PREVIEW: Black Power - The Story Of Resistance, BBC Two

Black Power: A British Story Of Resistance looks at the 60s and 70s through the eyes of the young black people who refused to take racism as a part of the natural order of things in the UK.

It shows how the civil rights struggle in America inspired activists to take a stand, and features rare archive of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael’s activities in Britain, as well as footage of leading figures in the movement in the UK: Altheia Jones-LeCointe, Darcus Howe and Roy Sawh.

The film describes the different groups in the movement such as R.A.A.S., the British Black Panthers and The Fasimbas, that appeared in cities across the UK at the time. It illustrates how the activism of these groups, combined with community and culture, helped fuel hope and resilience, and ultimately started Britain on the road to being a more inclusive and diverse society.

The film looks at key moments in the movement’s history, such as the Mangrove Nine trial and the Oval Four convictions, and examines controversial figures such as Michael X and events such as The Spaghetti House siege.

But at the heart of this documentary is a series of interviews from past activists, many of whom are speaking for the first time about what it was really like to be involved in the British Black Power movement, who bring to life one of the key cultural revolutions in the history of the nation.

Black Power airs Thursday 25th March on BBC Two.