African-Caribbean Community Organisations : The Search for Individual and Group Identity

This analysis of African-Caribbean community organizations is based on research in Leeds and London. The research found that African-Caribbean activists feel excluded from exisiting voluntary and statutory organisations and perceive there to be racism and social exclusion from key areas of society such as education, health care and employment. The author contends that community activity can not only precipitate change, it can also foster a positive sense of collective and individual identity. He aims to show how groups can overcome certain external barriers of racism and social exclusion but also how within each group, internal barriers have to be dealt with, based principally on age differentials, gender divides and differences to do with place of birth and dwelling.