The story of John Richard Archer doesn’t begin in Westminster or even London, but in the city of contrasts and dockside horizons: Liverpool. Below on liverpoolyes.com, we discuss the key events of his life, his groundbreaking views, and his contribution to the rights and freedoms of British—and even American—society.
John Archer was born on 8 June 1863 in the diverse and cosmopolitan city of Liverpool. He was the son of Richard Archer, a Barbadian sailor, and Mary Teresa Burns, an Irishwoman. In the heart of Merseyside at the time, his family didn’t seem particularly extraordinary. Yet, it was this environment, a mix of different cultures, languages, and destinies, that instilled in Archer the ability to see far more than his generation.
John Archer of Liverpool: Sailor, Traveller, Photographer
The young Archer was captivated by the world and its beauty—first literally, and later in a much broader sense. He worked as a sailor, travelling to the USA, Canada, and the West Indies. During these voyages, John discovered the vast scale of human problems: racism, economic inequality, and colonial oppression. It was somewhere far away in Canada that he met Bertha, a Black woman with whom he returned to England.
Archer finally settled in Battersea, a district in South West London, but Liverpool remained his starting point—an experience of a city that learns from outsiders without abandoning its own. In London, Archer studied medicine to help others, but earned a living as a photographer. He eventually opened his own photography studio, becoming one of the few Black entrepreneurs in that field at the time.
Views Ahead of His Time
Archer couldn’t stand on the sidelines. His first political steps involved supporting the radical Liberal John Burns, but he soon became an elected member of the Battersea Borough Council himself. Even then, he was advocating for a higher minimum wage—at a time when most saw no need for it. And he didn’t just talk; he acted.
In 1913, despite a dirty campaign by opponents who questioned even his British citizenship, Archer was elected Mayor of Battersea. This was a truly historic moment: the first Black mayor in the United Kingdom. The Crisis, the magazine published by the NAACP in the USA, hailed it as a breakthrough. But for Archer, it was just the beginning.
The Voice of Africa in the Heart of the Empire
Archer understood that liberation could not be a purely local affair. He became a co-founder of the African Progress Union, which united people from Africa, the Caribbean, and other colonies in the struggle for rights and dignity. In 1919, the subject of this article participated in the Pan-African Congress in Paris, where he and other activists discussed the future of colonised peoples after the First World War.
In 1921, John helped host the same congress in London. Archer also supported representatives of other ethnic minorities in British politics—specifically, Indian parliamentary candidates. His worldview was cosmopolitan, yet humanity remained a crucial value.
How Politician John Archer Influenced the African-American Movement
Although John Archer never lived in the USA, his activism left a notable mark on the consciousness of the American Civil Rights Movement. His election as the first Black mayor of the London borough of Battersea in 1913 became an event of symbolic significance far beyond the UK. At a time when Jim Crow laws—which entrenched racial segregation—were in force across many parts of the US, news of a Black politician’s success in Great Britain sounded almost prophetic: racial barriers could be overcome, even in the political arena.
The American magazine The Crisis, the official publication of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), immediately highlighted the event. The magazine informed its African-American readership about Archer’s achievements, lending the news special meaning. It was powerful proof that a Black person could become an important figure in politics. Imagine the significance this held for young activists in Chicago or Atlanta, who faced systemic discrimination every day.
The Congresses of 1919–1921, mentioned above, helped build trust between British, French, American, and African activists. They realised that racism was not a local but a global phenomenon, and the fight against it required joint effort.
Another crucial point: Archer was a strategic thinker. His establishment of the African Progress Union was part of a broader attempt to build a political platform for Black citizens, even those in the colonies. This union operated on a model similar to the NAACP, combining human rights rhetoric, political participation, and international solidarity. Archer showed that the fight for rights wasn’t just about marches or speeches; it was also about routine, daily politics: debating in municipal councils, supporting candidates, and shaping public opinion.
John proved that a Black person could be not just a voice of protest, but a voice of power. This doesn’t mean his journey was easy. The racist attacks during his campaign and attempts to question his British citizenship were all part of the typical systemic resistance. But Archer’s victory was a resounding slap in the face to it.
Archer’s Legacy
John Archer died in 1932 but left a lasting legacy. He undoubtedly paved the way for Black politicians in Great Britain, but it was more than that. Far more important is that John showed that integrity, hard work, and self-respect could overcome even the crudest prejudices. And while his name is mostly associated with Battersea, Liverpool—the city where it all began—can be immensely proud of its son. Just as it is of Craig Charles and Alexei Sayle.