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The history of Notting hill carnival [a thread] since Americans clearly don’t know what it is
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In August 1958 there were riots in Notting Hill, believed to have been sparked by a violent attack on a white Swedish woman who was living in the UK with her husband of Jamaican descent.
Majbritt and Raymond Morrison were arguing outside a tube station, when a gang of white men tried to intervene to defend her. Which evidently caused a fight between a white gang ‘the teddy boys’ and Raymond and his friends.
The next day, a gang of white young men recognised Majbritt from the night before and launched a violent attack on her because she was married to Raymond.
The riots continued for three days and police arrested 108 people over the August bank holiday weekend.
The following year journalist and Trinidadian human rights activist Claudia Jones put on an indoor Caribbean Carnival at St Pancras Town Hall.
It gave the community an opportunity to celebrate their heritage in defiance of the race riots the year before.
It gave the community an opportunity to celebrate their heritage in defiance of the race riots the year before.
The first outdoor festival happened in 1966 on the streets of Notting Hill.
Local resident Rhaune Laslett, a Londoner of Native American and Russian descent, organised an event for local children and set out to include the local West Indies residents in her event.
Local resident Rhaune Laslett, a Londoner of Native American and Russian descent, organised an event for local children and set out to include the local West Indies residents in her event.
By 1970, "the Notting Hill Carnival consisted of 2 music bands, the Russell Henderson Combo and Selwyn Baptiste's Notting Hill Adventure Playground Steelband and 500 dancing spectators."
By 1976, the event had become definitely Caribbean in flavour, with around 150,000 people attending. However, in that year and several subsequent years, the carnival was marred by riots.
During this time, there was large press coverage of the disorder, which some felt took an unfairly negative and one-sided view of the carnival. For a while it looked as if the event would be banned. Prince Charles was one of the few establishment figures who supported the event.
Fast forward to the 2000s and Notting hill carnival has evolved into an event that celebrates the London Caribbean community and is attended by 2.5 million people from every race every year
A report by the London Development Agency on the 2002 Carnival estimated that the event contributed around £93 million to the London and UK economy
Everyone wears this attire in order to celebrate Caribbean culture so this is NOT a cultural appropriation, it’s a normal celebration in London.
For all Americans offended by this thread. Don’t be, it was aimed to help people understand the significance, meaning and history of Notting Hill Carnival.
