Bibliograph

Britain's 'brown babies', the stories of children born to black GIs and white women in the Second World War, Lucy Bland

Type

Label

Britain's 'brown babies', the stories of children born to black GIs and white women in the Second World War, Lucy Bland

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 255-266) and index

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Britain's 'brown babies'

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

1077483405

Responsibility statement

Lucy Bland

Sub title

the stories of children born to black GIs and white women in the Second World War

Summary

This book recounts a little-known history of the estimated 2,000 babies born to black GIs and white British women in the second world war. The African-American press named these children 'brown babies'; the British called them 'half-castes'. Black GIs, in this segregated army, were forbidden to marry their white girl-friends. Nearly half of the children were given up to children's homes but few were adopted, thought 'too hard to place'. There has been minimal study of these children and the difficulties they faced, such as racism in a (then) very white Britain, lack of family or a clear identity. The book will present the stories of over fifty of these children, their stories contextualised in terms of government policy and attitudes of the time. Accessibly written, with stories both heart-breaking and uplifting, the book is illustrated throughout with photographs

Classification