On the wall of the former Chorlton-on-Medlock Town Hall you will find this plaque commemorating the Fifth Pan African Conference that was held there between October 15th and 21st in 1945.

Ninety delegates from across Africa, Europe and the Caribbean, attended the meeting and among the delegates were a number of men who went on to become political leaders in their countries including: Hastings Banda, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Obafemi Awolowo and Jomo Kenyatta.

Simon Katzenellenboggen, a Manchester historian, said of the meeting:

"I’ve always seen it as a very important turning point, not just in Africa’s history, but in the European Empires too. It was an important step towards the end of those imperial powers in Africa, so it’s imperative for everyone, not just those of African descent, to be aware of the conference. In addition to knowing about our imperial past, we also need to face up to the consequences of what that rule meant to Africans."