1936 – First Pan-African Congress in London Memorialized

On May 30, 1936, Black intellectuals in London held a memorial event honoring the 1900 Pan-African Conference organized by Henry Sylvester Williams. This commemoration reignited Pan-African political organizing in Britain during the interwar years. The gathering included West African students, Caribbean activists, and members of the African diaspora discussing colonial repression and the need for united resistance. Though not as well-known as later Congresses, this 1936 memorial helped revive the Pan-Africanist spirit that would culminate in the 1945 Manchester Pan-African Congress. May 30 thus marks an intellectual bridge between early Pan-African visionaries and the anti-colonial struggles that followed. The memorial confirmed London’s status as a transnational hub for Black political thought. It also emphasized the importance of memory in sustaining liberation movements across borders. The event underscored the enduring relevance of Black transnational networks long before independence was achieved.