KITE Resources 005: British BLM, through The New Cross Fire
A human tragedy, and a seminal moment in British race relations. The fire that killed thirteen young black people at a house party in New Cross in 1981, “the blaze we cannot forget” was a turning point in British race politics. Our fifth resources set provides some essential texts around this.
READ
David Olusoga – Black and British: A Forgotten History
Unflinching, confronting taboos, and revealing hitherto unknown scandals, Olusoga describes how the lives of black and white Britons have been entwined for centuries.
Further reading: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/jan/17/remembering-a-tragedy-culture-inspired-by-the-new-cross-fire
LISTEN
Lights Out: From the Ashes of the New Cross Fire, on BBC Sounds
A documentary series revisiting the night of the New Cross Fire and its aftermath.
WATCH
Small Axe
A film series of love letters to black resilience and triumph in London’s West Indian community, set between 1969 and 1982 and directed by Oscar winner Steve McQueen. Episode two, Lovers Rock beautifully captures a blues house party in London in 1980.
