Meet Ted Marriott
(Scroll down for his audio story)
Content warning - Ted talks about racial segregation.
“It’s a history that encourages me to think internationally — our national stories have an international dimension.”
Ted Marriott reflects on the enduring legacy of African American servicemen stationed in East Anglia during the Second World War. Although his story doesn't originate in the Cold War period, Ted speaks eloquently about the American Civil Rights movement and possible links to the GIs in England in the 50s/60s.
Living between a Suffolk village and West London, Ted shares his family’s connection to an African American GI who met his grandmother, Olive, while serving locally in the 1940s. Their relationship led to the birth of his father in 1944 – one of several Black mixed-heritage children born in the area at that time.
Ted also reflects on interracial relationships and the overlooked presence of African American GIs in Britain. Now writing a play about his grandparents’ story, Ted situates his family’s experience in a wider narrative of moral courage, transatlantic connection and the continuing relevance of these histories today.
Ted's story
Portrait of Ted Marriott, by HighTide theatre company
