Preeti Dhillon @preetikdhillon Twitter profile | Pikagi

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

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Researcher. Author of THE SHOULDERS WE STAND ON. Repped by @abirfellows (she/her)

https://t.co/zqyuypwJKn

Joined June 2014

Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

I am absolutely in love with this cover - thank you talented design folk! I cannot wait for you all to read these incredible stories in September. Pre-order The Shoulders We Stand On now:

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The Shoulders We Stand On: How Black and Brown people fought for change in the United Kingdom

Pre-order it now:

@dialoguepub

Dialogue Publishing

1 year

COVER REVEAL 🚨 The forgotten history of the UK's anti-racist campaigners are finally brought to life in this comprehensive account of modern British history, told through ten moments. The Shoulders We Stand On, 14.09.2023 @preetikdhillon @studio_of_ideas

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

For anyone watching #Defiance on @Channel4 by @RoganProduction @RajeshThind , here’s a 🧵of some context to understand the groups and events mentioned in more detail and what life was like for Brown and Black people in the 1960s-1980s. 1/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

Two months today until ‘The Shoulders We Stand On’ is published! If you feel the same way reading this book as I did when researching it, then you will come away feeling hopeful and fired up. Knowing that together we can make a positive change is a much needed lifeline right now.

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

🚨 It’s finally here…PUBLICATION DAY! 🚨 I wrote this book to understand the UK as it is today, to pay homage to the incredible resistance that took place, and to provide some hope in these dark times. This is my love letter to the elders, and my message of hope for all of us.

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

5 months

In light of #Defiance from @Channel4 @RoganProduction I want to re-share resource lists I created for the Asian Youth Movements, Brick Lane, IWA and 1981 chapters of The Shoulders We Stand On. The lists contain mostly free resources to find out more about these movements. 1/6

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

Really moving to hear from the family of Gurdip Singh Chaggar in #Defiance 48 years later and hopefully the story of Chaggar and what happened after his horrific murder will become widely known history.

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

Chilling to see the title of episode 1 of #Defiance : "one down, a million to go", said by former National Front leader John Kingsley Read after Chaggar's murder. He was found not guilty of inciting racial hatred under the Race Relations Act. Let that sink in.

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

Every week I will be sharing a 🧵 of (mostly free) resources to find out more about the movements discussed in the book. Follow me so you don’t miss out & bookmark this for easy reference when you want to learn more. I'm starting with the Indian Workers' Association (IWA):

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

When I wrote The Shoulders We Stand On the stories of anti-racist resistance from Brown and Black people were not in the mainstream. I cannot wait to watch #Defiance and see these spectacular stories on Channel 4 no less! That's the mainstream I dreamed of.

@RajeshThind

Rajesh Thind

6 months

Official Trailer | #Defiance : Fighting The Far Right | Channel 4

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

11 months

This is the penultimate ‘find out more’ resource list (booo, hisss!) and it’s a biggie - the Asian Youth Movements, including Southall 1979, the trial of the Bradford 12 and Anwar Ditta’s fight to bring her children over from Pakistan. Here we go:

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

3 years

I am THRILLED to be telling these important, timely stories of resistance and change led by Black and Brown people in the UK and can think of no better home for it than @dialoguebooks 🙌🏽 I can't wait for you all to read The Shoulders We Stand On, coming 2023! 📖🔥✊🏽

@thebookseller

The Bookseller

3 years

. @dialoguebooks has landed The Shoulders We Stand On, the “stunning history of how Black and brown people fought for change in the UK" by @preetikdhillon Read more here:

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

Another 🧵for context on #Defiance on @Channel4 . This time: the Special Patrol Group (SPG). The SPG was deployed against Brown and Black people on multiple occasions in the 1970s and 1980s, and killed Blair Peach in Southall in 1979. They were often aggressive and violent.

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

5 months

#OTD 46 years ago in 1978 Altab Ali was on his way home on local election night in the East End of London when he was attacked and stabbed to death in a racially motivated attack. Ali wasn't the first to be murdered. #Defiance Photo credit: Paul Trevor.

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

I have to admit, when I saw the subtitle of #Defiance 'fighting the far right', I was worried that the fight against the police government and media would be ignored and I'm so glad that it's not been, because the NF were only a small part of the racist machinations at work.

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

Poignant ending to #Defiance In a pivotal election year it would serve us well to remember what the great Sivanandan said: "What Powell says today, the Conservatives say tomorrow, and Labour legislates on the day after"

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

Please share this list with anyone watching #Defiance to make sure the conversation doesn't stop here! Follow me for more info 🧵in the coming days. 24/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

..It didn’t stop women taking action. Ramila Patel was a co-founder of Bolton Asian Youth Organisation and led a one person protest against the leader of the National Front Martin Webster in Manchester in 1977… 16/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

One of my favourite acts of support for the #Bradford12 came from Black Women for Wages for Housework in the USA, who picketed the British Consulate in Los Angeles. The international solidarity at the time was spectacular. #Defiance

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

Paul Trevor has incredible images capturing what happened in Brick Lane following Altab Ali's murder. The cover of The Shoulders We Stand On is an epic Trevor photo from the East End. There are so many captivating shots from the era, so great that #Defiance includes so many.

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

ROLE OF WOMEN Brown women weren’t always welcomed in the Asian Youth Movements. Birmingham Black Sisters called the AYMs the ‘Asian Young Men’s Association’. Women who tried to take part in the Southall Youth Movement were seen as ‘loose’... 15/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

TRADE UNIONS A lot of trade unions supported restrictive immigration laws and the colour bar. The Transport and General Workers’ Union called for a ban on immigration. Unions refused to support Brown workers in some disputes, like at Imperial Typewriters in 1974. 5/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

IMMIGRATION LAWS After the 1948 British Nationality Act threw the doors open to Commonwealth citizens, the Acts of 1962, 1968 and 1971 closed them. These racist Acts were enacted by both Labour and Conservative governments. 2/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

BUSSING Brown children across the country including in Southall and Bradford, were bussed out to schools miles away from where they lived, to keep the number of Brown kids in local schools low. They travelled up to 2 hours a day, and faced racism at school and on the bus… 6/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

BLACK SOLIDARITY There was crossover and solidarity between Brown and Black movements in the 1960s-1980s e.g. Bengalis joined the Black People’s Day of Action in 1981, and Black people campaigned for the Bradford 12… 11/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

VIRGINITY TESTING One issue that affected Brown women was virginity testing on fiancées coming to the UK. They had invasive vaginal testing to ‘prove’ that they were virgins and therefore legit fiancées and not trying to fleece the system… 18/24

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

NORTHERN IRELAND SOLIDARITY Closer to home, there was a lot of sympathy with Northern Ireland. AYMs from Birmingham and Sheffield went to NI to connect with youth groups. Hunger striker Bobby Sands wrote a poem for Anwar Ditta. 14/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

... Women set up their own groups and orgs, like @SBSisters (as seen in #Defiance ) and Awaz, with the formidable @AmritWilson . They campaigned against many issues, like immigration rules and virginity testing. 17/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

3 years

My pick of the day is another timeless book, 'Anita and Me' by @MeeraSyal I read about Punjabi girl Meena as a Punjabi teenager and felt SO very seen. And it was my first insight into life in 1960s England. I'm so pleased it's on the GCSE syllabus 🙌🏽 #SouthAsianHeritageMonth

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

…The Organisation of Women of Asian and African Descent (OWAAD) was an umbrella group for Brown and Black women to work together. They worked together against the control of Brown and Black women with contraceptives like Depo-Provera. 12/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

#Defiance is a word I use in the introduction of The Shoulders We Stand On to describe the resistance of the era. Read more about this defiance in the book. Available in hardback, ebook and audio. 23/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

…the Indian Workers’ Association got the Race Relations Board involved. Bussing started officially in 1965, and continued until the 1980s. In Halifax it lasted until 1986. Kids who were bussed grew up to be some of those involved in the Asian Youth Movements. 7/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

… this was a widely known secret but blew up finally in 1979 when Mrs Kakar bravely came forward and spoke about what had happened to her. The government had to stop it. They have never apologised. 19/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

…an example of what this looked like in practice: in 1972 when Ugandan leader Idi Amin expelled all the Ugandan Asians, many of whom were British, the UK begrudgingly let in around 30,000 after trying to get other countries to take them instead. Their own citizens. 3/24

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

…Formidable women like Jayaben Desai fought against the factory against the discrimination and exploitation of Brown and Black workers. The strike rallied support of thousands of workers around the country and worried the Labour government… 21/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

ANTI-RACISM LAWS Racism wasn’t illegal until 1965. Racial discrimination was LEGAL before 1965. There was discrimination in housing, public places, and policies like ‘colour bars’ to restrict the number of Brown and Black workers. 4/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

3 years

Today's pick is 'Asians in Britain: 400 Years of History' by Rozina Visram. All historians of Asians in Britain owe so much to Visram for this game-changing book, as the post-it notes attest to. #SouthAsianHeritageMonth

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

You might see authors sharing pre-order links to their books (guilty!) and you might be confused why this is important - surely it doesn’t really matter when you buy the book? I thought that too, but here are three reasons why pre-orders are so important: 📖

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

… as thousands of workers, including Arthur Scargill and the miners, came to support the Grunwick strikers. For two years this added to the tension about Brown people rising up. 22/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

INDIAN WORKERS’ ASSOCIATION When they mention ‘elders’ in #Defiance they basically mean the IWA, who were the old guard of organisers in Southall and favoured working with the government and police over self-defence. The youth thought they were ineffectual. 8/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

'Self defence is no offence' One of my favourite slogans from the era. #Defiance

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

…hundreds of Bengali families squatted through help of orgs like the Bengali Housing Action Group. BHAG got rights for legal tenancy and also demanded Bengali families be housed in safe areas. 10/24

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

SQUATTING Around Brick Lane, the community also resisted through squatting. Housing conditions were poor and Bengalis were discriminated against in council housing. When they were housed, they were put in ‘sink estates’ or hostile areas… 9/24

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

GRUNWICK Between the time Gurdip Singh Chaggar was murdered in 1976 and Altab Ali was murdered in 1978, there was a huge dispute going on in another part of London led by Brown women: the Grunwick Strike… 20/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

What a feat to get interviewees like Avtar Brah, Clarence Baker and Jo Lang on #Defiance (not to mention Chaggar's family in ep 1). Such a valuable work for generations to come. Great footage of Gareth Peirce too, such an ally to Brown people in the UK. #JusticeForBlairPeach

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

4 years

This year I finally pursued a book idea I'd been sitting on, thanks to @PenguinUKBooks #WriteNow . It's been a wild ride and I am thrilled, excited, and a little bit nervous, to announce that I am now repped by @AbiRFellows from @thegoodagencyuk ! #NewYear #AmWriting #LetsGo

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

#OTD in 1981, the Brixton Uprising began. Unemployment, restrictive immigration laws, and a botched police investigation into the deaths Black people in New Cross. A week of intense stop and search operations. The community had enough and fought back. 1/2

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

New resource list! Share & bookmark 👍🏾 The Black Panthers weren’t the only Black Power group in the UK. The Fasimbas were another, and the Black Liberation Front yet another. The Oval Four were Fasimbas who were arrested coming back from a BLF meeting. Find out more in this🧵:

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

Look what arrived @dialoguepub @AbiRFellows ! My author copies! She's beautiful 😭 Without the dust jacket on I got a lovely surprise too, look at that orange shiiiiine ☀️ Four days to go. There's still time to pre-order your own copy of this shiny book:

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY There was a recognition that the oppression faced by Brown and Black people worldwide was similar in both form and roots i.e. colonialism and capitalism. Brown people were often active in the anti-apartheid movement and against the Vietnam war. 13/24

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

3 years

'The Boy with the Topknot' by @Sathnam is today's book choice. Still an important book for its exploration of the double lives led by many South Asian Brits, and discussion of mental illness and stigma in the Sikh Punjabi community. #SouthAsianHeritageMonth

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

5 months

#OTD in 1979, teacher and anti-racist protestor Blair Peach was killed by the Special Patrol Group arm of the police at an anti National Front protest in Southall. His killer was never brought to justice. #Defiance #JusticeForBlairPeach

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

My book baby among some of the amazing books which helped the research 🤩 If you’re trying to figure out what system I use to organise my bookshelf, don’t bother, I choose CHAOS.

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

Yes yes YES! Can't wait to see it ✊🏽

@RoganProduction

Rogan Productions

@RoganProduction

6 months

1976-1981 Britain's Asian community stood tall against Far-Right violence & a rising tide of racist murders. #Defiance lifts the lid on Southall protests, the killing of Blair Peach, the Battle for Brick Lane, & how ‘self-defence is no offence’ became Bradford's rallying call.

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

It was a cracking evening @HousmansBooks discussing the past, present and future of lives for Brown and Black people in the UK with @sheelabanerjee . Thanks to everyone who came, and for indulging my attempt to take a selfie from the front.

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@sheelabanerjee

sheela banerjee

@sheelabanerjee

1 year

Very excited to be talking about What’s In A Name?’ with @preetikdhillon , author of The Shoulders We Stand On’! We’ll be talking about race, names, politics, power & Asian resistance. It’s going to be a great discussion and it’s sold out!

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

I love the theme for this year's South Asian Heritage Month: Stories to Tell. Stories are the lifeblood of our communities, they form the basis of the beliefs we have about ourselves and our place in the world.

@SAHM_UK

South Asian Heritage Month

1 year

Storytelling can take many forms, each as unique and diverse as our South Asian heritage. 🌍📖 From oral narratives to music, dance, art, and even food — how can you tell your story? #southasianheritagemonth #storiestotell #ourstoriesmatter #SAHM23

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

Thank goodness for breaks... The horrific arson in Walthamstow is just a line in The Shoulders We Stand On, such were the number of horrific acts taking place in the late 70s and early 80s. At least 31 Black and Brown people were murdered 1976-1981. #Defiance

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

"Members of the Asian Youth Movements were courageous by necessity, the kind of courage that comes from being constantly oppressed, ignored and threatened with murder." - The Shoulders We Stand On, Chapter 10 I can't wait to see this history on screen. Starting soon #Defiance

@RoganProduction

Rogan Productions

@RoganProduction

6 months

“Incredible viewing whether you’re Asian or not” @TherealNihal “Striking, compelling.” Guardian “Powerful” Times “Eye-opening” Mail #Defiance starts tonight, 9pm on @channel4 . Score by @bishi_official @rizwanahmed @groupm_motion #roganproductions @RajeshThind @shamindernahal

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

Wow what a response! I am humbled by the incredible, palpable enthusiasm being shown for this book. Now I am even more pumped for it to be out there. And welcome to all my new followers, thank you for joining me on this journey 🙏🏽

@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

Two months today until ‘The Shoulders We Stand On’ is published! If you feel the same way reading this book as I did when researching it, then you will come away feeling hopeful and fired up. Knowing that together we can make a positive change is a much needed lifeline right now.

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

'We Move' by @GurnaikJohal is a stunning story collection set in Southall. Beautiful glimpses into overlapping lives that also touches on key historical moments (e.g.1984). My favourite was 'The Piano', about all the lives connected to a piano put on the street by a widower. #SAHM

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

Thank you to @PrimadonnaFest for having me yesterday! I loved speaking on two panels with the incredible @sheelabanerjee @pocobookreader @winniemli @athenastevens and meeting such fabulous people. I have come away renewed and SO ready for Sept 14th. (My daughter loved it too)

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

#OTD in 1981 Anwar Ditta was reunited with her children. Ditta was born in the UK and moved to Pakistan where she got married and had 3 children. Her and her husband came back to the UK and left the kids. The application to bring them over was denied by the Home Office. 1/3

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

5 months

Looking forward to chatting to @farzana_chaudry today about how Black and Brown people resisted racism in the UK in the 60s-80s. If you've been watching #Defiance on @Channel4 then tune in! And if you haven't, listen anyway and then watch it.

@farzana_chaudry

Farzana Chaudry

@farzana_chaudry

5 months

On Mon’s show I’m joined by researcher historian @preetikdhillon author of #TheShouldersWeStandOn 👉🏽10 movements, campaigns& organisations led by black& brown individuals from 60s-80s, battling racism, and resistance in housing education & healthcare

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

"Collective action is magic. Groups of people working towards the same ends are hard to ignore... Organising as groups around shared aims is the only thing that will change anything. Of that I am more convinced than ever." The Shoulders We Stand On, p323. ONE MORE DAY!

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

Join me on publication day for a free online event talking about The Shoulders We Stand On. Available to stream worldwide and for up to two weeks after the event if you can't make the original stream time. 14th September - register now!

@FaneProductions

Fane

@FaneProductions

1 year

💜 NEW | Have you heard of The Grunwick Strike? The Battle of Brick Lane? If the answer is no, you’re not alone. Join researcher, historian & author @preetikdhillon to celebrate the release of her new book: #TheShouldersWeStandOn . 📝 Register FREE:

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

‘Stories for South Asian Supergirls’ by @pinkladoo is fantastic for adults and children alike. I love the mixture of historical figures with contemporary ones. And the illustrations* are banging! #SAHM *Various illustrators - Jayaben Desai, leader of Grunwick Strike pictured

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

11 months

The epic Grunwick Strike is the subject of this week’s (mostly) free resource list. It’s one of the first movements I learnt about and it’s one close to my heart. Read the story in Chapter 8 of The Shoulders We Stand On and find out more here:

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

I loved both of @romeshranga 's books: ‘Straight Outta Crawley’ and ‘As Good As It Gets’. It is not often South Asians are allowed to just be funny, a lot of what we write is understandably heavy and laden with trauma. It was refreshing to just laugh so much. #SAHM

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

Finding A Voice by @AmritWilson is a must read for hearing about what life was like for Brown women in their own words. It is one of the only books to ever do so. (A complete book list to follow in the coming days..!)

Finding a Voice: Asian Women in Britain (New and Expanded Edition)

irst published in 1978, and winning the Martin Luther King Memorial Prize for that year, Finding a Voice established a new discourse on South Asian women’s lives and struggles in Britain. Through d…

darajapress.com

@AmritWilson

Amrit Wilson

6 months

@preetikdhillon Thanks Preeti. In fact, Finding A Voice where I detailed these events among other horrors also included an interview in which I challenged the Minister for Immigration about VT . It was published in 1978, well before Melanie Phillips's article

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

4 months

I always love seeing my book in the wild, thanks for sharing @adnanahusain And do listen to the episode of @guerrilla_pod where I discuss the history and what we can take from it today.

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Guerrilla History: Black & Brown Resistance in the UK (1960s-80s) w/...

In this episode of Guerrilla History, we discuss a fascinating new book with its author, Preeti Dhillon. This conversation is a terrific look at the repression against racially oppressed communities...

guerrillahistory.libsyn.com

@adnanahusain

Adnan A. Husain

4 months

Guess what I spied in the window of the British Library bookshop after a day researching! If you haven’t listened to our episode w/ @preetikdhillon , time to check it out!

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

Seeing my book against the Dormers sign... just, wow. I can't wait to go back 💜 (never thought I'd say that about secondary school)

@DormersWellsHS

Dormers Wells High School

@DormersWellsHS

1 year

This week, researcher, writer, historian, published author and ex-student @preetikdhillon will be returning to Dormers! She will be discussing her debut book "The shoulders we stand on" which is all about "How black and brown people fought for change in the United Kingdom".

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

🚨 BOOK TOUR 🚨 BIRMINGHAM - 1st October BRISTOL - 3rd October @StPaulsLC CENTRAL LONDON - 4th October @HousmansBooks with @sheelabanerjee WEST LONDON - 5th October @EalingLibs

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

Wait, what, it's actually REAL?! It's gorgeous! 😍 I cannot wait to get my hands on it, if you need me I'll be next to the letterbox.

@AbiRFellows

Abi Fellows 🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

1 year

Just over a week to go til publication of this landmark modern history by @preetikdhillon @dialoguepub Already gaining many fans, and rightly so.

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

3 years

I am thrilled to be a recipient of an Independent Researcher Award from @WomensHistNet . Thank you! The role of Black and Brown women is hidden history within the hidden history I'm writing about and I can't wait to share these stories 🙌🏽📖

@WomensHistNet

Women's History Network

3 years

Preeti Dhillon @preetikdhillon is currently writing a book entitled 'The Shoulders We Stand On: How Black and Brown people fought for change in the UK'. She'll be exploring the role Black and Brown women played in movements and organisations which fought for change in Britain.

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

I genuinely wonder why these officers agree to participate in a documentary like #Defiance . Surely they must know this is not the audience that will be convinced this was not racially motivated?!

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

For #Pride this month I've read 'Difference is Born on the Lips' by @MichaelHandrick The stunning descriptions made me feel like I was there - for both the joy, and the pain. I learnt so much about the LGBT+ community and mental health. Thank you for writing this book.

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

3 years

Book post is the best post! Thanks @dialoguebooks @amymaereads for this beautiful proof of 'Poor Little Sick Girls' by @ionegamble . 'Wellness is oppressive, self-love is a trap, hustling is a health risk and it's all the patriarchy's fault' YES YES YES 👏🏽🔥 Coming May 2022

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

8 months

Morning all. I want to share an awesome project to brighten up a slow Monday. My brother, academic Sunny Dhillon, has interviewed fellow Sikh Punjabi academics working in the Anglosphere and the fascinating interviews are now available to read online.

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

I had the honour of being interviewed by @RajwinderSPal last night with a phenomenal crowd at the Shaheed Udham Singh Centre in Handsworth. There was a lively discussion after: how do we reconcile the contradictions in union history? How can we find solidarity in race and class?

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

5 months

📑 Find out more about the Asian Youth Movements through these mostly free resources: 🧡 Highlight: podcast on the Bradford 12 by @wrkclasshistory ft. @TariqMehmood000 2/6

@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

11 months

This is the penultimate ‘find out more’ resource list (booo, hisss!) and it’s a biggie - the Asian Youth Movements, including Southall 1979, the trial of the Bradford 12 and Anwar Ditta’s fight to bring her children over from Pakistan. Here we go:

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

6 months

Now is NOT the time for my TV to keep freezing, I'm trying to watch #Defiance !! So far I'm loving how it pulls no punches, there is no holding back from talking about what life was like for Brown people e.g. the widespread P*** bashing. And it is slickly done 👌🏽

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

Recorded this event with Fane this morning, interviewed by @kavpuri , and you're in for a treat. We discussed discrimination like bussing and virginity testing, the long history of resistance by Black and Brown people, and where we are today. & it's FREE!

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@FaneProductions

Fane

@FaneProductions

1 year

🔥 “If you feel the same way reading this book as I did when researching it, then you will come away feeling hopeful & fired up.” Join @preetikdhillon for a vital look at our history to help us better understand the UK we live in today. 📝 Register FREE:

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

4 years

STRIKERS IN SARIS is a non-fiction book about people of colour that fought against racism in the UK in the 1960s to 1980s. It tells the stories of ten remarkable movements that impacted the way we live. #amwriting #amquerying #writenow Photo: Grunwick Strike, credit UNISON.

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

I always find the best treasures on the shelves of Housmans and I can't wait for my book to join them! Pre-order online or pop in when you're around King's Cross and see all the inspiring books for yourself.

@HousmansBooks

Housmans Bookshop

1 year

Very happy to get our hands on a proof of THE SHOULDERS WE STAND ON by @preetikdhillon ☺️ A history of social movements led by Black & Brown people in the UK.. from the Indian Workers' Association to the Brixton Black Women's Group & many more. Coming September! @dialoguepub

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

Archival research was key to bringing the movements in The Shoulders We Stand On to life. Archives like the @GPI_Archive are vital to retaining community history. They need funding for important building maintenance. I've helped, can you?

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George Padmore Institute Building Appeal, organised by JOHN LA ROSE TRUST

Our Building Fundraiser is Now Closed In November 2023, the Paul Stolp… JOHN LA ROSE TRUST needs your support for George Padmore Institute Building Appeal

www.gofundme.com

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

3 years

"We used to be humans until we demanded that they recognise our humanity." Uff that hit hard. A million thank yous to @ProfSunnySingh @monisha_rajesh @AnansiRyans @chimenesuleyman & the many others for all the heavylifting whilst I've been lost for words at this dumpster fire 🙏🏽

@ProfSunnySingh

Sunny Singh

@ProfSunnySingh

3 years

You know the racist UK publishing online for the past week? Just had the London theatre types in person. It’s kind of amazing when wyte folk act you don’t exist online but hell, they are back to literally not seeing us IRL

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@preetikdhillon

6 months

Toddler life means I can't watch #Defiance as it airs tonight but can't wait to catch up tomorrow, no doubt it'll be another tough but vital hour.

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

If you need an extra incentive to come see me: you can choose the colour of Sharpie I use to sign your book! (My default is purple, obvs) B'HAM-1 Oct BRISTOL-3 Oct LONDON-4 Oct 5 Oct

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

I am so glad resistance actions from our communities are being discussed more and more. When I researched for my book on this topic there was little out there focused on this, it is amazing that people will have multiple resources to learn all about this important history.

@Taj_Ali1

Taj Ali

1 year

I am delighted to announce that my first book, "Come what may, we’re here to stay: a story of South Asian resistance", will be published by @ManchesterUP in 2025. The book will document the rich tradition of South Asian political activism in 20th Century Britain.

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@preetikdhillon

1 year

Finally meeting Abi was the glorious cherry on top of an incredible day. Thank you for always being in the front row of my cheer squad! (Sorry you were actually in the second row this time due to my massive family entourage...) And that sticker is 👌🏽 thanks @dialoguepub

@AbiRFellows

Abi Fellows 🌈 🏳️‍⚧️

1 year

So great to finally meet @preetikdhillon - 2.5 years after we started working together. A real pinch me moment to sit and watch her first panel about #TheShouldersWeStandOn @PrimadonnaFest This book is gaining so many fans already. @dialoguepub

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

Anti-Blackness is rife among Brown communities. I agree with Sunny, we must read to understand and start to change the patterns that have been instilled over generations. It is great to see people protesting for the Black woman in Peckham, but outrageous that they have to.

@ProfSunnySingh

Sunny Singh

@ProfSunnySingh

1 year

The video is terrifying and appalling. That man must be prosecuted. As @kelechnekoff notes, the incident sits in a wider context of violence aimed at Black women. SAsians (and other NBPoC) must undo our anti-Blackness so as not to serve as tools and weapons of white supremacy

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

11 months

Just three more resource lists to go! This one is about Altab Ali and the Battle of Brick Lane. If you’re seeing this for the first time, every week I post a ‘find out more’ list related to the movements in my book The Shoulders We Stand On. Enjoy:

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

🙏🏽 An inquiry into the murder was headed up by Ian Macdonald, who was also a defence lawyer in the Mangrove Nine and Bradford 12 trials. His legacy lives on with the incredible @AIUCentre in Manchester, with important collections on race in the UK, including about Ahmed's life.

@Taj_Ali1

Taj Ali

1 year

Today marks 37 years since the murder of 13-year-old Ahmed Iqbal Ullah. The Bangladeshi heritage schoolboy had a strong sense of justice and stood up to bullies. He was stabbed to death in a Manchester school playground after defending a younger Asian boy from racist bullying.

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

9 months

Honoured to be included in this anthology from an amazing publisher. This essay was so much fun to write (food, score!), and the most personal thing that I have put out there so far. I can't wait to read the other essays and the short stories.

@FoxandWindmill

Fox & Windmill

@FoxandWindmill

9 months

Good morning our fellow foxes Happy Friday! We're so excited to announce our essay winners for our new collection, Tales from the Kitchen If any book reviewers would like a proof copy, please DM #FoxandWindmill 🦊

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

11 months

@Taj_Ali1 has interviewed a few former AYM activists including @mukhtardar260 for @tribunemagazine in this insightful and detailed article:

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‘Come What May, We’re Here to Stay’: Remembering the Asian Youth Movements

From the 1960s to the '80s, the Asian Youth Movements organised against racists and the far-right on Britain's streets. Speaking to Tribune, the activists behind those efforts call for that flame to...

tribunemag.co.uk

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

4 months

You and me both @teachsteven ! Thank you for your insightful review of Shoulders and to @ACitizenshipT It was always a hope of mine that the book would be used by educators so I am so pleased its relevance has been so clearly articulated here.

@teachsteven

Steven

4 months

Always astounds me when I see something I’ve written published. Thank you to the @ACitizenshipT Journal editing team and to @preetikdhillon for writing the book. One I definitely recommend. Members of ACT do look out for your journals - arriving soon!

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

5 months

📄 Learn more about the murder of Altab Ali and the epic Battle of Brick Lane through this list: 💜 Highlight: pamphlet by local Kenneth Leech 3/6

@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

11 months

Just three more resource lists to go! This one is about Altab Ali and the Battle of Brick Lane. If you’re seeing this for the first time, every week I post a ‘find out more’ list related to the movements in my book The Shoulders We Stand On. Enjoy:

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@preetikdhillon

Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

After learning about virginity testing and the administration of Depo-Provera without informed consent, I thought I'd heard the worst of what the UK state had done to Brown women in the 1970s. Apparently not. I am outraged this happened but glad this is getting traction.

@LouiseRawAuthor

Dr Louise Raw

@LouiseRawAuthor

1 year

You can’t believe how kind the British are. Every morning, a van pulls up outside your house in Coventry. A friendly man brings you a freshly-baked flatbread to eat. It’s just for you,not anyone else in your family. Every afternoon he comes back to make sure you’ve eaten it. 1/

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

11 months

#OTD 51 years ago, 8th November 1972, the Oval Four were sentenced for a crime they didn’t commit: robbery on the London Underground. Winston Trew, Sterling Christie, Constantine Boucher and George Griffiths were each given two years.

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

This week, find out more about... The Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963 🚌 Keep reading for (mostly) free resources to find out more about this incredible campaign and those involved in it, 60 years since it happened. Bookmark it, share it, follow me so you don't miss upcoming lists.

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Preeti Dhillon

@preetikdhillon

1 year

In times like these I turn, yet again, to Angela Davis. This extract from Futures of Black Radicalism is worth a read. If you care about Black liberation, you should care about Palestine. She also has a book on it: Freedom is a Constant Struggle

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