Badge - Scrap SUS Now
Object
Badge
Production date
1977-1981
Object number
2024.213
Physical Description
Circular badge, white background with black and red text. An illustration of a young man of African heritage walking away, pursued by the shadow of a police officer reaching out to him.
Object history
In 1970′s London, the notorious SUS law (based on the 1824 Vagrancy Act) was used by police to stop, search, arrest, detain and assault young black men. In 1977, 60% of arrests under the ‘sus’ laws in Hackney were of people defined as 'black', even though this represented only 11% of the borough's population at the time.
Mavis Best and a group of black women from Lewisham lobbied the police and the government to scrap the SUS law. It took numerous demonstrations and meetings with Government officials but within 3 years the law was scrapped. This was a major chapter in the Black British fight for civil rights.
Mavis Best and a group of black women from Lewisham lobbied the police and the government to scrap the SUS law. It took numerous demonstrations and meetings with Government officials but within 3 years the law was scrapped. This was a major chapter in the Black British fight for civil rights.
Associated Person
Material
Metal
Plastics
Dimension
Diameter: 45mm
On display?
No
Inscription
BLACK PEOPLES ORGANISATIONS
SCRAP SUS NOW
CAMPAIGN AGAINST SUS
SCRAP SUS NOW
CAMPAIGN AGAINST SUS
