This work sets out to answer what constitutes successful black political activity in the context of European Structural Funds. It proposes that much analysis of black political activity in Britain focuses on matters of 'race' and racism. This work argues that black political activity is broader than this and that by analysing black activists in an environment where matters of 'race' and racism are not pre-eminent, the range and diversity of black political activity would become apparent. The work uses a framework derived from political opportunities theorising and policy network literature to examine the proposition. The work explores different aspects of black political and community activity over time arguing there has a existed a diversity of black actor and organisation operating in difficult circumstances and that these actors have been instrumental in changing the way they have been treated in racialised societies. The work then goes on to look at the policy environment in which Structural Funds operate and the role of black organisations and individuals in this process. It found that Structural Funds was a very restrictive process that was not amenable to black engagement on the basis of 'race'. The work then considered the experiences of unsuccessfull non-participants and successful black organisations involved in the process. Successful organisations could put their achievements down to a range of factors including: dynamic leadership, flexible use of racialised identities, partnership working and organisational capability. Unsuccessful and non-participants lacked some of these traits or were constrained by the process. It is argued that the processes and networks surrounding Structural Funds were important in determining success, with Objective 1 having a slightly more open structure than the Objective 2 programme. The work shows that black organisational and political activity is varied, that the institutional arrangements, presence of elite alliances, and how 'race' issues are perceived in the policy environment combine with the activities of activists to constitute successful and unsuccessful activity. It shows that although racialisation is important in determining the nature of black political activity, even where 'race' is not pre-eminent it is not all consuming. There is scope to admire and look more closely at the diversity and range of black activists operating in and outside policy making networks.