Edexcel GCSE history migrants c800-present day & Notting Hill . Full set of notes for this module by a GRADE 9 history student (completed GCSEs in 2023). It includes the context, causes, experiences and impacts of migration, and all the case study’s from the edexcel gcse history specification. It...
Migration - Notting Hill:
Local context:
Arrival of Caribbean migrants
1950 - very few ethnic minorities in Britain -> grew due to mass migration
Arrived on ships from Caribbean then boat trains into London - one stopped at Paddington near Notting
Hill
Volunteers & officials from High Commissions of Caribbean countries e.g Jamaica welcomed migrants -
found places for them to stay
Housing
Many landlords didn’t rent properties to black people e.g No blacks signs
e.g tenants overcharged up to 3x more than white tenants
1950’s - Notting Hill = run-down, houses needed repairing - families shared rooms, landlords avoided
spending money on house improvements
Landlords e.g Peter Rachman changed properties into HMOs (houses of multiple occupation) - rented out
rooms to separate people to make more money than renting whole property
Peter Rachman owned 80 run-down properties (HMOs) in Notting Hill + charged high rent
Black migrants had fewer legal rights then white tenants - Landlords took advantage of this by replacing
white tenants with black ones so they could overcharge - areas became slums
1965 - Rent Act Passed where people charged fairly for accommodation
Bruce Kenrick = minister in United Reformed Church
wanted to raise money to buy house to rent to poor families
Recruited support from church + guardian newspaper - raised £20,000 in 1st campaign
1963 - he founded Notting Hill Housing - charity aimed to find quality affordable housing & by 1970,
it housed nearly 1000
Why Notting Hill?
Black migrants stayed Notting Hill as wanted stay where existing black community due to hostility
Was place where it was poss to find homes so word spread
Portobello Road:
As community grew, culture also developed -> Caribbean food sold in market stalls on Portobello Road
Portobello Road Market saw demand for Caribbean products so sold them there e.g yams, sweet potatoes
Some migrants set up own businesses on road e.g Las Palmas cafe served Caribbean food
1969 - Island Records, Jamaican music company, moved base near Portobello Road -> helped build vibrant,
local black music scene
,Caribbean Culture:
Religion
Black churches formed - going was major obligation in Caribbean
British churches were hostile to black people joining congregation
All Saints Road:
All Saints road became centre of community -> black-owned restaurants & shops, heart of black activism in
London e.g British Black Panthers held meetings on this road
The Mangrove was on this road + 1st black-owned (Frank Crichlow) restaurant in the area = popular
Notting Hill Carnival organisers often met in the Mangrove
Food
People missed food & herbs + spices they grew up with e.g ginger, thyme -> opportunity for traders to
supply these
Black people rented stalls on All Saints + Portobello Road
Racist owners often stopped black people entering -> black businesspeople set up own cafes
E.g Frank Crichlow opened El Rio Café then the Mangrove
Black cafes/restaurants often victims of police harassment
Music
Most radio stations + nightclubs didn’t play black music, record shops didn’t stock it
1969 – Basing Street Studio opened & performers include Diana Ross
Sound systems came from Jamaica & used to play rhythm & blues music in streets
We’re novelty of ‘50s - people set up their own speaker systems
Parties features sound clashes between 2 diff systems to see who ad better speaker/DJ
Nightclubs
Metro Club opened as a night club for black people on St Luke’s Road
Was a youth club, community centre + nightclub
Reggae legends e.g Alton Ellis performed there
Shebeens = unofficial clubs hosted in houses or abandoned buildings -> helped give black people
entertainment & shared music
People smoked, gambled + listened to music in them
Police would often raid these & noise level quite so neighbours wouldn’t turn them in
Mutual self-help organisations
Organisations set up by members of community to support each other
London Free School - arranged dances, workshops, childcare + street carnivals for children. Offered
to black families as some child minders wouldn’t take black children
Unity Association - Helped house homeless young black people in 2 properties donated in Notting
Hill & 1 of founders was member of mangrove 9
Black People’s Information Centre - Provided legal advice & education on black history
Pardner Schemes - Helped black people buy own homes as hard to get mortgages (some banks
wouldn’t let them set up accounts or get a mortgage) or get home
,Racism & Policing in Notting Hill
Police
1950’s - 97% white males - made little effort to understand black community e.g training on racial issues
poor & by non specialist/brief. when suggested by WIF (West Indian Federation) to Police
Commissioner that there should be education on black culture, he wasn’t interested
Norwell Roberts = 2nd black officer to join the Met -> experienced racism but inspired other black officers
No laws against racial harassment/attacks & when black people complained about racism, accused of
exaggerating
Stop, search & arrest powers used mostly on black people - planting of evidence common
Anti-immigrant groups
Teddy Boys roamed street attacking black people
White Defence League believed Britain should be kept white - N***** hunts
Union Movement = far right political party led by Oswald Mosely - made violent speeches against
immigrants & encouraged attacks on black people.
Held mass meetings + some in centre Caribbean communities to stir tension
Mosely ran for Parliament (1959 election campaign) & claimed black migrants as criminals + rapists
Received such small vote that Movement never recovered due to embarrassment
Notting Hill Riots - 1958
Riots against migrants broke out when mixed-race couple confronted outside pub
Mob of 400 white people attacked homes of black people on Bramley road
Was start of 6 nights of attacks - carried scissors + knives
Some members black community counter-attacked but accused of rioting
Police denied race had anything to do with violence but public shocked at violence
108 arrested (72 white) & 170 court cases (majority convicted = white)
Riots encourage more black activism
Murder of Kelso Cochrane - May 1959
32 yr old black male stabbed by gang of white youths & died
Suspects released in hours + murderers never caught
Years later, Union Movement member claimed his group responsible
Black community angry police spent more time denying race was factor than finding who did it
Led to growth of black organisations promoting civil rights
- West Indian Standing Conference (WISC) formed & campaigned for better understanding between racial
groups
1200 black & whites lined streets for his funeral
Claudia Jones helped form Inter-Racial Friendship Council which wrote to PM to make racially
motivated violence a crime
, Black British Activism:
Role of Claudia Jones
From Trinidad, Active in Civil Rights Movement in USA, Moved to Britain
West Indian Gazette:
Found Britains 1st major black newspaper -> soon gained circulation 15,000+
Previously no platform for black people to get voices heard as media rarely covered stories bout black
community + usually negative
Successfully lobbied for black people to get senior jobs in London Transport
Campaigned against racist immigration laws e.g 1962 Commonwealth immigration act restricting
migration from Jamaica but not Canada
Caribbean Carnival-> Notting Hill Carnival:
Set up following riots of 1958 & wanted to celebrate Afro-Caribbean culture
1st carnival sponsored by West Indian Gazette - held in Jan 1959 & indoors (same time as in Trinidad)
Was broadcast on BBC & leading black British artists performed
Some money raised paid for bail of wrongfully accused black men from riots
Carnival ran until Jones died, but continued running + became Notting Hill Carnival
British Black Panthers
Inspired by USA BPP & leaders included Darcus Howe
Campaigned against police brutality + helped black people with legal aid
Educated black people about their history & campaigned on social issues e.g healthcare
Mangrove 9
Frank Crichlow:
Frank Crichlow opened Mangrove Restaurant in Notting Hill - served Caribbean food
BBP members & carnival organisers frequently met there
Crichlow = lawyer who advised black people suffering police brutality
Restaurant raided several times by police – raided 9 times between jan 1969-jul 1970
Protest:
Following harassment in the Mangrove, BBP organised march to protest against police action & 150+ took
part
Police arrested several including Crichlow, under charges of inciting racial violence
Trial:
Public prosecutions pressed charges against 9 of marchers & accused of inciting a riot
Defendants argued that jury should be all black but in end only 2 were
Police evidence = exaggerated + sometimes false
Jury began to see Mangrove 9 as victims & judge said there was an admission of racism within police
Trial seen as great victory for black community + inspired others to fight against institutional racism
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