Photo: Rhoda Bracewell © 1978
Featured in our online exhibition: Northern Carnival Against the Nazis, 1978
www.mdmarchive.co.uk/exhibition/674/w...
The Northern Carnival against the Nazis, a rally and concert held on 15 July 1978 in Moss Side, Manchester, was a defining moment in establishing anti-racism in the city and beyond.
Dubbed the day it became cool to be anti-racist, the Carnival galvanised North West communities against racist groups, including the National Front. A rally of 15,000 people marched all the way from Strangeways prison to Alexandra Park joining a further 25,000 for an afternoon of music, dancing and unity.
Co-organised by Geoff Brown of the Anti-Nazi League (ANL) and Bernie Wilcox of Rock Against Racism (RAR), the Carnival featured incendiary live performances by pop-punk superstars Buzzcocks and Steel Pulse, the UK's leading reggae band of the period. Support came from Moss Side reggae band Exodus (later X-O-Dus) and China Street from Lancaster, who had released a single on EMI called Rock Against Racism.
Rhoda remembers:
I went to both the march and the rally but this isn't going to be the most amazing contribution, as I was only 10 years old (11 a few weeks later) and I don't have any outstanding memories of the day.
All I remember is that was a great atmosphere, obviously relaxed and friendly enough that my parents were happy to take a child, so I thought I'd send in a photo of me taken on the day.
It's not very clear but I'm wearing my RAR and Anti-Nazi League stickers on my chest! I now live on the Isle of Wight.
Another person, John Horniman contacted us with this memory:
As an eleven year old this was my first political demonstration. I marched with the UPW contingency and helped stabilise the Union banner. The march set off from where I went to school that September and years laters I became a Union rep for the postal workers. It’s a shame that fascism and racism is still a hot topic today, but I’m proud that I was amongst the throngs on that glorious day.
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