Bristol Bus Boycott: Civil rights campaigner Dr Paul Stephenson dies aged 87

A civil rights campaigner who led the Bristol Bus Boycott in 1963 has died at the age of 87, his family say.

Dr Paul Stephenson OBE organised the boycott which overturned a ban on people from ethnic minorities working on buses in the city.

In a statement, his family said he passed away on Saturday evening after a “courageous battle” with Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

They described him as “a passionate advocate for equality, tirelessly working to dismantle the barriers of discrimination”.

“It is with a heavy heart that Stephenson family share the passing of our beloved father, Dr Paul Stephenson, a true pioneer in the civil rights movement,” his family said.

“He left this world on the evening of 2 November 2024, after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease and dementia, which he faced with the same unwavering determination that defined his life.

“We have been immensely fortunate to witness first-hand the profound impact Dr Paul Stephenson had on our community and our nation.”

Dr Stephenson, the son of an African father and white British mother, arrived in Bristol in 1962.

He organised a boycott of the Bristol Omnibus Company, after which its policy of discrimination was ended.

The campaign was instrumental in paving the way for the first Race Relations Act in 1965.

He was made an OBE in 2009 for his services to equal opportunities and to community relations.

Dr Stephenson is survived by his daughter, Fumi, and his son, Paul Jr.

In a written personal message, they said that his spirit and impact “will continue to live on”.

“Despite the demands of his work, Dad’s love and support for our family never wavered,” his children said.

“He encouraged our independence and growth, always striving to ensure that we could forge our paths.

“Dad’s unwavering commitment to improving the lives and experiences of people in our community was truly infectious.

“His tireless work and activism touched the lives of so many, both locally and on a broader national and global scale.”