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The Road to Smethwick's 1964 contest: Activism, candidates, and elections

Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk

Description

The October 1964 General Election brought Harold Wilson's Labour party into power, but it also brought Smethwick to notoriety. This paper examines these events to set the political context of Malcolm X's visit to Smethwick. It will discuss the preceding elections and activist campaigns, together with deeper political and urban problems, which shaped the contest in 1964. The role of key figures, like Peter Griffiths and Patrick Gordon Walker, will be discussed alongside some less familiar candidates. Finally, the paper will explore the extent to which this rather complicated political environment shaped future interpretations of the events of 1964 in Smethwick
Period8 Feb 2025
Event title'A Street of Mistrust and Fear': Malcolm X in Smethwick
Event typeConference
LocationDudley, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of RecognitionInternational

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