Tottenham’s controversially titled Black Boy Lane is to be renamed in honour of a late black writer and activist.
Haringey Council said the decision was made after residents raised concerns the road’s current name had racist connotations and was a source of hurt for black people.
It will be renamed after Haringey resident John La Rose – a black publisher, poet and essayist who was an influential figure in the struggle for social justice and recognition of authors and artists of colour.
A legal order issued on Thursday set the renaming process in motion after the council’s Corporate Committee voted to change the name of the street to La Rose Lane earlier this year. The name change will then happen officially on January 23.
Cllr Peray Ahmet, Leader of Haringey Council, said: “I’m delighted that we’re able to pay tribute to John La Rose with a new street name. John made such a huge contribution to Black life both here in Haringey and across the UK and played an important role in gaining recognition for Black authors and artists, as well as championing inclusive education.
“I understand that this is a decision which has generated passionate responses. Several rounds of consultation were held, and I know that the Corporate Committee took the full range of views into consideration when deciding to change the name of the road. It is time now to move forward with this.
“While every effort is being made to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible, we recognise the name change will cause some disruption for residents, so I’m pleased that we’re able to make a £300 voluntary payment to affected households. Our officers will be out and about in the area over the coming weeks providing practical support to residents who need it.
“I also want to be clear that this is just one small part of the work that we must do to ensure Haringey is a place where everyone feels welcome and included. I look forward to working with residents and communities on this important mission in the months and years to come.”
Mr La Rose’s grandson, Renaldo La Rose, said: “John’s family are really proud that John’s life and work is to be recognised by having a road named after him. John’s work was of national and international significance but much of it started here in Haringey.
“We hope that through having his name memorialised in this way we will bring the message of his work – the urgent need for race equality and justice – to a new audience.”
House numbers and postcodes will not be affected, and organisations including the Royal Mail will continue to recognise the old name of the street for a transitional period to minimise inconvenience for residents.
London’s Leading Pan-African Bookshop and Community Space
By Pepukayi and Boukman Academy
The MAA MAAT Centre, located on Tottenham High Road in London, has been a staple of Britain’s pan-African community for decades. Home to some of the greatest and rarest Black studies literature, its walls have seen many brilliant scholars pay a visit to spread their knowledge, such as Julius Malema, Runoko Rashidi, Anthony Browder, Bayyinah Bello, Akala, Llaila Afrika, Queen Afua, and Robin Walker. However, it is in desperate need of your help.
Over the years, the building itself has begun to deteriorate. A lack of support has meant that hiring people to look after the building and the products has proved difficult. Pepukayi, the founder of the Maa Maat Centre, has done everything he can to prevent the closure of this great community space. He has put in thousands of his own money over decades to ensure that the knowledge remains accessible for everyone. Now, the MAA MAAT Centre is calling upon the community to help keep its doors open.
Where Your Money Will Go
The task at hand is simple but extensive. As a result of many circumstances, with the recent pandemic being a major factor, the Centre has lost a lot of income. Additionally, the worsening condition of the building has made it difficult for one of the few remaining Black radical spaces in the country to remain open. As such, we now need £70,000 to cover the complete renovation of the Centre in order to ensure it remains a hub of Black intellectual thought.
The £70,000 provided by you will go towards refurbishing the entire interior of the building including:
Complete renovation of the bookshop
Clearing and restoring the basement for storage of stock
Creating two new events spaces for talks, lectures, workshops, book signings and more
Restoration of the conference room
Once the £70,000 has been raised, an innovative Black radical community space will be available for everyone to attend. Children of all ages will be able to take part in workshops held by multiple education organisations. Adults will be able to hear contemporary pan-African scholars teach. Organisations will be able to use the space as a hub for various tasks.
About Pepukayi
For over 50 years, Baba Pepukayi has been instrumental in the growth of the Black Consciousness Movement in Britain, providing not just books but many spaces for various members of the community to listen, learn and study. Embodying the ethos of “each one teach one”, Pepukayi has dedicated a great amount of his life to the pan-African cause. Far from being merely a provider of books, he has also been heavily involved with many social justice movements and organisations, helping to fight institutional racism in Britain. Now at 71, Pepukayi deserves to past the baton to the next generation. It is up to the rest of us to come together and provide the funds to renovate the Centre.
What You Will Receive as a Donor
All donations, no matter how small, will go towards the building works mentioned above. However, as Pepukayi has made it his mission to spread knowledge, those that donate the following set amounts will have the opportunity to receive a particular book of their choice – some of which aren’t available anywhere else in the U.K! Below is the list of donor amounts and corresponding literature (brackets indicate RRP).
£10: Allows you to choose one of the following children’s books
Malcolm X for Children by Arnold Adoff (£4.99)
Knowing About Marcus Mosiah Garvey and the UNIA by Nyela, Sankofa and Afruika (£4.99)
Who is Nelson Mandela? by Adrian Hadland) (£4.50)
Kung Fu Trip by Benjamin Zephaniah (£4.99)
Akimbo and the Lions by Alexander McCall Smith (£3.99)
Boyz to Men by Yinka Adebayo (£4.99)
Pig Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman (£3.99)
Journey to Jo’Burg by Beverley Naidoo (£4.99)
Tickle Tickle by Dakari Hru and Ken Wilson-Max (£4.99)
Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number by Yinka Ayo (£3.99)
£20: Allows you to choose one of the following books
Singin’ & Swingin’ & Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas by Maya Angelou (£7.99)
Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart by Alice Walker (£8.99)
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (£11.99)
Sula by Toni Morrison (£10.99)
Cooking the Caribbean Way by Cheryl Davidson Kaufman (£11.99)
A Song Flung Up to Heaven by Maya Angelou (£6.99)
Someone Knows My Name aka The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill (£12.99)
So Much Things to Say: the Biography of Bob Marley by Don Taylor (£14.99)
Anatomy of Female Power by Chinweizu (£13.99)
Demystifying Cancer by Devon S J Morgan (£10)
Songs of Enchantment by Ben Okri (£9.99)
Sweet Sweetback’s Badassssss Song by Melvin Van Peebles (£11.99)
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Amos Tutuola (£6.99)
Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkins (£11.99)
Africa in History by Basil Davidson (£12.99)
£50: Allows you to choose one of the following books
Seize the Time by Bobby Seale (£16.99)
Garvey and Garveyism by Amy Jacques Garvey (£22.99)
Malcolm X Speeches at Harvard (£16.99)
Black on Black Violence by Amos Wilson (£18.99)
The Falsification of Afrikan Consciousness by Amos Wilson (£14.99)
African Holistic Health by Llaila O. Afrika (£17.99)
Overcoming an Angry Vagina by Queen Afua (£17.99)
Tapping the Power Within Hardback by Iyanla Vanzant (£17.99)
Visions of a Liberated Future: Black Arts Movement Writing by Larry Neal w/ Amiri Baraka and others (£24.99)
Up From Slavery Hardback by Booker T. Washington (£22.99)
In the Spirit: the Inspirational Writings of Susan L. Taylor of Essence Magazine (£24.99)
The Power of Black Music by Samuel A. Floyd, jr. (£24.99)
Race, Religion, and the Continuing American Dilemma by C. Eric Lincoln (£15.99)
Man Sharing: Dilemma or Choice by Audrey B. Chapman (£21.99) (£47 on Amazon)
Food and Identity in the Caribbean by Hanna Garth (£24.99)
Stroud’s Slave Laws (US Slave History) by George M. Stroud (£16.99)
Why, Lord? By Anthony B. Pinn (£24.99)
Black Foremothers by Dorothy Sterling (£14.99)
Soul: Black Power, Politics and Pleasure (£24.99)
£100: Allows you to choose one of the following books
The West and the Rest of Us by Chinweizu (£39.99) (£164 on Amazon)
Decolonising the African Mind by Chinweizu (£34.99) (£92 on Amazon)
Of Water and the Spirit Hardback by Malidoma Patrice Somé (£45.99)
African Origins of Major Western Religions by Yosef Ben-Jochannan (£26.99)
Revolution of Conscience by Greg Moses (£27.99) (£184 on Amazon)
Egyptian Book of the Dead Hardback and Illustrated, translated by E. A. Wallis Budge (£34.99)
Company of Prophets by Joyce Elaine Noll (£34.99) (£155 on Amazon)
Black Man Emerging by Joseph L. White and James H. Cones III (£34.99)
In order to receive a copy of the book of your choice, please make your donation, then contact us via GoFundMe with your details and choice accompanied with the shipping address.
What Else You Can Do
As the MAA MAAT Centre is a community space that houses a bookshop, the easiest way to help in the renovating process is by simply buying books. These can be for yourself or family/friends, or as a donation to other organisations or schools at home and abroad.
Additionally, if you have a specific skill and would like to provide your services to the renovation of the building, please do not hesitate to contact us via GoFundMe.
If you would like to volunteer with any sort of help, just let us know via GoFundMe and we can arrange it.
Future Plans
As well as having a completely refurbished bookshop and community space, there are many other prospective plans for the near future. These include:
The development of a pan-African library system where Black radical literature can be accessed by all for a minuscule price.
The development of a pan-African library in Liberia, one of the first on the continent. Books will be provided and shipped by the Centre, which will contribute to establishing a free learning centre in West Africa. If you would like your donation/purchase of a book to go towards the library in Liberia, let us know via GoFundMe with your receipt and book choice attached
Bi-monthly teaching sessions hosted by Boukman Academy for all age ranges and levels of experience.
A range of community activities such as workshops and classes provided by the Centre
A space for hire that the community can use for a number of activities
Thank you for your support. We close with the words of the great warrior Assata Shakur; “We must love and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains!”
Pepukayi, founder of the MAA MAAT Centre
Tyrone Smith, founder of Boukman Academy
Boukman Academy is the only free pan-African online school, providing a complete curriculum of Black history, political science, liberation philosophy, psychology, sociology and culture. You can find out more about us on our website: www.boukmanacademy.com. You can also find us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Patreon.
A London author has pledged to donate a percentage of the proceeds from his new book to a sickle cell charity.
Lyndon Haynes, is originally from North London and has self-published three books and has become one of the most talked about Black authors in the UK.
Speaking to The Voice, Mr Haynes said a percentage of the sales from his new book, Rosa, will go to a charity helping those suffering with sickle cell disease.
He said: “Giving back is something that I have always wanted to do since my first book, it is so important to me and is part of who I am. I want to acknowledge those charities who have given so much to others.
“Anything that I earn whether that is £10, £100 or £100,000, I will make a percentage donation to a sickle cell charity. I will do what I can to help.”
Mr Haynes grew up in Tottenham and has previously donated to the Sickle Cell Society. He said medical experts and charities played an important role as throughout his childhood –which allowed him to live a relatively normal life.
The father-of-one believes more needs to be done to raise awareness about how detrimental sickle cell can be.
Awareness
He said: “Sickle Cell Awareness Month is a start and at least we have a dedicated month to promote what the health condition is. It needs to be recognised as a serious illness because people can die from it and I don’t think enough is being done to emphasise this.”
Sickle cell is an inherited health condition which affects the red blood cells. It affects people from the Black community more than any other group. The most serious type of the disease is called sickle cell anaemia.
The author urged the Black community to get screened, so they are aware if they are a carrier of one of the genes which causes the disease. He said: “We need to encourage people to get screened, this will check to see if you have the trait before you have children.
“In the Black community, we are not big on blood donations, but if it wasn’t for blood donations, I may not even be here. We need more blood donors to come forward, I wish I could donate blood but I can’t.”
A percentage of the sales from his new book Rosa, will go to a sickle cell charity helping those diagnosed with the disease.
Rosa: A Crime-Romance-Thriller
Mr Haynes describes his latest release, Rosa, as a crime-romance-thriller. The book is based in London and tells the story of a young Mexican woman who moves into an estate with her brothers after her mother is killed by drug cartel.
The sibling’s new life in the UK takes an unexpected journey, which will evoke many emotions in the readers.
“It is a story about identity, trust, betrayal, loyalty, grief and everything that comes with it,” he added.
Before launching his career as an author, Mr Haynes attended drama school.
During the early 1980s, his mother persuaded him to study performing arts as a way to stay off the streets and avoid trouble. As a child actor he worked on TV programmes which were shown on the BBC and Thames TV.
During the mid-1980s, Mr Haynes was influenced by the birth of Hip Hop music in America. He started writing lyrics and began to rap and was part of a band called The Sindecut. In 1990, the band signed to Virgin Records. They made history and became the first UK Rap group to ever sign to a major UK label. The group toured Europe and the UK with iconic British Soul group, Soul II Soul.
He went on to have a successful and long-lasting music career for 25 years, but also had the urge to write.
Mr Haynes attended a creative writing course in Enfield College and studied part-time while he worked.
His studies helped to inspire him to write his first book, which is autobiographical and tells the story of a young man being diagnosed with sickle cell.
He said: “I was ill quite a lot of the time and I was always going to the hospital with my mum and was always in a lot of pain and I wanted to share this in the first book to help someone else.”
Mr Haynes said being diagnosed with sickle cell in the 1980s was very difficult for his parents, due to the lack of information about the illness.
Determined
He revealed he always knew he was “different” but was determined not to let his diagnosis “stop him from living life.”
He said: “Doctors told me I couldn’t play sports or go on a plane. But all that did to me was help me build up mental resilience and self-belief that I could live a life as normal as possible.”
Mr Haynes revealed to The Voice, as a teenager he was told by doctors and teachers he couldn’t to attend a school skiing trip because of his health condition. But he was determined to go.
Despite some hesitation from his parents and medical professionals, he went on the trip and had what he still calls “one of the best times of his life.”
Mr Haynes told The Voice, this early can-do attitude has helped him and he wants to encourage others with sickle cell to make the most of life. “You can live a normal life, you just have to manage it and manage it well, if you do feel unwell go to the hospital and see the experts,” he said candidly.
He said eating healthy, avoiding alcohol and smoking has been beneficial to his wellbeing. The author also wants to inspire a new generation of writers and is urging other aspiring authors to consider self-publishing their work.
He said: “I would encourage other authors to self-publish their books if they can because we need to hear more stories from our community. Self-publishing is the easy part, the difficult part is the promotion and marketing. I would encourage them to do their research and ensue they have a good team behind them. Aspiring authors are welcome to contact me on my socials if they want advice about self-publishing their book.”
Mr Haynes said he plans to continue life to the fullest and is currently writing his fourth book.
Mr Hayne’s books are available on Amazon UK and are also available across the world in all leading book stores.
Simone Richardson meets Sulaiman Lee whose charity bookstall by Brixton station is in history books and might just be the subject of a PhD degree.
The raid on Sulaiman Lee’s charity bookstall outside Iceland on Brixton Road at 6pm on a Thursday evening in September 2016 brought back memories for many of policing from the 70s and 80s.
Police claimed dozens of Metropolitan and British Transport police, one of whom used a CS gas spray, were looking for drugs and weapons as well as “unlicensed traders”.
The heavy handed operation drew a large crowd of commuters and residents astonished and outraged at the police behaviour which was also criticised by then Lambeth council leader Lib Peck who said she was speaking to police to prevent another such incident.
Today, Sulaiman is still there, promoting Black history books.
Perseverance is in his nature – as he has shown during the past 12 months of lockdowns and other restrictions.
Sulaiman was born and grew up in Tottenham – at the other end of the Victoria Line from Brixton.
His dad, who passed last year, was legendary music producer Bunny Striker Lee.
His family, with Jamaican heritage, “believed in the liberation of African people and African pride, culture and history. They put me on the path that I am on today,” Sulaiman says.
That path sees the stalls of the Black Child Promotions charity in Brixton on Thursdays and Fridays as well as in Tottenham, Camden, the West End, and as far afield as Birmingham.
Another family priority was education and Sulaiman made his mother and father proud with his second degree – a masters in business administration (MBA) achieved with a distinction from Anglia Ruskin University.
His first degree, from Middlesex University, is in business marketing.
Sulaiman recalls the day in 2016 when he and colleagues “were attacked and arrested by the police and the Brixton Community came out to protest for our release!”
Social media footage of the scene went viral and it was reported by national television and newspapers.
Fittingly for a man dedicated to Black history, it is also recorded in the Sunday Times best seller Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala. “On pages 177 to 178,” says Sulaiman.
“The community kept our books safe when the police arrested me and returned every book with not one book missing when we were released from Brixton police station,” he recalls.
“The community also protested for me when I was in the cell. They demanded our release (two other charitry workers were also arrested).
“They came with drums and a megaphone protesting, putting the pressure on the police station.
“I was released because of community pressure and got no further action.”
Sulaiman has since stepped further into what he calls “a natural and organic progression” with the help of his uncle and mentor Nkrumah Pepukayi.
“With his over 50 years of experience and expertise in Black book distribution he has helped mentor me since I was a child,’’ says Sulaiman.
“I would love to evolve and create a long-lasting legacy like my uncle and mentor Pepukayi, who has been in the business of books for 50 years,” says Sulaiman.
One way to do this, and a possible goal of his, would be a third degree – making the community bookstalls he has worked on for so long the subject of a PhD.
To find out about the books on offer “the community can visit our community book stalls in Brixton every Thursday and Friday,’’ says Sulaiman.
“Even though I am from Tottenham, I see Brixton as my home also.
“It is a cultural hub and a very good place to galvanise the grass roots. It is also a good place to promote education on Black culture and history!’’
Police and other officials please note: the books are offered freely, and donations that people who take one make go to the Marcus Garvey Foundation’s London headquarters, the Maa Maat centre.
UK Black Writers Forum 