1987 was a pivotal year in London’s black history. Not only did it mark the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, but Dianne Abbott became the first black woman to be elected to Parliament, as MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington. It was also the year the first Black History Month was celebrated.
Introducing the event at a precursory launch at the Royal Albert Hall in 1986, then mayor Ken Livingstone stated how important it was for Londoners to learn about the roots of European renaissance and medieval music and art. African influences were paramount to these art forms, something many history books had left out. Without this knowledge, generations of both Afro Caribbean and white people had little to go on but a past indebted to slavery and colonisation.
In the days before the Americas were discovered, black entertainers were sometimes employed by the royal courts (both Henry VII and his son Henry VIII had a black trumpeter), but it wasn’t until Europe colonised the new continent and cheap labour was needed that slaves were bought from wealthy African and Arab merchants and brought over to the UK in ships, usually in perilous conditions. The industrial revolution and the huge growth London experienced during the Victorian era would never have happened had it not been for the slave trade of the 18th century.
Parliament banned the trade in 1807, although slaves were still shipped illegally to the British Isles till slavery was banned outright throughout the British Empire in 1833. After the ban few black people arrived in the UK till after World War II. Once again Britain needed labourers, and plenty of people in the West Indies needed work. Mass immigration ensued, and areas like Notting Hill saw the greatest influx of black immigrants, resulting in tension between the new arrivals and the white people who regarded them with feared. Largely, the 1980s are remembered for two things: Margaret Thatcher and race riots, such as the 1981 Brixton riots.
\n\nIn October 1987 Akyaaba Addai Sebbo of the General London Council helped set up the UK’s very first Black History Month, with the aim of promoting black cultural heritage. The month of October was chosen to coincide with the beginning of the academic year, and the first event featured a series of talks on the influence of black culture in society. It was highly successful, and London’s local authorities committed to funding the event each year.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson reduced the budget for Black History Month in 2010. As a result the borough of Bromley has cancelled it entirely in favour of holding a ‘Diversity Day’. Croydon has also scrapped it, while Haringey, Lewisham and Southwark have had to decrease their activities. Despite the obvious, the Prime Minister has stated his support, albeit a non-financial one, and so has Johnson in a fashion. In conjunction with the Metro newspaper, City Hall has organised a competition inviting readers to vote for the most inspirational black person (ever, one presumes) from a list that includes Leona Lewis and Moira Stewart.
In any case, Black History Month is still alive and well in London’s schools, museums, art galleries, libraries, music venues, and so on. A large portion of events are educational but there are countless others taking place across the city that range from serious political debates to more leisurely gospel singing workshops, guided black history walks, African drumming lessons, films, concerts and exhibitions. Activities can be as diverse as a jazz performance by Soweto Kinch to a fashion show based on the life of musician Fela Kuti, and that’s just in terms of music, while the British Library has even released a CD of Caribbean poetry to mark the 2011 event.
London’s black history has been impacted by politics, art and fashion. Did you know that…
In 1959, despite death threats, David Pitt became the first black parliamentary candidate, standing for the constituency of Hampstead. He was defeated by his Conservative opponent, but in 1974 he became the first black person to become chair of the GLC.
\n\nThe Notting Hill Carnival first took place in 1964, with the intention of celebrating Caribbean culture in an area afflicted by racial tensions. Political activist Claudia Jones was largely responsible for its inception. She also founded the UK’s first black newspaper, the West Indian Gazette, in 1958.
In December 1987, a model from Streatham became the first black woman to feature on the cover of British Vogue. Naomi Campbell, one of the world’s most famous supermodels, was defended in the face of discrimination by fellow supermodels Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista who supposedly told Dolce & Gabbana “if you don’t use Naomi, you don’t get us”.
Music festival Rise was held in Victoria Park in 1996 for the first time, under the name ‘Respect’. It was originally organised by the Trade Unions and later by Ken Livingstone, the aim being to promote the work of the unions and anti-racist messages. Boris Johnson abolished the event in 2009 blaming a lack of funds. A new organisation, UpRise, decided to resurrect the festival in 2010, relocating it to Finsbury Park.
Dub poet and former Black Panther Linton Kwesi Johnson became the first black poet (and second living poet) to have his poems compiled in the Penguins Classics series in 2002. Among his most famous works is ‘Di Great Insohreckshan’ about the Brixton riots.
