Race Relations Board

Racism is shown the yellow card in this eye-opening public information film about new laws giving protection from discrimination in housing and employment. Targeting both potential victims of racism and its active as well as unconscious perpetrators, the film appeals to the general public by reminding them of Britain's much vaunted tradition of sportsmanship and 'fair play'.

It seems hardly credible that before the 1968 Race Relations Act an employer could post a job advertisement which banned "coloureds" from applying, but this was the case, as was the prevalence of the "ugly business" of casual racism. Although the earlier 1965 Race Relations Act made discrimination on "the grounds of colour, race, or ethnic or national origins" unlawful, there were several key exemptions, notably for landlords and employers. The Race Relations Act 1968, which came into force on 26 November 1968, widened and strengthened these existing laws to encompass housing and employment. As well as the English language version shown here, this film was also released in several Asian language versions including Hindi and Urdu. This government film is a public record, preserved and presented by the BFI National Archive on behalf of The National Archives, home to more than 1,000 years of British history.