Asquith Xavier | |
|---|---|
 Xavier on the platform of Euston railway station on 15 August 1966. | |
| Born | 18 July 1920 Dominica |
| Died | 18 June 1980 (aged 59) Chatham, Kent |
| Monuments | Plaque, Euston railway station, London, England |
| Nationality | Dominican, British |
| Known for | First non-white train guard at Euston railway station, England |
Asquith Camile Xavier (18 July 1920 – 18 June 1980) was a West Indian-born Briton who ended a colour bar at British Railways in London by fighting to become the first non-white train guard at Euston railway station in 1966.[1][2][3] Trevor Phillips, when chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, said in 2006: "Asquith's stand against discrimination brought to light the inadequacy of early race discrimination laws and persistent widespread discrimination faced by ethnic minorities."[4] A plaque at the station commemorates his achievement.[5]
- ^ "Euston staff 'colour bar' ended". On This Day. BBC News. 15 July 1966. Archived from the original on 7 March 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
- ^ Oona King, "Asquith's Fight for Equality", BBC Radio 4, 2016-10-26.
- ^ "RAILWAY COLOR BAR IS BROKEN IN LONDON". The New York Times. 16 July 1966. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "FIRST-CLASS HERO: Forty years ago, this man changed the face of race relations in Britain after beating a colour bar on the railways". The Mirror. MGN. 15 July 2006. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
- ^ Thorpe, Stewart (13 June 2019). "RailStaff June 2019: An unsung hero". RailStaff. Retrieved 4 June 2020.