Dr Paul Stephenson: Civil rights campaigner and leading figure of Bristol Bus Boycott dies
A prominent civil rights campaigner and one of the leading figures of the Bristol Bus Boycott has died at the age of 81.
Dr Paul Stephenson dedicated his life to helping others, both in his local community and across the globe. He was one of the most influential figures in the civil rights movement in the UK, contributing to some of the most pivotal moments in the movement's history.
Dr Stephenson's activism began during his time as a student at Bristol University.
He was deeply involved in the fight against racial discrimination and injustice at the time, and brought forward several successful campaigns for greater equality and racial tolerance.
His main areas of activism were around civil rights, workers' rights, trade unionism, and housing rights.
Dr Stephenson will perhaps be best remembered for his work as a leading figure in the Bristol Bus Boycott.
The Bristol Omnibus Company refused to employ Black or Asian people as bus drivers or conductors following the Second World War.
He was a founder and deputy chairman of the West Indian Development Council, which led the four-month-long bus boycott, which began in 1963 in response to this.
The boycott resulted in the company agreeing to end its discriminatory employment practices, and was a significant victory for the civil rights movement.
After successfully winning the Bristol Bus Boycott, Dr Stephenson went on to found the Black and White Workers' Group.
This was in response to Enoch Powell's infamous "Rivers of Blood" speech in 1968, which he gave in Dr Stephenson's adopted city of Wolverhampton.
The group successfully promoted racial harmony in the area.
He also set up the Paul Stephenson Foundation, a charity founded to support young people in education, and the Stephenson Shopmobility scheme, to support disabled people with access to public transport.
Dr Stephenson was awarded the OBE for his services to civil rights in 2008.
In 2014, he received an honorary doctorate in law from the University of Bristol to recognise his longstanding commitment to equality and civil rights.
Dr Stephenson's death has been met with sadness by many in the civil rights community.
He was a tireless campaigner for social justice and equality, and will be greatly missed.
