A powerful account of the day-to-day realities of Black women in Britain

Heart of the Race is a powerful corrective to a version of Britain's history from which black women have long been excluded. It reclaims and records black women's place in that history, documenting their day-to-day struggles, their experiences of education, work and health care, and the personal and political struggles they have waged to preserve a sense of identity and community. First published in 1985 and winner of the Martin Luther King Memorial Prize that year, Heart of the Race is a testimony to the collective experience of black women in Britain, and their relationship to the British state throughout its long history of slavery, empire and colonialism. This new edition includes an introduction by Lola Okolosie and an interview with the authors, chaired by Heidi Mirza, focusing on the impact of their book since publication, and its continuing relevance today.

"A balanced tribute to the undefeated creativity, resilience and resourcefulness of Black women in Britain today." - New Society

"A long overdue opportunity to set the record straight. A considerable achievement." - Guardian

"Vivid." - National Geographic Traveller

"A feminist classic." - Times Literary Supplement

"A scholarly examination of black women's position in British society via the prism of slavery, colonialism and migration." - Camden New Journal

"A groundbreaking book ... which helped educate generations of women about the struggles and triumphs of Black women in Britain." - Guardian

"A pioneering work that serves as a bedrock for our book as well as the discourse around intersectional feminism in the UK" - Observer