University of Birmingham researcher Dr Savita Vij will be delivering a talk exploring the history of South Asian activism in Birmingham and the West Midlands.
2025 marks sixty years since Malcolm X – revolutionary African American human rights activist – visited Marshall Street in the Black Country town of Smethwick. He was invited by the Midlands Indian Workers Association (IWA) - anti-racist campaigners resisting the proposed segregation scheme for the street, which earned Smethwick the tag of being “the most racist town in Britain.” This session presents research from a community heritage project designed to better understand the significance of this Midlands, British and global history.
Dr. Savita Vij is an educator, researcher and designer of experiential histories. Her current research explores Antiracist histories of Birmingham (1940s-present) with BRIG (Birmingham Race Impact Group) and student activism at India House, London (1900s). Other recent projects include ‘1964’ - Making History with Warwick University, looking at the legacies of the Indian Workers Association (IWA) and their role in inviting Malcolm X to the Midlands. She runs the platform History Trunkies curating workshops on diverse South Asian histories. Over the last 20 years, she has contributed to active-research in spaces of community heritage, education, new media and policy work.
This activity is part of the South Asian Heritage Month activities organised by the University of Birmingham's Race Equality Network. It is open to staff, students and members of the public.
