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The United Black Women's Action Groups (UBWAG) was formed by women who met through activity in their North London tenants association.
They wanted to do something to help their children, One of their first activities was to make some short video films showing how important it is for parents to support their children in clashes with the authorities-whether they were at the school, the police, or the courts. They have held meetings on various subjects, shown films, and initiated a major campaign against the "SUS INTERVIEW WITH KATYA FRISCHAUER AND MARTHA O SAMOR from the United Black Women's Action Group (UBWAG)
The women's liberation movement eg. - Have vou had much contact with Women against Racism and Fascism groups?
K-I haven't, The group hasn't. 0- You've never been involved in any consciousness raising group or other women's group?
K-No. But I've read about it and...
I once used to go to drumming lessons at the Women's Arts Alliance and that was the first time I met any feminist women.
M-The thing is a lot of black women have already changed-in a way/some of the things a women's group are talking about. .. Especially black women in Britain because of the historical background where in the West Indies under slavery you are not used to that type of family structure-you know you are the property of somebody else, not your husband-so that sort of set up, husband and wife is a new Martha Osamor thing which came after slavery was abolished. But a lot of it's still left over where a lot of black women still have to bring up the family and they're the breadwinner too. O-What about the men?
M-Well you know it takes years before the damage that has been done is sorted out. The men still feel that attitude, that you're owned by your master, until lately, so you're not sort of responsible for your family and your woman and your children.
But the women can have babies for you and then bring them up-and you come in and do your bit when you want to. But the women don't any more see that as a problem because they've managed to cope, bring up their kids-even though the system here never stops reminding them that they shouldn't be on their own-you know, "where's father?"
reminding their kids that they need a mother and a father.
O-So are you saying that they're less dependent on men because they ve had to be?
M-Yes. Even including in African society where a man can marry
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more than one wife-so the women have to fend for themselves and look after themselves and their children. working class people, who can't afford the luxury of analysing personal relationships and all that in FREEDOM FOR BLACK YOI THEY DESERVE E