Rock Against Racism

Rock Against Racism was a British anti-racist cultural movement founded in 1976. It used music, concerts, and publications to challenge racism and the far right.

Eric Clapton: Eric Clapton is an English guitarist and singer whose 1976 remarks opposing immigration helped inspire Rock Against Racism. His racist outburst at a Birmingham concert prompted the letter that launched the movement.
Carnival Against the Nazis: The Carnival Against the Nazis was a 1978 march and concert organized by Rock Against Racism and the Anti-Nazi League. It brought the movement’s musical and street-political strategy together on a mass scale.
Clash (band): The Clash were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1976, known for politically engaged songs. They headlined the 1978 carnival concert and embodied punk’s anti-racist potential.
British punk: British punk is a youth music and cultural movement that emerged in the United Kingdom in the mid-1970s. Rock Against Racism helped contest far-right attempts to claim punk’s imagery and audiences.
Red Saunders: Red Saunders is a British photographer and political activist who helped found Rock Against Racism. He co-wrote the public response to Clapton that called for a musical anti-racist movement.
Victoria Park, London: Victoria Park is a public park in Tower Hamlets, East London, opened in 1845. The 1978 carnival began there before marchers traveled to the concert at Hackney Marshes.
Tom Robinson Band: The Tom Robinson Band was a British rock group formed in 1976, known for politically engaged songs. The band performed at Rock Against Racism events and connected the campaign with punk audiences.
Anti-racism: Anti-racism is the practice of opposing racial discrimination, prejudice, and unequal power. The movement translated this broader political commitment into concerts and cultural work.
National Front (UK): The National Front is a British far-right political party founded in 1967, known for its opposition to immigration and multiculturalism. Its growing support in the 1970s shaped the movement’s urgent political context.
Hackney Marshes: Hackney Marshes is an open space in East London, known for its football pitches and public events. The 1978 carnival concert took place there after the march from Victoria Park.

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