History Seminar: Stephen Small

Transnational Black culture in Liverpool at the end of the twentieth century Transnational Black culture in Liverpool at the end of the twentieth century: anomalous legacies in the 'slaving capital of the world' aka 'the second city of Empire'. At the start of the 20th century, the resident Black population (Afro-Caribbean and African) in Britain was estimated at no more than 20,000 (out of a total population of over 35 million). By the 1950s the Black population (Afro-Caribbean and African) of England was estimated at no more than 50,000; by the 1970s it had increased to 400,000 and by 2001 the census reported it was over 1.1 million. Most research on Black Britain in this period is focused on the population at the centre of this increase, the so-called ‘Windrush Generation’ – that is, West Indian settlers that arrived since the 1940s, developed family units with two West Indian parents, primarily in London, and with limited firsthand experience or collective memory of legacies of slavery and imperialism in England itself. This research is reflected in the work of scholars like Stuart Hall, Paul Gilroy, Hazel Carby, Heidi Mirza, Paul Rich and John Solomos. While Black Liverpool shared much in common with Black London and other cities in this period, Liverpool’s assemblage of features - what I denote as a racialised anomaly - was markedly different. There were far more Africans than West Indians, more long-term citizens than recent immigrants, the highest proportion of inter-racial marriages and people of mixed racial origins in the nation, more extensive first-hand experiences and a far more vivid collective memory of imperialism in West Africa. These differences arose from the city’s distinctive involvement in slavery and imperialism, the settlement in imperial Liverpool of (overwhelmingly male) seamen from West Africa; and the forced concentration of Black and multi-racial families in one neighbourhood (Liverpool 8 - later known as Toxteth). The city historically also had a far greater reliance on port activities and consistently higher rates of unemployment than in any other English city. In this presentation, drawing on research for my recently published book – Black Liverpool: ‘the real thing’ - I examine how the historical and structural features of Black Liverpool gave rise to unique configurations of Black cultural expression in that city in the final decades of the twentieth century. Specifically, how the Black community in Liverpool pursued, embraced and transformed waves of transnational Black culture from West Africa, the West Indies and Afro-America in the final three decades of the twentieth century. The role of gender ideologies, institutional practices and the agency and experiences of Black women are closely examined. One implication of this study is that an analysis of Black Britain based on a London-centered account of the so-called ‘Windrush Generation’ is unrepresentative and misleading. Stephen Small is a Professor of the Graduate School in the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, a position he began in January 2025 after he retired from 30 year’s teaching on campus. He researches the history and sociology of Black people across the diaspora, with a primary focus on legacies of slavery and imperialism, public history and collective memory. He is a faculty member of the Black Europe Summer School (BESS) (since 2007) – a two-week program in Amsterdam, founded and directed for Dr. Kwame Nimako; and has held visiting positions at universities in Brazil, England, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, and Zimbabwe. He was Guest Curator at the Merseyside Maritime Museum’s Atlantic Slave Trade Gallery (now the International Slavery Museum) in Liverpool that opened in 1994. His most recent book is Black Liverpool: ‘The real thing’ West African, West Indian and Afro-American Culture at the end of the twentieth century published by Liverpool University Press in June 2026. Recent publications include In the Shadows of the Big House: Twenty-First Century Antebellum Slave Cabins and Heritage Tourism in Louisiana (2023) and 1981- Black Liverpool, Past and Present (2022) (co-written with Jimi Jagne). He is also co-editor (with Darlene Clark Hine and Trica Danielle Keaton) of Black Europe and the African Diaspora (2009). Stephen earned his Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley (1989); his MS.C in Social Sciences from the University of Bristol (1983); and his B.A. (honours) in Economics and Sociology from the University of Kent at Canterbury (1979). Stephen was born and raised in Liverpool, England – the city with the nation’s longest-standing Black population. This event will take place on Thursday 29th October, rather than the usual Friday, due to a university closure date. Please note that this event takes place in a room which does not have step-free access. To request a change of location, please email [email protected]. To request online access, please email [email protected]. Refreshments, drinks and snacks will be provided . We look forward to seeing you there! For those who wish to be on our mailing list, please fill out this (short) form: https://forms.gle/M97CC6izCs3hkBAs7