Marking 75 years since the arrival of the SS Windrush, this powerful walking tour traces the lived history of Hackney’s Black communities—from the 1950s to the 2000s.
Explore the music, activism, resistance and resilience that have shaped this borough and beyond, as we journey through:
- The rich legacy of Black music, from soul and reggae to acid house and rave at the legendary 4 Aces Club
- Blue plaques—and how Black legacies are remembered (or erased)
- Hackney’s radical activism and its role in pioneering housing equality
- The impact of “sus” laws, Operation Jackpot, and surprising links to Rick Ross
- Civil Rights struggles: Colin Roach, the Hackney Community Defence Association, and grassroots organising
- The power of words: Black bookshops like Maarifa and Centerprise
- Gentrification, displacement, and the fight for space
- Campaigns for education equality and the Black child
- The Race Relations Acts (1965, 1968, 1976)—why they mattered, and what changed
- The rise of the Black church, with reflections from figures like James Baldwin
This walk is more than history—it’s memory, movement and meaning. Come with curiosity. Leave with deeper understanding.
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