September 1958, in the aftermath of the worst racial disturbances Britain had seen in a generation, an organisation was born to combat the racism and violence that had erupted in the streets of Notting Hill.

The Stars Campaign for Interracial Friendship (SCIF) was a group of musicians, actors, authors, journalists and television stars who used their celebrity to organise against racism and promote the new multicultural society. Against a backdrop of increased racial violence and fascist activity, SCIF organised meetings and produced anti-racist newspapers which they distributed around the nightclubs of Soho and in the streets of west London.

At a time when the so-called colour bar was in operation all over the UK, and black and white people could not congregate socially in the same places, SCIF started youth clubs and night clubs where people could integrate. They could talk together, drink together, sing together and, most importantly, dance together.

Under constant threat from arson and violence SCIF was the first organisation to move musically and politically against the racism prevalent after the 1958 riots. Until now they have been forgotten, lost in history. This is their story.

"Rick Blackman has done a great piece of detective work, unearthing this lost episode of Britain's radical history. A must read for anyone who thinks this stuff began with Rock Against Racism" – Billy Bragg