2023

SP0089 : Malcolm X was here: corner of Marshall Street and West Park Road, Smethwick

taken 3 years ago, near to Oldbury, Sandwell, England

Malcolm X was here: corner of Marshall Street and West Park Road, Smethwick
Malcolm X was here: corner of Marshall Street and West Park Road, Smethwick
Since 2012 the house on the corner of Park Road and Marshall Street, Smethwick, has carried a blue plaque, which reads:

Nubian Jak Community Trust
Malcolm X
1925-1965
International civil rights campaigner. Advocated desegregated housing in Smethwick with his visit to Marshall Street in 1965.
Recognize
Sandwell MBC
African Caribbean Self Help Organisation
Indian Workers Association (GB)

Sandwell MBC (Metropolitan Borough Council) is the successor to the County Borough of Smethwick, which at the time of Malcolm X's visit, was proposing to compulsorily purchase every house on Marshall Street to let to white people only. The previous year, the Conservative candidate Peter Griffiths had won the parliamentary seat on an openly racist election slogan and a policy platform of racial segregation. Malcolm X, who was on a tour of Europe and speaking at Birmingham University, was invited by the Indian Workers' Association to visit Smethwick, where he spoke to local people and experienced local conditions, including being excluded from a pub which operated a whites-only 'colour bar' policy: see SP0188 : Blue Gates Hotel.

Malcolm X was assassinated nine days after the visit, shortly after his return to the USA. The council subsequently abandoned its segregationist policy; Marshall Street is now an integrated, multicultural street. See the blog of Verso Books LinkExternal link for an account of the visit, also the site of the Nubian Jak Trust LinkExternal link (Archive LinkExternal link ) .

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright A J Paxton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Historic sites and artefacts Housing, Dwellings Suburb, Urban fringe Roads, Road transport Blue Plaque: Malcolm X Primary Subject: Street other tags: Blue Plaque Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
This photo is linked from: Articles: · Events On This Day In History Automatic Clusters: · Sandwell [17] Other Photos: · Multicultural mural, Smethwick Rolfe Street station ·
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Grid Square
SP0089, 170 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
A J Paxton   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Saturday, 15 April, 2023   (more nearby)
Submitted
Sunday, 16 April, 2023
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SP 0078 8908 [10m precision]
WGS84: 52:29.9774N 1:59.3964W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SP 0077 8908
View Direction
East-southeast (about 112 degrees)
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Image Type (about): geograph 
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