"Just a point of clarification: it is not the case that all non-white people are called blacks in the UK. Non-white people are grouped as either Black, Asian (unlike the US, 'Asian' refers to Pakistan/India or Bangladesh in the UK), Chinese or 'mixed race'. Personally, I have never heard - to take a simple example - of someone of Pakistani origin being called 'black'."
Joe Wanzala wrote: In the UK the term 'black' has historically been the term used by the establishment to refer to all people in the UK from the (former) colonies. It is the equivalent of the term 'people of color' is the US. I provide two examples below from British publications showing Asians being referred to as 'black'. To be sure, this terminology is used more among politicized people, but the second source I used below is in the a health rather a political context.
Hi: I think Simon is more correct. I grew up in the UK. I did for a brief time belong to the Black Workers League. & in this matter, Joe is right - in that the more politically aware did 'conglomerate' themselves into a larger grouping. Even there, many of us called ourselves "Browns". In any case, as I recall it the characterisation of Asians or Pakis as "Black" - was unusual in the extreme. My recollection of Indian communities in the UK was that they definitely identified themselves as either Indian Bangla Deshi or Pakistani or Sikhs. Black was unusual as a an identifier.
I think that is the case even now, as I return to my family fairly often. I think the recent film (excellent) called "Bhajii on the Beach" - might display the lingering racisms in the Asian community that prevent a wholehearted identification with "blacks". Hari Kumar