Coventry and the Midlands has a long history connected them to the Civil Rights Movement. The area has produced its own leaders and activists – and international connections to the international Black Freedom Struggle. This site is dedicated to Frederick Douglass’s visit to Coventry, but only a few miles away in Smethwick, Malcolm X (one of the most compelling and interesting figures in the global Black Freedom Struggle) accepted an invitation to come and protest the terrible racist attitudes on display in that town. Our short video (above) tells the interlinked stories of Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X, showing how our region has a long history of standing up to racism and protesting injustice.
Continue learning about Frederick Douglass’s time in Coventry:
- Douglass’s Guild Hall Speech – Read the press report summarising the speech Douglass gave at St. Mary’s Guild Hall.
- 150 Years of Black Lives Matter in the Midlands – Watch the video that started it all.
- Black Resistance in the Atlantic World – Explore the wider history of slavery, freedom, and resistance by visiting this online exhibition.
- Context – Discover more about the life of Frederick Douglass.
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