Pauline Black In Power and Pride l Championing Identity and Resistance

Content Warning: This blog contains themes of racism and child sexual abuse.

Pauline Black OBE

For Black History month, we want to take you back to 1979 when the British 2 Tone movement developed in the Midlands. 2 Tone is a genre which blended Jamaican ska with punk rock influences to create music that was about uniting young people, sharing anti racist messages, and exploring political and social issues. Into this mix emerged Pauline Black, who became lead vocalist of The Selecter; a pioneering 2 Tone band of the era, who continue to perform and release music today. To see how she came to be part of this movement we need to go back to the beginning…

Pauline, whose birth name was Belinda Magnus, was born on 23rd Oct 1953 in Romford, Essex. Pauline’s mother was a Jewish teenager from Dagenham, her father Nigerian. Pauline was placed for adoption to a white family where she was renamed Pauline Vickers. She Grew up in an environment where she was surrounded by and subject to racism, even within her own family. She was the only black child in her school and was not encouraged to embrace her mixed-race heritage by her adoptive family.

In addition to grappling racism and her own identity as a child, at just 10, Pauline was sexually abused by her neighbour. Her strategy to cope with this trauma was to go into herself and to focus on her education, so that she would be able to get out of Romford and make a new start.

Moving to Coventry to further education at Lanchester Polytechnic, Pauline was able to explore her identity, and to mix with other Black people. After Lanchester Polytechnic, Pauline went on to work as a radiographer, where she was able to experience Black role models in the workplace.

Outside of work she was involved in the music scene and was approached to join the newly found group ‘The Selecter’ as co-lead vocalist and front woman alongside the late Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson. This experience empowered her to change her name from Pauline Vickers to Pauline Black, to own her identity and to wear the stereotypically masculine suits and trilby hats iconic of 2-Tone.

The Selecter’s songs were high energy; talking about racism and sexism, tackling social and political issues of the time and inevitably Pauline’s experiences fed into this. The late 70s was a time of high youth unemployment and social tensions and The Selecter and other bands such as The Specials resonated with young people, speaking to them through their music and fashion. The Selecter were hugely influential in the British ska revival movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and their chart success included their album Album Too Much Pressure (1980), which peaked at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart.

Pauline Black is now 71 years old and still a tour de force, still writing and performing with The Selecter, still an activist. 46 years after their debut album The Selecter continue to draw in crowds all these years later. There is much to advocate for – sexism and racism haven’t gone away. Recent songs explore war, peace, knife crime, oppression, and environmental issues.

As well as being singer, songwriter and bandleader, she has also been a TV presenter, award winning actress, and advocate for promoting diversity in music, acting, and writing. Her talents for storytelling and inspiring others are enjoyed by many.

Fast-forwards to 2021, where UK cities have competed for City of Culture, Pauline played a pivotal role in the successful 2021 Coventry bid. Having lived in the city for more than 50 years – it is a place she says that gave her the chance to study, work and “ultimately find my creative voice within the 2-Tone movement, which has spearheaded the musical conversation about racism and sexism for the past 42 years”. – bbc.co.uk

Pauline Black’s four-decade long contribution to the music scene is something to celebrate; and has brought with it joy, resistance, and unity. This contribution has resulted in her being awarded an OBE for services to Entertainment in 2022.

Pauline is also the recipient of an Honorary Fellowship from Leeds College of Music (2018), Honorary Doctor of Arts at Coventry University (2016), and Honorary Doctor of Letters University of Warwick (2022). She is also Patron of Serendipity Institute for Black Arts & Heritage in Leicester.

Today, while there has been some progress for women and equality, led by many inspiring activists like Pauline, it’s also true that many of the issues Pauline has faced persist, and at present divisiveness and racist populism is being stirred up across the world. Pauline emphasises the need for constantly vocalising injustices and speaking out – to raise awareness and help bring about change.

Pauline’s words inspire us at Beyond the Streets to persistently challenge the attitudes we see which negatively impact women we work with, including victim blaming, misogyny, racism, ablism, and stigma against women who sell sex.

“I’m not really into legacies, but I’d definitely like to be remembered for making some good music and fighting for the underdog. If there’s any legacy at all, it would be that we can speak for those who don’t have a voice. The two-tone message is still relevant, and racism hasn’t gone away.” – Pauline Black, 2025 (Classic pop mag)

We stand with Pauline in the mission to challenge the systems that perpetuate harm, to listen to those who have been silenced, and to build a society where everyone – regardless of race, background, or circumstance – can thrive.

You can now watch Pauline’s 2024 documentary Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story’ on streaming services including NowTV, or in Cinema’s including the Serendipity Institute for Black arts and Heritage in Leister on 29^th October!

Watch Pauline singing live with The Selecter: https://youtu.be/sZmWGJDsBWs?si=KxQ21sfg8K5o1fW9

Learn about Black History Month: https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/

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