Mother Country

On 7 September 2010, to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the London Blitz, The History Press publishes MOTHER COUNTRY - BRITAIN'S BLACK COMMUNITY ON THE HOME FRONT 1939-45 by Stephen Bourne.

MOTHER COUNTRY unearths a ‘hidden history’ of Britain and the Second World War. Stephen’s new book highlights the contribution to the British war effort made by black Britons. These include Dr Harold Moody, Learie Constantine, Una Marson, E. I. Ekpenyon, Esther Bruce (Stephen’s adopted aunt), Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson and black senior citizens from Southwark who have been interviewed by Stephen about their memories of the home front in Africa and the Caribbean.

Chapter 10: Front-Line Films looks at how black people were represented in British cinema during WW2 and includes references to newsreels; The Proud Valley starring Paul Robeson; documentaries like West Indies Calling and Welcome to Britain; and the work of the Colonial Film Unit.