In 1969, one year after the assassination of Martin Luther King in the USA, the West Indian Student Centre is crammed with people, mostly black and predominantly male, waiting with palpable excitement to hear the words of esteemed author James Baldwin and comedian Dick Gregory.

Baldwin immediately disarms the audience with his wit, eloquence and charm. His talk spans issues as varied as the Middle Passage and the African Diaspora, his identity as a proud American even though he is the descendant of slaves, the use of language and culture by slaves to outwit their white owners, and the abuse of power by the USA disguised as a defence of freedom.

The lecture is followed by a good-natured, warm, earthy interaction with members of the audience. Gregory uses cutting humour to draw parallels between the lives of black people in Britain and America as well as 'white-acting' blacks and 'black-acting' whites.