180420PJ1184RevDrDesmondJadoo

Reverend Dr. Desmond Jadoo - speaker on Black Lives Matter

Name: Reverend Dr. Desmond Jadoo - speaker on Black Lives Matter

Date: 20th April 2018

Event: From Rovers of Blood to Rivers of Love 50th Anniversary

Address/Venue: MacDonald Burlington Hotel, Burlington Arcade, 126, New Street, Birmingham, B2 4JQ.

 

 

 

 

Brendon Batson to speak at ‘From Rivers of Blood to Rivers of Love’ 50th anniversary event.

•TUC Midlands and Stand Up To Racism to hold event in the same hotel that Enoch Powell gave his infamous Rivers of Blood speech

•Leading figures from politics, sport, unions and civic society to attend special event

Ex-West Brom player, and member of the famous ‘Three Degrees’ Brendon Batson will address a special event to mark the 50th anniversary of Enoch Powell’s infamous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech at the Midland Hotel in Birmingham. The event will be held in the same hotel that Enoch Powell used for his speech in 1968. Bringing together a wide spectrum of West Midlands society, the event will be showcasing how the diverse communities of the midlands reject Powell’s vision of ‘rivers of blood’ and instead have turned to ‘rivers of love’.

 

Eleanor Smith, the BAME female MP, who now holds Enoch Powell’s old seat will give a key note address, outlining how Birmingham, and the West Midlands, has rejected Powell’s vision and embraced tolerance and divergence.

 

Also addressing the event will be Birmingham City Council leader, Ian Ward, Shabana Mahmood MP and Preet Gill MP. Roger McKenzie, UNISON’s Assistant General Secretary and originally from the West Midlands will also make a speech.

 

Either side of comments from the key note speakers there will be contributions from representatives of the many differing communities across Birmingham, including a poem from the present Birmingham Poet Laureate Matt Windle.

 

 

TUC Midlands Regional Secretary, Lee Barron, said:

 

“It’s clear that Enoch Powell lost. We mark the 50th anniversary of his infamous speech in celebration and appreciation of the wonderful diversity of our region. Powell’s vision of ‘rivers of blood’ has clearly been rejected as our communities have instead embraced a vision of ‘rivers of love’ in creating a vibrant, tolerant and open society that is welcoming to all people.”

 

Brian O’Sullivan, Birmingham SUTR said:

 

“Powell spoke of immigration as an evil and used his speech to try and whip up racial hatred. But here we are in 2018 and people from different communities and religions work and live together and we will not let racism divide us’.

 

ENDS

Notes to editors:

20th April 2018 is the 50th Anniversary of the infamous Rivers of Blood Speech, made by Enoch Powell in Birmingham, at what is now the MacDonald Burlington Hotel.

Interviews with the speakers can be arranged.

Contacts

Lee Barron

lbarron@tuc.org.uk

0121 262 6380

07919 102472

Rob Johnston

rjohnston@tuc.org.uk

0121 262 6380

07879 497291

Rose Brown

Stand Up To Racism, Birmingham

0121 449 1353

07969415398

sutrbirmingham@gmail.com

 

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) in the Midlands exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together more than 1 million working people who make up our 49 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living.

 

Done