with it. It is the question of straightforward race prejudice.
We have said it very clearly that there is a distinct difference between discrimination and prejudice. You can legislate against discrimination. But you can’t legislate against prejudice. Prejudice has to be dealt with by education. The fight against prejudice is a very long one. CARD is concerned not only with fighting discrimination but doing everything possible to fight against racial prejudice. We have selected legislation as our first field of activity because the Government is already committed to a bill against racial discrimination. What we are setting out to do is to see to it that the Government is aware of our views, and to bring public opinion to rally to the type of legislation which is required. The reason for it is this. The Government legislation is unlikely to include employment, But, you know, employment is the most important field. It is the most important field because we have a large number of coloured boys and girls going through our schools. Given 4 to 5 years, there will be a large number of coloured youths who will be well qualified for jobs but which they will not get because’ there is discrimination against them on grounds of colour. And, therefore, you must have legislation against discrimination in employment. Once you have made your legislation as broad as we expect it to be, you cannot merely leave it to the criminal courts to deal with. That is why we have suggested the setting up of a statutory commission who’s duty it will be to see that the law is carried out.” Secondly, from a report by Hamza Alavi: “At home, Britain is faced with grave social problems. What the immigrants have done is not to create these problems. What they have done is to dramatise the existence of some of these problems. Faced with these difficult social problems, which those in authority are unable or unwilling to solve, they try to take shelter behind the excuse that it is the immigrants who are creating these problems.
March 10, 1965 — THE WEEK
In fact, if we looked at the role of
the immigrants in the British com-
munity, in British economic life, we
would realise that all these problems
which immigration is supposed to
have created are in fact fields in
which the immigrants have made im-
portant contributions towards their
solution. We talk of the housing
problem. Our chairman, Dr. Pitt has
on many occasions defied his audi-
ence to show that immigrants in fact
have not built more houses than they
occupy. (Dr. Pitt: “I defy this one
too.”). In the field of employment,
again, there are crucial areas, crucial
gaps in the labour situation in Britain,
in which the immigrant community
has provided the necessary labour
force.
The objective of our campaign is
this. To mobilise the sane opinion in
this country; to mobilise the honest
opinion in this country, and to make
those in authority realise that it is
high time for them also to take a
firm and honest stand in this matter.
To make them realise that Britain
will not stand for the growth ‘of
racialism. We have seen in history
terrible examples of what racialism
can do to a people. We have seen
what it can do to their culture and
their values. We cannot allow it to
happen to Britain.”
Beverley McCauley
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Tyranny
Saturday, March 13
7.30 to Midnight
Africa Unity House
3 Collingham Gardens, SWs.
(Eearls Court Tube)
Dancing to an