In 1958, Black American civil rights activist and leader Bayard Rustin spoke to thousands of peace campaigners as they were about to embark upon CND’s first Aldermaston march. This historic anecdote represents one of many moments where the peace movement and movements against racism have joined hands. Whether it’s the disproportionately negative impact that nuclear testing and the use of nuclear weapons has on people of colour across the globe, or it’s the fact that it’s largely the nations of the Global South which have formed the bedrock of international support for the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, there are deep reservoirs of commonality which tie the peace movement, and struggles against racism together.
As we live on the cusp of nuclear weapons being banned in international law, the inspirational Black Lives Matter movement has dramatically transformed the political conversation over race and racial justice. In this spirit, Yorkshire CND will be hosting a webinar drawing together these threads and seeking to build dialogue between these two historic social movements, mapping their solidarities, common histories and shared interests.
As part of this conversation, we will be joined by Leona Morgan, an indigenous community organiser and activist who has been fighting nuclear colonialism since 2007, alongside an activist from the Black Lives Matter movement in Britain.
For any queries, please contact 01274 730795 or email info@yorkshirecnd.org.uk