Ernest Marke, In troubled waters- memoirs of my seventy years in England

Question 1

What year was the memoir first published?

Answer 1

1975

Question 2

What does the 1986 edition of the memoir suggest about Black British history during the 1980s?

Answer 2

Continued or renewed interest in Black British history and identity

Question 3

Name two events marked by racial tensions in the 1980s mentioned in the text.

Answer 3

• Brixton riots
• Toxteth riots

Question 4

What was a significant scholarly effort in the mid-1980s regarding Black history in Britain?

Answer 4

To document and understand the historical presence of Black people in Britain, particularly outside of London

Question 5

What does Marke’s arrival in Britain predate?

Answer 5

The 1948 Windrush migration

Question 6

What types of discrimination did Black Britons commonly face during the period covered in the memoir?

Answer 6

• Racial discrimination
• Housing discrimination
• Employment barriers

Question 7

What is the significance of Liverpool in the context of Black British history?

Answer 7

It had one of Britain’s oldest Black communities dating back to the 18th century and was a site of deep racial tensions

Question 8

What key events in Liverpool are mentioned that highlight racial tensions?

Answer 8

• Race riots in 1919
• Race riots in 1981

Question 9

How does the memoir serve as historical evidence?

Answer 9

It provides subjective but invaluable insights into the lived experience of race, belonging, and resistance

Question 10

What themes does Marke’s story intersect with?

Answer 10

• Race
• Class
• Migration
• Colonial legacies

Question 11

What should be considered when reading memoirs like Marke’s?

Answer 11

They are mediated by memory and selective emphasis and should be read alongside other sources