Sign the Petition for the Government to Uncover the Court Documents for the Nottingham Reprisal and Race Riots of 1958.
As academics and historians, we need the help of our Nottingham community to develop our research and understanding of the Nottingham 1958 Reprisal and Race Riots. We believe the work of uncovering this history should be led by academics, in partnership with local communities, to ensure we are centring those most affected by these histories; whilst ensuring consistency with academic rigour and critical thinking.
The events of the Nottingham Race Riots remain shrouded in mystery and scandal. If we are to understand Nottingham's modern history in it's entirety, we must create space for open, community-rooted research and healing.
If you are able to, please do sign the petition, and join us in facilitating a respectful and transparent investigation into what really happened in Nottingham during 1958, so we can begin to rebuild trust between institutions and communities, facilitate healing and positive race relations, and ensure Nottingham’s rich and complex history is positioned at the forefront of national conversations of British history.
Press the button below to sign the GOV petition.
Why Is This Important?
Due to the restricted nature of archival court documents, I was unable to access further evidence to substantiate the media reports relating to the August 23rd Reprisal after being advised by the Nottingham Archives that the documents were sealed under a 100 year privacy censorship - far exceeding the routine 20-30 year censorship policy of the National Archives, which prompts serious questions regarding what the sensitive material is when contrasted with the controversy caused by the release of Notting Hill's documents in 2002 - as these documents evidenced widespread institutional racism within The London Metropolitan Police and The Home Office during the Notting Hill Race Riots.
This extreme level of censorship raises urgent questions: What truths are being withheld? What was Nottinghamshire Police and Local Authority's involvement? Why is this history being silenced? When the Notting Hill records were finally released in 2002, they exposed the scale of state denial and the racialised violence carried out by racist white mobs, enabled by the MET Police and Home Office - revelations that rewrote the official narrative. Could this be the same for Nottingham?
By conducting this research, we intend to improve race relations and historical understanding in Nottingham by creating this campaign with accuracy, honesty and integrity. We are committed to approaching this work with compassion for all ethnicities and cultures involved; and for the descendants of everyone involved in the Reprisal and Race Riots of 1958 - whether victims of racial violence or not. The campaign was started by student Fatou Marong from the Goldsmiths University History MA; and Dr Jenny Woodley, course convenor for the Nottingham Trent University History MA in August 2025
This is not about placing blame on an individual or community, as our intention is to promote understanding and critical thinking by acknowledging the full truth of our shared history in Nottingham - regardless of how complex it may seem.
What Happened When the Notting Hill Race Riot Documents Were Unsealed?
In his August 24th, 2002, article for The Guardian, Home Office Affairs Editor Alan Travis revealed that newly disclosed Metropolitan Police files from the 1958 Notting Hill riots expose a significant gap between official accounts and the reality of the events, as the violence was predominantly perpetrated by White mobs of racist Teddy Boys, who were actively engaged in ”n****r-hunting”, attacking those they perceived to be Black Caribbean migrants. Despite this, both police and politicians, including the then Home Secretary Rab Butler, attempted to downplay the racial elements of the riots, characterising them instead as mere acts of ”hooliganism” involving both ”coloured and white” individuals.
This conclusion was shared by Culture Correspondent Ian Burrell in a 2003 article in The Independent, who states that the Home Office and Scotland Yard attempted to obscure the racial nature of the Notting Hill riots by portraying them as racially neutral rioters, despite having indisputable evidence that the Notting Hill Riots were racially motivated, highlighting a pattern of institutional censorship that would have been undoubtedly present in Nottingham.
This lack of transparency further confuses the consensus regarding the socio-political factors and dynamics of violence involved with the 1958 Race Riots, by potentially concealing the influence of White-nationalist gangs and overt racism within Nottinghamshire Police and the London Metropolitan Police.
