Notting Hill, 1948-1970

• In London in the 1950s, landlords were not willing to let to black people. There were racist signs, eg 'No Blacks'. They often lived in run down properties with mould and draughts.
• Caribbean migrants in Notting Hill had poor choice in housing. They were often charged with high rents and had to live in overcrowded conditions. Some lived in HMOs.
• Kenrick founded Notting Hill Housing in 1963. By 1970 it was housing nearly 1000 people in West London.
• In 1959, Frank Crichlow opened the El Rio cafe. It served good Caribbean food and became a gathering place for the local community.
• Basing Street Studios opened in 1969 just off All Saints Road. The studio had famous performers like Bob Marley and the Rolling Stones.
• The Metro Club opened on St Luke's Road in 1968. It was a youth club, community centre and nightclub for black people, one of the only in London. Sometimes there were queues of 400 people waiting to enter.
• Padner Schemes, introduced by Sam King, helped black people to buy their own home and get a mortgage.
• A mutual self help group: The London Free School. It was set up in 1966 arranging dances, workshops for children, childcare and street carnivals.
• A mutual self help group: the Unity Association. It helped homeless young black people and helped young people with professional training.
• A mutual self help group: The Black People's Information Centre. It was founded in 1970 and provided legal advice, welfare support, and education on black history and political issues.
• In 1952, there were approximately 16,400 officers in the Metropolitan Police, over 97% of these white and male.
• Nowell Roberts tried to join the police force in 1965, but refused with no reason. Then when hired, was blocked a promotion.
• Black people were often victims of stop and search. Many got beaten and had evidence planted onto them. 'N****r hunting' was the name police gave to deliberately stopping black people to arrest.
• Police were officially labelled as institutionally racist in 1999.
• PCSos (police community support officers) were set up in 2002, partly in response to the Burnley Riots of 2001.
• Gangs of violent young people called 'Teddy Boys' targeted black people and came into Notting Hill from elsewhere to start fights.
• The Neo-Nazi group called the 'White Defence League' (WDL) had its office in Notting Hill. It would organise 'N**** hunts'. It later merged with other groups to form the National Front from 1967.
• Oswald Mosley led the Union Party which aimed to 'Keep Britain White', with its office in Notting Hill.
• Short term cause of Notting Hill riots, 1958: a fight broke out when a mixed race couple were confronted outside a pub.
• Long term cause of Notting Hill riots, 1958: racist groups and violence had been building tension for years.
• Riots started on 30 August 1958, and lasted for six nights.
• During the riots, petrol bombs were thrown at the homes of black people. Groups were armed with iron bars, scissors, cricket bats, knuckle dusters and knives.
• During the riots, some members of the black community counter-attacked to defend their homes.
• After the riots, 108 people were arrested- 72 were white and 36 were black. There were several serious injuries but no deaths.
• In September 1958 over 170 cases connected to riots were heard at courts across London.
• The West Indian Gazette was set up in 1958 and reported on police brutality to Caribbean Migrants.
• Kelso Cochrane was a black man who was stabbed by a gang of white youths on 17 May 1959 whilst walking home. He had been living in Notting Hill for 5 years.
• Suspects of Kelso Cochrane's murder were arrested quickly but released a few hours later.
• Police were worried that if Kelso Cochrane's murder was labelled as racially motivated, there would be more riots.
• On 19 May 1959, the Daily Mirror placed the case on the front page, saying that it wasn't motivated by race.
• The West Indian Standing Conference (WISC) was formed just after the riots. It fought for racial equality over the next 50 years.
• On 6 June 1959, hundreds of people attended Kelso Cochrane's funeral. Over 1200 more people lined the streets outside.
• The Inter-Racial Friendship Coordinating Council wrote to the Prime Minister to make racially motivated violence a crime.
• In 1958, the West Indian Gazette was set up, giving a voice to the black community in London. It had a circulation of over 15,000 people.
• After the 1958 riots, the West Indian Gazette sponsored a carnival at Kings' Cross on 30th January 1959.
• In 1966, the president of the London Free School planned an outdoor event in August, leading to the start of Notting Hill Carnival.
• In the 21st Century, Notting Hill Carnival is the biggest street festival in Europe, attracting over a million people and generating millions of pounds.
• The Black British Panthers (BBP) were founded in 1968 campaigning against police brutality and helping black people find better jobs, housing and healthcare.
• Frank Crichlow opened the Mangrove in Notting Hill, serving good Caribbean food. The police were suspicious and raided the venue frequently, it was raided nine times between January 1969 and July 1970.
• The BBP organised a march on August 9 1970 to protest police action at the Mangrove. Around 150 people took part in the march.