As we celebrate Black History Month, we need to reflect not just on how far we have come but how much work is still needed to eradicate the “othering” of immigrants in an attempt to blame them for the precarious situation the vast majority of us find ourselves in.
The Runnymede Trust has done excellent work on an evidence-based approach in tackling the causes of the racist riots, including that the government must put in place a long-term, cross-departmental anti-racist strategy that seeks to identify and address deep-seated racial inequalities in society and action to address structural inequalities facing people across society. This also means properly investing in, and devolving powers to, communities who are the best people to decide how money is spent.
My experience growing up in a multi-cultural society in London was made all the better by the influence that immigration had given the city. For centuries the docks of London were the arrival point for just about every different colour, creed and religion from across the globe and by the time I got my shot at existence the melting-pot was bubbling along nicely. Some of my earliest memories of integration are of proper working-class skinheads skanking alongside first generation Windrush youths to the sounds of The Heptones or The Ethiopians but by the end of the Seventies the far right had raised its ugly head and was trying to drive division amongst the working class. The musical fightback at the time was Rock against Racism, a movement alive with music that wouldn’t have existed without the influence of our new neighbours. From bands like The Clash, Burning Spear, X-Ray Spex and Brighton’s very own The Piranhas anti-racist voices were focused and a few years later we had the Two-Tone explosion with the likes of The Specials and The Selector handing us music that was the perfect example of cultural collaboration.
The positive effect of welcoming immigrants and refugees to our country can always be seen in our welcoming and inclusive city.
On Sunday, October 27 I will join our Mayor Asaduzzaman, our first Muslim mayor, at the Undivided India Gate to celebrate and honour the Indian soldiers that fought so bravely for this country nearly 80 years ago.
The India Gate is one of two memorials in our city to commemorate Indian soldiers who came to Brighton, many of whom were treated in the Royal Pavilion. The second is the Chattri which is located on the South Downs near Patcham, on the site of the funeral pyre where those who died in hospital “passed through the fire”, as the inscription reads and there is a gathering there each spring to remember them. The 21 Muslim men who died were taken to the Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking.
Brighton and Hove’s Black History organisation was formally launched in October 2002, thanks to the commitment and passion of Bert Williams MBE, who has spent much of his retirement researching and presenting the multicultural history of the city. The group is now a made up of local volunteers from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
But our city is not immune from the increased rise in hate crimes we have seen nationally. The council’s Community Safety and Crime Reduction Strategy reports in 2021/22 the police recorded 639 racist hate incidents and crimes in Brighton and Hove.
Black people in Sussex are more than eight times as likely to be stopped and searched by police than white people last year.
Despite these challenges I’m so proud to live and represent a city famous for our inclusivity. In August, as always, Brighton and Hove came together to say loud and clear that those who spread hatred, fear, fascism and racism have no place in our city.
And across the country we saw similar scenes as thousands of anti-racism campaigners stood shoulder to shoulder with Brighton – vastly outnumbering the tiny number of far-right fascists.
The loud counter demonstration to the impotent far right presence on Queens Road was uplifting and important. It’s exactly how we defeat racism in our society. When our friends and neighbours are threatened, we stand together, in our thousands, to defend them and the values for which our city is best known: diversity, equality and unity.
Steve Davis is the Green Group Convenor and leader of the opposition on Brighton and Hove City Council
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