Len Johnson — Manchester — 1902–1974Issue 01
A boxer who fought racism in the ring and on the streets.
Ireland and Sierra Leone — his mother’s Irish heritage, his father’s home country
Manchester — the campaign
Len Johnson won 95 of his 134 professional fights. He beat British champions, and was never once allowed to fight for a British title, because he was Black.
He spent the rest of his life in Moss Side, organising — against the unwritten colour bars in Manchester's pubs and hotels, against the sacking of Black seamen who had served through two world wars, for the children of his own streets. A petition begun in 2020 is now a campaign to put him in the city centre in bronze.
Read Len's story →Contents
The Archive
Dive into his life story, discover the events that keep his memory alive, and explore the gallery of moments that define this movement.
