The historically significant day, in 1981, saw over 20,000 people march across London seeking justice for the victims of the New Cross Fire, which had broken out six weeks prior. The tragic Fire had resulted in the death of thirteen black teenagers on the night, and a further death months later. Despite many signs and witness accounts indicating that the fire was racially motivated, the police failed to make any charges.
Encyclopaedia Africana N
January 17, 2021
New Cross Fire: Forty years on from the New Cross fire, what has changed for black Britons?
New Cross is fundamental because it contains all the features of racism that Black people in Britain have long suffered: the racial violence, police abuse, neglect by the state; in turn, it tells us of the community’s resistance. Forty years on, recalling the events seems vital, especially in this moment of renewed optimism after the Black Lives Matter protests, because the legacies of New Cross still resonate.
Encyclopaedia Africana N
December 12, 2020
THE NEW CROSS FIRE: 13 DEAD AND NOTHING SAID
Today,” she says, “if police were investigating a controversial, serious case like this it would take up to two years, or even longer, before an inquest would be called. To me it seems as though the authorities just wanted to hurry things up so the whole issue could be shut away and forgotten about.”