Memorial events for the New Cross Massacre took place between the 17th and 19th January. Lewisham council have ostensibly assumed stewardship of the event and some attendees attested that the service and reception that took place on Saturday 18 January at All Saint’s Church and Community Centre was one of the best attended ever. This would suggest that the remembrance of New Cross is not only enduring, but actually growing. (1)
In spite of this apparent growth, there remains an awareness gap about the extent of the impact. Rightly, remembrances will feature a roll call of the New Cross martyrs, their names should be etched on the national consciousness, but it is not uncommon for the survivors to be overlooked. These are the ones, most of whom were children at the time, that suffered the greatest loss, were inflicted with searing pain – physical and psychological and have carried an emotional burden. Yet at the time they were criminalised but the state, and have been overlooked and unsupported (both from without and, alas, from within) ever since. (2)
We can identify a contrast in response to other tragedies and attrocities that have affected other communities in the UK where there has been national reckonings and compensation be it around infected blood, the post office, Hillsborough, Bloody Sunday or indeed the Stardust fire that happened a month after New Cross and to which the state responded so sympathetically, unlike for the fourteen Black victims in south London. (3)
Yet through their deep wells of resilience the families and survivors have battled through to keep the legacy alive through initiatives like the New Cross Fire Foundation “a Community Interest Company in New Cross based in the London Borough of Lewisham made up of a group of individuals who were directly or indirectly impacted by the New Cross Fire of 1981.” (4)
The directors of NCFF have overcome their own personal traumas and have acquired the qualifications and skills necessary to facilitate initiatives like training workshops & activities (including accredited courses), one-to-one or group counselling services, research and representation and aid & crisis support for the most vulnerable. (5)
(1) Lewisham Council (28/11/24) New Cross Fire 44th anniversary. https://lewisham.gov.uk/inmyarea/events/remembering-new-cross-fire
(2) Aamna Mohdin (15/01/21) How the New Cross fire became a rallying cry for political action. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jan/15/how-the-new-cross-fire-became-a-rallying-cry-for-political-action; Richard Howarth (08/08/23) United effort launched for Rugby to have New Cross Fire memorial. https://www.warwickshireworld.com/news/people/united-effort-launched-for-rugby-to-have-new-cross-fire-memorial-4247965
(3) Chris Mason (20/05/24) Another state failure – will things ever change? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1997z82gdro; Fiachra Ó Cionnaith (09/08/24) Cabinet signs off on €24m Stardust redress scheme. https://www.rte.ie/news/stardust/2024/0809/1464238-stardust-redress/; Caroline O’Doherty (12/02/18) How fire that destroyed the Stardust in 1981 devastated lives for decades. https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-30827585.html; Simi Ade-Ojo (10/02/21) The New Cross fire 40 years on: 13 dead, nothing said. https://communist.red/the-new-cross-fire-40-years-on-13-dead-nothing-said/
(4) New Cross Fire Foundation (2024) Promoting Legacy and working towards building resilient Communities. https://www.ncff.co.uk/home
(5) Ibid.
New Cross@44: Why does it still matter? Pt. 2
1) Is recognition of the New Cross Massacre growing? If so why?
2) Who should organise New Cross remembrance and memorial events?
3) Have we failed to prioritise the concerns of the families and survivors?
4) Will we ever have a “national reckoning” about New Cross?
5) How can we support the work of the New Cross Fire Foundation?
Our Special Guest:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centred Education Consultant. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.
Bro. Wayne Haynes: is an activist, motivational speaker and broadcaster. He is a passionate advocate for the survivors of the New Cross Massacre of which he is one of the most prominent and through which he suffered extensive injuries. Bro. Wayne is a board member of the New Cross Fire Foundation.
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