Draft:Black Liberation Front

The Black Liberation Front (BLF) was a black nationalist, Pan-African and African socialist organisation in the United Kingdom, which ran from 1971 to 1993. It was considered one of the most effective Black Power organizations in the UK, despite threats and attacks from the National Front, the media, and the police, and state surveillance. It was involved in supplementary schools, affordable housing, support for black prisoners, and community bookshops, primarily in London.

Much more secretive than the British Black Panthers, most of their members remained anonymous. Tony Soares is known as one of the founders. Other known members include Joan Anim-Addo, Jackie Daniel, Lennox Drayton, Terry Rocque, N N A Pepukayi, Desrie Thomson-George, Winston Trew, Tee White and Ansel Wong.

The BLF had links with Pan-African groups worldwide, often sending money back to Africa, and helped organize the Africa Liberation Day celebrations in the 1970s and 1980s. BLF ran street stalls to sell books and posters, including one on Acklam Road, near Westway, North Kensington. They also published the Grassroots Newspaper, which often featured creative work, alongside news on anti-colonial movements back in Africa and the Caribbean.

BLF was especially concerned with educational inequalities in the UK. Because black-authored books were extremely difficult to source in London at the time, the BLF established three book shops filled with black history, black politics and black literature. The Grassroots store front on Ladbroke Grove was one of these book shops, and became a community hub. The Headstart bookshop provided information for young people and at the weekends, volunteers ran math, English and black history classes there. It had a sister organisation for young people called the Fasimbas.

BLF ran prisoner welfare schemes, and schemes to support black women. Ujima Housing Association was established by the BLF to address issues around discrimination in housing. Young people and mothers were especially welcome. By 2008, when Ujima was merged into London and Quadrant, its assets were valued at £2 billion.

The group was the focus of the Heritage Lottery-funded project Black Political Activism in Britain - The Black Liberation Front (BLF) 1971-1994 and Steve McQueen's Small Axe.