175:, and later served as the leader of the Afro Caribbean Society, which he used to end racial segregation in the employment of Birmingham city's bus services. As an influential trade union leader, Gunter was the first black man to serve as a delegate for the Birmingham Trades Council, and he forwarded a successful motion to the
361:
Methodist reverend Vicky
Atkinson, a community leader who had lived in the same area as Gunter and knew him personally, said that Gunter "was a person who stuck by his principles and, as well as being an activist and very political, was also well read and articulate." She went on to say that he "was
319:
Gunter joined the Afro
Caribbean Society and soon became its leader, addressing public meetings on racism and organising marches under the banner "No Colour Bar to Housing and Jobs". He led the Afro Caribbean Society to campaign for an end to racial discrimination in Birmingham city's bus transport
207:, which controlled the Canal Zone, were recruiting Jamaicans, convincing Gunter and many others to travel there for work in 1940. After arriving at the American-controlled Canal, Gunter witnessed racial segregation for the first time in his life because the United States enforced
40:
274:. One of his greatest achievements in the trade union movement was becoming the first black delegate to the Birmingham Trades Council. He achieved further success within the trade union movement after forwarding a successful motion to the
241:. Job opportunities were extremely few after Gunter had been blocked from returning to the United States, so he chose to instead move to Britain, where he would then spend the remainder of his life, making his home in the English city of
227:(FBI) began to target him for his anti-racist activism and refused to allow Gunter to return to the United States. It is thought that one of the reasons the FBI barred him from returning was due to his publication of a newspaper titled
215:, where he began working with local unions and started writing newspaper articles. His advocacy for the rights of African Americans led to his writings being republished in Jamaica. During this time, Gunter met members of the
171:(1954), a key British anti-racist text published by the CPGB. He also authored numerous articles exposing racism in Birmingham's hotels, housing, and employment. Gunter also helped create the Birmingham branch of the
223:, becoming more deeply entrenched in the trade union movement and the fight for the rights of black people. After Gunter briefly returned to Jamaica after World War II, an American regime security force called the
282:
In view of the appalling conditions which immigrant workers have to live under in
Birmingham, we ask that the TUC demand that the government provide accommodation for the workers
551:
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172:
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system, which was refusing to hire black people, and the city council consequently changed this policy and allowed black people to join the bus services as employees.
306:", was particularly strong in Birmingham, and the local branch of the CPGB asked Gunter to write about the situation within the city. Gunter wrote a work titled
179:
in support of the rights of immigrant workers. He dedicated his entire life to both trade union activism and fighting for the equal rights of black people.
157:(1920 – 23 July 2007) was a leading British communist and civil rights leader, most famous for his campaigns for racial equality in the English city of
262:(CPGB), playing an important role in the party for many years. Despite being educated as an accountant he was sent to work in a brass rolling mill in
807:
802:
513:
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373:(CPGB), of which Gunter had been a member, wrote Henry Gunter's short biography and described him as one of the party's "many unsung heroes".
290:, an organisation dedicated to promoting workers rights and universal suffrage in the Caribbean. He often wrote articles for their newspaper
350:
In 2003, Gunter was commended by the Black
History Foundation, who honoured him for "his outstanding service to the city of Birmingham."
777:
619:
278:, one of the largest trade unions in the United Kingdom, in support of the rights of immigrant workers in Britain. The motion stated:
386:
Research papers connected to Henry Gunter are contained in the
Wolfson Centre for Archival Research, held under the name "MS 2165".
211:
in every territory they occupied. After briefly returning to
Jamaica, he moved to a northern region of the United States known as
782:
316:. This work became a key British anti-racist text and had a national effect on how British people saw racial issues in the UK.
219:, who were supporters of equal rights for all races of people. Gunter continued working in the United States until the end of
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While serving as an active CPGB activist, Gunter also helped form the
Birmingham branch of the
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191:, in 1920, Harold Gunter studied in college to become an accountant, before leaving for the
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A Cultural Study of two-tone in the Socio-Political and
Economic Context of the 1970s
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as a tool cutter and machine operator, he became an active member of the
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335:. Other famous figures with whom Gunter became acquanted include the
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During the 1950s, racial segregation in
Britain, often dubbed the "
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and worked closely with one of their leaders, the communist icon
514:"'Race' and Racism in Birmingham: Researching Post-war Archives"
309:
A Man's A Man: A Study of Colour Bar in
Birmingham and an Answer
39:
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233:
Returning to Jamaica after World War II, Gunter joined the
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After moving to Birmingham, Gunter immediately joined the
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list of honoured British and Irish civil rights leaders.
480:. UK: Manifesto Press Cooperative Limited. p. 78.
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In 1958, Gunter met American black civil rights legend
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Red Lives: Communists and the Struggle for Socialism
362:a good man. He will be missed by a lot of people."
198:
556:Connecting Histories: Staffordshire County Council
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627:. University of Central Lancashire. p. 28.
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476:Meddick, Simon; Payne, Liz; Katz, Phil (2020).
94:Machine operator, tool cutter, trade unionist
704:"Henry Gunter and the Campaign for Equality"
298:Fight against Birmingham racial segregation
253:
38:
331:, who went on to become the president of
16:British civil rights activist (1920–2007)
808:Jamaican emigrants to the United Kingdom
803:Communist Party of Great Britain members
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165:(CPGB), he authored a report titled
589:"Tribute paid to tireless activist"
358:Henry Gunter died on 23 July 2007.
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312:(1954), which was published by the
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552:"Faces and Places: Henry Gunter"
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371:Communist Party of Great Britain
367:Communist Party of Britain (CPB)
314:Communist Party of Great Britain
260:Communist Party of Great Britain
199:Travelling the world (1940–1950)
163:Communist Party of Great Britain
146:Communist Party of Great Britain
702:Hancox, Emma (5 October 2016).
225:Federal Bureau of Investigation
783:British civil rights activists
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379:included Gunter in their 2014
1:
670:Meddick; Payne; Katz (2020).
655:Meddick; Payne; Katz (2020).
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272:Amalgamated Engineering Union
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254:Trade Union achievements
19:Not to be confused with
773:Black British activists
618:Conduit, Susan (2017).
235:People's National Party
512:Searle, Kevin (2008).
339:author and journalist
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107:Afro Caribbean Society
729:"Black History Month"
343:, and the politician
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276:Trades Union Congress
177:Trades Union Congress
119:Trade union activism.
813:Jamaican accountants
521:Connecting Histories
229:The Jamaican Worker.
161:. After joining the
818:Jamaican socialists
793:British journalists
381:Black History Month
217:Communist Party USA
141:Communist Party USA
117:Communist activist.
788:British communists
245:sometime in 1949.
674:. pp. 77–78.
487:978-1-907464-45-4
421:Charlie Hutchison
193:Panama Canal Zone
189:Portland, Jamaica
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68:(aged 86–87)
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125:Notable work
66:(2007-07-23)
32:Henry Gunter
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768:2007 deaths
763:1920 births
406:Len Johnson
81:Citizenship
73:Nationality
757:Categories
427:References
304:colour bar
243:Birmingham
183:Early life
159:Birmingham
672:Red Lives
657:Red Lives
268:Erdington
213:Milwaukee
195:in 1940.
390:See also
333:Botswana
264:Deritend
187:Born in
143:(CPUSA)
742:14 May
738:. 2014
713:14 May
598:14 May
561:14 May
526:14 May
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148:(CPGB)
132:(1954)
732:(PDF)
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517:(PDF)
744:2021
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482:ISBN
365:The
203:The
61:Died
50:1920
47:Born
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