Page 21 - RAF Magazine

Paul Stephenson OBE worker. At that time in
UK’s leading civil rights campaigner “…while we Bristol it was an open
6 May, 1937 – present secret that a colour
Years of service: 1953-1960 routinely hear bar existed that kept
about international non-white people
ithout Paul Stephenson, the Race Relations heroes such as from being able to
W Act of 1965 which made it unlawful to Martin Luther King, work as bus drivers or
discriminate on the “grounds of colour, race, conductors.
or ethnic or national origins” in public places, arguably Malcolm X and In response,
may not have been passed in the same way, or certainly Nelson Mandela who the West Indian
not as early as it was. challenged prejudice Development Council
A former RAF serviceman, Paul’s contributions as and racist views, was formed and Paul
an equal rights campaigner run deep in paving the way was elected as their
for a lot of the rights black people enjoy in this country Paul Stephenson is spokesperson. In
today. While we routinely hear about international a name that is also April 1963, inspired by
heroes who led movements that challenged prejudice of great importance Rosa Parks in the US,
and racist views and the oppression and unfair Paul confi rmed that
treatment that stemmed from this, such as Martin when it comes to a Bristol bus boycott
Luther King, Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela, Paul race relations…” would go ahead.
Stephenson is a name that is also of great importance Both whites and
when it comes to making a difference to race relations blacks supported the
on a large scale. cause by refusing to use the buses, holding marches
Paul was born in Essex in 1937 to a West African and picketing depots. On 28 August, 1963 the colour bar
father and white mother. In 1953 he became an air force was lifted - the same day Martin Luther King delivered
cadet and did his ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels in the Royal Air Force, his famous “I have a dream” speech.
while doing National Service from 1953 to 1960. He said Ahead of the 1965 Race Relations Act, Paul recalls a
of his time there: “Those seven years I spent in the RAF meeting with then Labour leader Harold Wilson, prior to
were to change my life.” him becoming Prime Minister. He said: “He made it quite
He moved to Bristol in 1962 to work as a youth offi cer clear he was going to do something against racism.”
for Bristol City Council and was the fi rst black social

Val McCalla in the culture of
3 October, 1943 – 22 August, 2002 their heritage.
Years of service: Circa 1959- The Voice
mid-1960s provided
exactly what it
or those who know the said on the tin:
F history of the black Press in a ‘voice’. It also
the UK, Val McCalla needs no meant improved
introduction. representation
Val launched a weekly newspaper, and more positive
The Voice, in August 1982 at the Notting images of black
Hill Carnival. From initial sales of only 4,000, people in the media.
within eight years it was selling more than 53,000 The Voice has been
copies a week – and turning over a small fortune in job credited with creating a platform
recruitment advertising. The publication is still going for other black media outlets to launch, in radio, TV
today. and the printed press, with the likes of Choice FM, rival
Its popularity was due to the fact that, although there newspaper New Nation and even MTV Base all coming
were already a handful of weekly black newspapers, afterwards. It was also a great training ground for
these were mainly for an older audience of Caribbean black and Asian journalists, with Martin Bashir and TV
immigrants and contained a lot of international news producer Sharon Ali getting their start there.
to keep readers abreast of what was going on ‘back Val McCalla was born in Kingston. After studying
home’. But with The Voice, it was the fi rst time black accountancy, he travelled to England in May 1959, aged
Britons had news that directly refl ected their experience just 15, and joined the RAF. He dreamed of being a pilot,
written from a black British perspective on a regular but a burst eardrum meant this was not to be. Instead,
basis. It was also delivered in a tabloid style similar to he developed his skills as a bookkeeper, and it was
British papers such as the Daily Mirror, which was more these skills that would prove useful in his future
accessible for younger black Britons whose identity was career. Val McCalla died of liver failure in 2002 at the
more British than their older relatives but still steeped age of 58.

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