The SLRC presents Dr Liam McCarthy talking about his new book which highlights a little-known part of Leicester's history during WWII.

To mark Black History Month in Leicester, the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre is delighted to present Dr Liam McCarthy who will talk about his new book 'The Life of African American GIs in Britain in WWII', which features a chapter dedicated to a lesser-known part of Leicester's history.

In 1944, Leicester became the focal point of American race riots which included at least three murders and a rumoured lynching of a Black GI in the city centre by American paratroopers.

Most of the fighting was over women as well as how local people welcomed the Black GIs and took their side against their white comrades, who were used to Black military personell being segregated and treated as second class citizens.

Today there are dozens of men and women in Leicester who can trace their heritage back to relations between local women and African American GIs.

The event will also feature a discussion with Dr McCarthy and one of those descendants, Terry Harrison, hosted by Dr Chris Zembe, a Senior Lecturer in History at De Montfort University. There will then be a Q&A with the audience.

Description supplied by the event organiser.