One Brother Remembers

One Brother Remembers

On the 18^th January 1981, thirteen children died in a house fire at a sweet sixteen party in New Cross, South London. This tragedy became known as The New Cross Massacre, due to the fact that the overwhelming view of the Afrikan Caribbean community was that this was another racial attack on us.

The Afrikan Caribbean community marked the thirtieth (30th) anniversary of this terrible day, on Friday (14/01/2011), with an evening of reflection and celebration of life. Professor Gus John, Elder Alex Pascall (Black Londoners) and film producer Bro Menelik Shabazz (Burning an Illusion, Step Forward Youth) gave us an insight into their memories of the day and its aftermath.
The evening started with a viewing of Bro Shabazz’ documentary “Blood Ah Go Run”, which is a record of the 2^nd March 1981 Black People’s Day of Action. The father of Steve Collins, one of the young people that perished in the fire spoke to us and made a plea for assistance from the wider community in replacing a memorial, in New Cross, which has been uprooted by the local authority. The evening was hosted by Kwame Kwei Armah and it culminated in a performance by Carroll Thompson and Janet Kay.

What has made this remembrance all the more poignant is the fact that thirty years on we are no closer to the truth about what actually happened on that night. There was a media and police led campaign to lay this tragedy at the feet of the children and their families. So rather than supporting the families in their time of sorrow, there was and has been a trial by media.

However, we are clear in our minds that those lives were not lost in vain. The events of that evening became a metaphor for the suffering of a people. Within the societies response, via its police force, we all understood, unambiguously, our position in this our adopted or born land. To be black (Afrikan) was to be unprotected and unimportant.

Thankfully there were those in this fledgling community who had vision and direction. Amongst them were the three brothers mentioned earlier. Out of the meetings held came a proposal to designate 2^nd March 1981, a Black People’s Day of Action. In response, to the call, at least 25,000 of us descended on the capital demanding justice for the families. The cry was “If justice no come, blood ah go run.”

In true British style, justice has not been served up till now.

History bears witness to the events which followed in the wake of the march

(See: Brixton Uprising 11/04/1981). It was, one of the most powerful days of my life. The Afrikan Caribbean people stood together and made their voices heard. Detractors will say that nothing useful was accomplished, but for me it was a life changing experience. At the time I was a twenty-three year old father of two, with one on the way, black, male, uneducated, unemployed and vex. Today I am a fifty-three year old father of six and grandfather to one, Afrikan male, Afrikan-centred, Revolutionary Pan Afrikan, erstwhile small business owner and still vex. Back then I was vex with them, today I am vex with us.

Black People’s Day of Action

This year as the thirtieth anniversary of this disaster is upon us we have an opportunity to reclaim our dignity as a people. The mess we see daily can be historically connected to the treatment of us during our formative years. I make no excuses, we should have done better. Whatever our faults were, at that time, we were sure that no one in our community would act so callously towards our children. However, without an honest examination of this our  recent history we will continue to see the present trend of our children killing and maiming each other, as we (Afrikans) float on the sea of life, as a ship with no rudder.

I would like to see the 2^nd March 2011 become the second Black Peoples Day of Action. As brothers and sisters did thirty years ago, we should take the day off work, school, college etc.

This I believe will show our solidarity with, not only, the families that lost their children in the fire and its aftermath, but also those that have died since, including the many children in our communities that have died at the hands of other children in our communities.

In loving anticipation

SOST

Names of Children that died in the New Cross Fire

·         Humphrey Geoffrey Brown ·         Peter Campbell ·         Gerry Paul Francis ·         Andrew Gooding ·         Roseline Henry ·         Patricia Johnson ·         Patrick Cummings ·         Owen Thompson ·         Steve Collins ·         Lloyd Hall ·         Glenton Powell ·         Yvonne Ruddock ·         Paul Ruddock ·         Anthony Berbeck (suicide 1983)