PHYLLIS MIGHTEN, born in St James Jamaica, arrived in England on October 15, 1961. During her ten years of employment at Raleigh she worked first in the tyre fitting department, known as the ‘wheel shop’, and then Sturmey-Archer’s export and import department. Sturmey-Archer was a subsidiary of the Raleigh company, primarily producing bicycle hub gears, brakes, and varied bicycle components.
“The tyre fitting was hard work because there were some ladies that would grab the best work. We called them ‘grabbers’. The ‘grabbers’ would take the best work and left the more difficult tasks, it was then a struggle to complete enough work to earn a decent wage.”
The history of Black people working at Raleigh Industries in Nottingham is one which demonstrates the power of community activism. Raleigh, established in 1887, is one of the world's oldest and best-known bike brands. At its peak Raleigh produced 100,000 cycles, 250,000 hub gears, 15,000 motorcycles and 50,000 motorcycle gearboxes annually and despite the rising popularity of the car during the 1920s Raleigh become a world leader in bicycles, marketing its product to the Caribbean, Africa, and elsewhere.
Over time Raleigh would become one of the largest employers of Black people in Nottingham however this privilege would be one that the Black community would need to mobilise for politically. Oswald George Powe was one individual who challenged systemic racism in relation to employment.
Powe was a World War II radar operator and lifelong community activist, having founded a number of Black political organisations in the city. He arrived in the UK during the late 1940s and had a significant presence in Nottingham prior to taking up residence in the 1970s. While he advocated for Black people to work at Raleigh he never worked at Raleigh himself.
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When We Worked at Raleigh 