What’s Going On?

Charlie Williams

A look at how violence against and amongst young black men has developed since African people began living in Britain.

Further Info

This story was created at a workshop for young people from St Pauls and Easton who are researching their African heritage. The project is called “Adisa”, a word meaning “Each one to teach one” or “One who makes meanings clear”.

The workshop took place over 3 days at the Full Circle Family Learning Centre in St Pauls and was led by Dani Landau with support from Folake Shoga, Alan Cabey, Michaela Alfred-Kamara, Sylvia Vincent, Aikaterini Gegisian and Paddy Uglow, and Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives.

Transcript

What’s going on? There was a time when we first got here when the Afro-Caribbeans had to protect their selves from the white society at large. Violence was inflicted on both parties during the riots. The police didn’t help this situation, in fact some would say they were our worst enemies.

When the laws were changed to protect all people, we started fighting amongst /ourselves, petty squabbles and fisticuffs that moved on to guns, drugs and pure hatred.

Has this now turned us into a group of prejudiced people? Have we turned against our home and our African brothers? How we now fight not among ourselves but our brothers from Africa, the Somalians.

Major fights between us and the Somalians, the riots in Birmingham against the Asians. What’s going on – do we really know who we are?

Credits

All media created by the story author, or permission obtained, used under copyright licence.