Seeking the Pioneers: Honouring the Past, Shaping a Just Future

The Seeking the Pioneers: Routes of Resistance exhibition celebrates the lives and work of those who fought to make Birmingham—and Britain—a more just and equal society. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the generosity of lottery players, the Seeking the Pioneers: Routes of Resistance exhibition shines a light on the people who dedicated their lives to fighting racism — teachers and writers, doctors and nurses, bus drivers and foundry workers — those who stood up to injustice, often at great personal cost. Their courage and conviction helped shape the foundations of the anti-racist movement we inherit today.

Why We Celebrate

Celebrating our pioneers is profoundly important. It honours their contributions and ensures they are not forgotten. Too often, Britain treats race as a recent or passing issue, erasing the history of those who came before. Yet the appearance of a Black working class in Britain’s industrial heartlands was no accident. People came from Guyana, Gujarat and elsewhere because they were invited to rebuild the nation after the war. Their labour and sacrifices helped to sustain the economic life of this country.

Lessons from History

Our pioneers also educate and inspire. The struggles against slavery, colonialism and segregation, from the Caribbean and Africa to India and the Americas, show that resistance to oppression has always been global and continuous. As Stuart Hall reminded us, the legacy of empire is “in the sugar that you stir, and in the tea leaves at the bottom of the next British cuppa.” Understanding this history is essential to understanding racial inequality today.

Carrying the Work Forward

Finally, celebrating our pioneers strengthens our ongoing movement. They taught that anti-racism is not only a fight for people of colour, but a collective struggle for a society built on self-determination, equal participation and shared humanity.

“To honour the past, empower the present and shape a more just future — that is the purpose of Seeking the Pioneers.”

The exhibition is on display until the end of November 2025, returning in January 2026 for three months until March 2026. We encourage everyone to visit the exhibition and share their reflections with us at info@wearebrig.co.uk.