Bristol civil rights hero Roy Hackett dies aged 93
He was behind the famous Bristol Bus Boycott in the 1960s
Last updated 3rd Aug 2022
Civil rights campaigner Roy Hackett, who was behind the famous Bristol Bus Boycott in the 1960s, has sadly died aged 93.
Roy was a leading organiser of the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott, a successful black led campaign to overturn the bar to the employment of Black and Asian bus drivers and conductors by the Bristol Omnibus company.
Back then, it was legal for British companies to discriminate against someone because of the colour of their skin.
The Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963 saw people across the city refuse to use the Bristol Omnibus Company. The boycott lasted for four months, until the firm eventually backed down.
With the support of then-local MP and cabinet minister Tony Benn, the campaign paved the way for the Race Relations Act of 1965.
People from Bristol have expressed their condolences, including LaToyah McAllister-Jones, Chief Executive of St Pauls Carnival, which Roy Hackett helped found:
The Bristol Beacon, which had a name change following the toppling of Edward Colston's statue and decades of campaigning by community groups in Bristol, also expressed their condolences remembering Mr Hackett as "a UK civil rights icon and inspiration to many":
In a statement, Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire said:
“It was an honour to know Roy Hackett.
"He was a civil rights hero, rightly lauded for his leadership in the Bristol Bus Boycott and the St Paul's Carnival, which both say so much about who we are as Bristol.
"He was an inspiration to so many and taught us all so much about standing up for justice and equality.
"I will miss his warm smile, quick wit and charm as well as his deep and lasting commitment to the people of Bristol and to ending racism."
In 2020, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the Bristol bus boycott, which led to historic change across the UK, "should be taught in every school".