky, adding that "Racism will not be defeated from above. It will only be defeated by us – ordinary citizens who refuse to look away."
“Racism will not be defeated from above. It will only be defeated by us – ordinary citizens who refuse to look away.”
— tajali1.bsky.social -
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Racism will not be defeated from above. It will only be defeated by us – ordinary citizens who refuse to look away. My piece for @theguardian.com
1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
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"we cannot fight racism in silos. We must build broad movements that transcend racial and religious divides" https://www. theguardian.com/commentisfree/ 2026/sep/23/britain-anti-racism-asian-youth-movements-1970s-far-right-violence
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Taj Ali publishes essay calling for broad anti-racist uprising rooted in 1970s models
Ali argues that contemporary anti-racism cannot succeed in isolated communities but must build broad movements transcending racial and religious divides, drawing on the political blackness concept embraced by 1970s Asian youth movements where South Asian, African, and Caribbean activists united against shared oppression.
“we cannot fight racism in silos. We must build broad movements that transcend racial and religious divides.”
— Taj Ali -
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This is the way. https://www. theguardian.com/commentisfree/ 2026/sep/23/britain-anti-racism-asian-youth-movements-1970s-far-right-violence
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background
Pattern of far-right attacks emerges on South Asian and Muslim communities — A South Asian man is punched in the face while bystanders cheer and yell racial slurs in Hartlepool; motorists are stopped and questioned about ethnicity in Middlesbrough; racist mobs attempt to burn refugee hotels in Rotherham and Tamworth.
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background
Gurdip Singh Chaggar killed in racist murder in Southall — 18-year-old engineering student Gurdip Singh Chaggar was stabbed to death by racist thugs in Southall, west London, sparking activist Suresh Grover to mark the spot with paint declaring the murder would be avenged.