In the London Borough of Lambeth, Brixton - Essay Example

? In the London Borough of Lambeth, Brixton In the London Borough of Lambeth, Brixton Introduction The area of Brixton in the Borough of Lambeth is rich in ethnic diversity and in cultural history. Brixton has a history that can be stretched back to the occupation of the Romans with agriculture being the central form of industry until the early 18th century. The area has been centrally involved in the abolition of slavery, the integration of various races into the population, and actively involved in the tensions that have occurred as the races have struggled to live together in peace. The nature of the community is defined by its diversity, creating a culturally rich area in which shopping and tourism help to support the area. The area is approximately a half Caucasian population, with the other half a diverse collection of ethnic backgrounds contributing to the notion of race groupings, with the heaviest population coming from the Caribbean. This might be a result of a combination of the positive history of abolition, the origins of slave trade that occurred nearby and the addition of providing refuge for those immigrants who came to Britain as commonwealth citizens after The British Nationality Act of 1948. The contemporary area of Brixton is immersed in the problems that face most communities. Public policy actions include efforts towards increasing space in schools with an increasing population of school age children. Other concerns are centred on safety and providing a public involved forum in which to discuss issues that affect the security of the area. As well, the community seems to be dedicated to preserving historical sites through efforts to restore and make valuable a site such as an old windmill that milled flour. The nature of the area is unique for its diversity and yet, common in that the needs of all people are reflected in the public services and policies that address the needs of the people. History The history of Brixton can be traced back to evidence of settlement from the Roman roads of Clapham Road and Brixton, but a version of the name is evident by the eleventh century under the name Brixiestan which meant “at the stone of Brihsige”. Eventually the name was shortened to Brixton and this is the name that the area goes by in contemporary times. It wasn’t until the early 19th century that the area was turned from a primarily agricultural centre towards an industrial uses with most of the population centred in the areas of Stockwell, Brixton Hill, and Coldharbour Lane. When the Vauxhall Bridge was built in 1816, the area was opened up for access from Central London which then directly led to the building up of the area around Acre Lane, where some of the oldest buildings in Brixton still stand (Lambeth). Brixton saw its largest settlement and industrial area built up around Wiltshire Road in the 1850s called Angell Town, a part of town that belonged to the Angell family. In the last third of the 19th century the area saw railway and tram transportation emerge, connecting them to the larger urban cultures of London with middle class housing growing and filling the area. According to the Lambeth website, “in 1888 Electric Avenue became the first shopping street to be lit by electricity, with a protective iron and glass canopy for shoppers”. By 1925, the area of Electric Avenue was considered one of the finer shopping areas of South London with “department stores (including Morleys), a thriving market, shops, pubs, cinemas, and a theatre” (Lambeth). The areas of Clapham and the general area of the Borough of Lambeth were central in the abolitionist movements of the 18th century. The Clapham Abolitionists were defined by their association with Anglican Evangelicals. This group has the distinction of being one of the most effective abolitionist groups in England (D’Anjou 1996, p. 159). Slavery was ended within Britain in 1772 and in all of the British colonies in 1807. With the work of abolitionists groups, including the work of the Clapham Abolitionists, slavery was termed illegal. In the mid 20th century, the area of Brixton saw an influx of people from the West Indies as the social policies on citizenship were made more accessible to those of colonial national origin. The British Nationality Act of 1948 allowed for anyone living in any of the British colonies to enter, work, and live in the Britain with most of the rights of a British citizen. The status of ‘commonwealth citizen’ allowed for freedom of migration and in 1948 the Empire Windrush brought 417 Jamaicans through affordable rates of passage. While not the first ship to bring people from the West Indies’ colonies, it was the first publicly notable ship (Nagle 2009, p. 50). After their arrival, the passengers were given temporary shelter in Clapham South in Brixton. In memory of this event and to mark the 50th anniversary of the event in 1998 an area in the center of Brixton was renamed Windrush Square in front of the Tate Library (Lambeth). Race riots throughout the 1960s and 1970s eventually came to a particularly vicious set of riots in 1981 within Brixton in which large amounts of burning and looting were the result of high tempers and explosions of racial hatreds that affected the safety of the area (Porter 1995, p. 354). Although not alone in the effects of racial rioting and tensions during that time, the interrelationships of the races within the region still work to promote harmonious living in order to keep a peaceful community. The event of the naming of Windrush Square was used as a way to denote the value that the West Indie ethnic communities have made to the overall culture of the United Kingdom, and more specifically in the area of Brixton. Local Policy Responses One of the emerging problems that is central to the discussion on the website for the Lambeth Borough is that they are running out of space in schools. This topic is on the front page of the local newsletter that discusses the issues that are facing local inhabitants. Because of the high levels of younger citizens in the Brixton area, it is likely that this problem is highly affecting this region. More than 87.4% of the citizens in the area are under the age of 60, with 19% of school age, and more than 55% within the parameters of viable childbearing age, the needs of school accessibility is an important factor for the people of the regions (Brixton Population Data). The administrators of the area are calling on citizens to contact the central government to extend help for these purposes. Public policy, according to the way in which they are framing the potential solutions, is in support of trying to preserve the quality of education. The first viable solution to the problem is to increase the class size, but that solution is listed as undesirable because it will decrease the attention that can be given to each student. Temporary classrooms are expensive and take up space and do nothing to permanently fix the problem. Transporting students to other schools will take up valuable time out of student’s day (Lambeth). The needs of the students are being addressed by the Lambeth Council with the fiscal needs being addressed as a solution rather than trying to curb educational efforts in deference to the fiscal needs. This attitude is laudable for a civic administration. In looking at the local newsletter, the Up Your Street edition for Brixton, very common issues are discussed. The library system is addressed for how it services the citizens. Garden trimmings are discussed in terms of waste. As well, summer holiday venues are discussed in order to give citizens a better idea of how to spend their leisure time near home. One of the more unique events involves the restoration of the Brixton Windmill which in May was able to mill flour for the first time in 70 years. This suggests that there is a distinct importance to the area in preserving the past. In this restoration, public policy of preservation is actively pursued. The mill was restored by the Lambeth Council through lottery granted funding by Heritage Lottery Fund (Lambeth Council). Maginn (2005, p. 98) discusses the public policies that have led to a restructuring of community demographics through relocation of some of the inhabitants. In the 1990s there was a concerted effort to restructure the region in order to create more profitable centres of urban development. The dislocation of senior citizens during the event is suggestive of the low number of older inhabitants of the area. There is a division between the ‘old’ Lambeth Council and the new, the old having had a history of corruption that was finally ended in 1994 with elections that were primed to replace the old way of doing things. It was within this Council that many of the urban economic stimulus polices were developed. The Southside Partnership is “committed to working towards the elimination of poverty and social exclusion through the achievement of quality of opportunity, participation, and outcomes for all people who live in the Southside Partnership’s designated areas. Southside Partnership’s work is informed by human rights philosophy” (Lovin 2005, p. 46). This body created a series of policies towards stimulating the economy and ending poverty. However, some activities in the restructuring of the areas, such as relocating the a portion of the senior citizens, created an effect where, despite the relocation, they were coming back to the old neighbourhoods to shop as the new areas did not have items that were conducive to the traditions of their culture. As some of the relocations were intended to stimulate those local economies, the problems of the region were continued with high unemployment and a new population that was not spending in the areas of their new homes. The stores were still catering to an older Caucasian clientele (Magin 2005, p.100). Social Context Findings In the London Borough of Lambeth is a section called Brixton. Lambeth is one of 14 local authorities that comprise the inner London area and has a population of 270,000 people (Lambeth). Within Lambeth are seventeen areas, one of which is Brixton which is where the Administrative Headquarters of the borough is located. Brixton has 24.3% of the Lambeth Borough and comprises 22.9% of the boroughs land space (Lambreth). From the 2001 census, 19% of the population is under the age of 15, 26.4% of the population is 16-29, 29.2% of the population is age 30-44, 12.8% is 45-59, with 12.6% above the age of 60. The population of approximately 64,682 people is broken down through racial groupings as follows: white 37,036, mixed 3,442, Asian 2,046, black 20,674, and Chinese and other 1,499. The strongest minority group is defined as the Black Caribbean with a population of 10,361 (Brixton Population Data 2011). Conclusion Even though half of the population is Caucasian, there is a rich multi-ethnic culture that thrives within the area, creating a diverse and rich resource of cultural experiences. A deep history that supports this diversity provides for a community with a rich history that provides connectivity among its inhabitants. Despite racial tensions and riots that have caused divisions the nature of the community has been to come back to a place of some harmony, creating a natural environment of diversity. In efforts to control where the population is centred, it is clear that the nature of socio-economic need was not addressed, creating problems with disassociated members of communities who drifted back to their own neighbourhoods. In serving the community as it is, the Lambeth Council will better serve its inhabitants. Bibliography D'Anjou, L. 1996. Social movements and cultural change: the first abolition campaign revisited. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. Brixton Population Data 2005. Lambeth. Available from http://www.lambet h.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/F8E5FE17-D8BA-46D5-8DA1- B1C394B06A24/0/024607.pdf Lambeth. 2011. Available from http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/AboutL ambeth/ Lovan, W. R. 2005. Participatory governance planning, conflict mediation and public decision-making in civil society. Aldershot: Ashgate. Maginn, P. J. 2004. Urban regeneration, community power and the insignificance of race. Aldershot: Ashgate. Nagle, J. 2009. Multiculturalism's double bind: creating inclusivity, cosmopolitanism and difference. Farnham: England, Ashgate. Porter, R. 1995. London, a social history. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. Lambeth Council. 2011. Up Your Street, Brixton Edition. Lambeth. Available from http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/8941556F9850425AB4721AA7D F2344B3/0/UpYourStreetApril2011Brixton.pdf Read More