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Race Relations Act at 50: The King family

Fifty years on from Britain's first Race Relations Act, three generations of the King family talk about life in south London

On December 8th 1965, Britain's first Race Relations Act came into force, making racial discrimination unlawful in public places. The law was later strengthened.

Sam King MBE, who's 89 and originally from Jamaica, came to the UK aboard the cruise ship Empire Windrush, in 1948. He was Mayor of Southwark in 1983. Speaking to ѿý Radio 5 live, he recalls the "neo-fascist people" who thought “coloured people should not live in Britain".

Mr King spoke of the equal opportunity laws that meant his children could go to school and become “part of the system today”.

Sam King’s son, Michael King, was born in the UK and went to school in Dulwich.
They experienced a “great deal of racism” he says. For example, "one woman would come out and spit at me and call me rude names”.

Michael does think things have improved: "I think we’ve come a long way”, he says.

Sam King’s granddaughter Dione Mcdonald says that it is because of the experiences of her father and grandfather that she has the “strength and the insight” to stand up for what is right today. She says she is “excited to be a part of continuing to build a better society”.

This clip is originally from Up All Night on Monday 7 December 2015.

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2 minutes

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