The Papers of Cecil Gutzmore relating to the Brixton Defence Campaign

The series includes minutes from the meetings held by the Brixton Defence Campaign, bulletins published by the campaign, copies of transcriptions from the Scarman Inquiry, papers relating to the campaign's demand to boycott the Scarman enquiry, ephemera from the campaign, and other related material.

There is currently only one series within this fonds relating to the Brixton Defence Campaign.

The Brixton Defence Campaign was formed in 1981. In its own press statement, the campaign group states that it formed to 'co-ordinate the defence of those arrested during the Brixton Uprising and to support those who continue to be victimised' [GUTZMORE/1/24]. The Brixton Uprising took place on the weekend of the 10th-12th April 1981 and saw clashes between the predominantly Black youth of Brixton and the Metropolitan police force. Further uprisings took place throughout the country in the months after April 1981.

A report was conducted, called the Scarman report, into the 1981 Brixton uprising, concluding that later uprisings were copycat disturbances.

The Brixton Defence Campaign called for a boycott of the Scarman Inquiry, amongst other demands, as it argued that the evidence in the inquiry 'can only further incriminate defendants and that the recommendations of the Inquiry will further oppress the black communities of this country' [GUTZMORE/1/2/4].

This archive collection was donated alongside a Brixton Defence Campaign t-shirt (BCA - 327) and a campaign banner (BCA - 328) which are catalogued in the object collection.

This collection is available for research. Readers are strongly urged to contact Black Cultural Archives in advance of their visit. Some of the material may be stored off-site and advance notice of at least a week is needed in order to retrieve this material.

The reading room is open for access to archive materials Wednesdays-Fridays, 10am-4pm. The reading room is also open late every second Thursday of the month, 1pm-7pm.

Please email the archivist to book an appointment archives@bcaheritage.org.uk

Reproduction charges and conditions may apply. Please speak to a member of the Collections team for more information.

Donated by Cecil Gutzmore to Black Cultural Archives in 2015.

Further accruals to this collection are expected (AC2016/06).

Related material includes MCKENLEY/3/1, ORAL/1/24, BCA-327 and BCA-328.