Annual Black History Month Public Lecture

Unveiling the Hidden History of Racial Discrimination in the UK: Constantine v. The Imperial Hotels

Constantine at practice in Australia in 1930 (Image sourced from WikipediaLink opens in a new window k opens in a new wi)

Annual Black History Month Public Lecture took place Wednesday 25th October 2023, at the University of Warwick.

Details

We delve into a significant event from 1943 when Mr Learie Constantine, a renowned Black cricketer, encountered racial discrimination at the Imperial Hotel in Bloomsbury. Despite booking accommodation for his family, they were denied entry, sparking a media frenzy, parliamentary discussions, and calls for change.

Discover how this incident, largely absent from legal education, impacted the development of the UK's first Race Relations Act in the 1960s. Explore the historical context of Constantine v. The Imperial Hotels and their implications for understanding racism's role in the market.

Don't miss this enlightening lecture on a pivotal moment in British history.

Meet the speakers

Professor Toni Williams, Senior Tutor (Girton College) - Speaker

Professor Williams is a Senior Tutor at Girton College as well as Director of Division of Law, Society and Social Justice and member of the Executive Team at the University of Kent. Professor Williams has a distinguished interdisciplinary research and teaching career based in Law Schools in the UK and internationally, including visiting positions at the University of Wisconsin Law School, the University of Toronto Law School, City University of Hong Kong and the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil.

Emma Austin, Rights in the Community Strategy Lead (Central England Law Centre) - Rapporteur

Emma is an experienced Community Care and Public Law solicitor, having represented clients in several high profile challenges to cuts in services and support for disabled people and in cases focused on securing adequate support for children. Since joining CELC in 2016 her work has been focused on public legal education projects including the RIPPLE Project, the MAC Project (Mother and Child Project) and the Rights in Peril Project. She now leads on the development, implementation and integration of CELC’s Rights in Community Strategy, working within CELC and externally with partnership organisations to improve legal rights knowledge and effective use of legal rights within our communities.