April 10-12th was 45th anniversary of the Brixton Uprising. For many it was the inevitable outcome the state sponsored kindling it was igniting under the political tinder-box that had seen government antagonism towards the Black People’s Day Of Action a month earlier as well their indifference to the New Cross Massacre that inspired it. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher long since been making overt appeals to her white nationalist base when declared three years earlier that “people are really rather afraid that this country might be rather swamped by people with a different culture.” (1)

So the intent was clear when the police action targeting the Afrikan community in Brixton was called “Operation Swamp.” The police used the notorious ‘sus’ law to harrass the community, arresting 150 over ten days until the situation reached breaking point and the locals fought back. 2,500 officers were deployed, hundreds of buildings were damaged, almost 300 police officers were reported ‘injured’ and around 80 arrests were made. (2)

The government tasked Lord Scarman with investigating the causes of the uprising. His report dismissed the notion of institutional racism within the police, rather it was individual. He also encouraged more Afrikans to join as part of a broader call to develop a “Black middle class.” (3) This was based on a perceived lack of leadership at the national and a distinct cohort from which it would be produced, including politicians, public and voluntary sector leaders and media personalities. (4)

In the intervening years its been business as usual for the police is concerned, in spite of the 1999 Macpherson finally recognising institutional racism. Indeed, a five-year independent review published last month found “limited progress in policing, with little meaningful change for Black communities.” (5)

A black middle-class has arguably developed since 1981, even if it doesn’t full embrace the term not least because it doesn’t inoculate them from the ravages of racism. Yet, there were no Afrikan MPs in 1981, three by the end of the decade and now the UK boasts “the most diverse parliament in history.” MPs like the late Bernie Grant, Diane Abbott, Dawn Butler, Kim Johnson and Bell Ribeiro-Addy that have taken up community causes and publications like the Powerlist highlight most influential Black people. (6)

However, vis-a-vis its interactions with society at large there has been no major transformation tfor the Afrikan community in the UK. Back in 2022 the State of Black Britain Report revealed that 60% of respondents said they did not see the change needed to address the institutional racism in the major sectors of society like law and order, health, education and employment. Interestingly though, 55% of Black respondents were confident of their and their family’s future in Britain and 69% were confident they’d be able to fulfill their potential living in the UK. (7) The saying goes that a week is a long time in politics. In the years since the 2022 report the UK has engaged in an explosion of white nationalist grievance politics, represented by the likes of the Reform, Reclaim and Restore parties. As such, we may have to dig deeper for sources of optimism. (8)

(1) Perry Blankson (11/04/23) The Great Insurrection: Remembering the Brixton Uprising. https://tribunemag.co.uk/2023/04/the-great-insurrection-remembering-the-brixton-uprising

(2) BBC Home (25/11/08) 1981: Brixton riots report blames racial tension. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/25/newsid_2546000/2546233.stm; Blankson. Op. cit.

(3) Libby Brooks (26/02/99) Tragedies that shaped perceptions. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/feb/26/race.world

(4) CBBC Newsround (12/04/21) Brixton riots 1981: What happened 40 years ago in London? https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/50035769

(5) Nadine White (01/04/26) National Police Race Action Plan fails to deliver meaningful change, watchdog says. https://www.blackcurrentnews.co.uk/p/uk-policing-race-reforms-report-black-communities

(6) Joseph Harker (05/06/11) Being black and middle class doesn’t mean you face less prejudice. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/jun/05/black-middle-class-prejudice; Amy Jones (24/10/26) Powerlist 2026: Full list of UK’s most influential Black people. https://www.business-live.co.uk/enterprise/powerlist-2026-full-list-uks-32742275

(7) BEO (26/09/22) State of Black Britain Report. https://blackequityorg.com/state-of-black-britain-report/

(8) Craig Munro (18/02/26) Reform, Reclaim, Restore: Keeping up with the UK’s right-wing parties. https://metro.co.uk/2026/02/18/reform-reclaim-restore-keeping-uks-right-wing-parties-26973768/

Brixton Uprising 45 Years On: How have we fared?

1) How has Black leadership changed since 1981?

2) Did the Black Middle-Class transform the community?

3) Is the police inherently incapable of change?

4) What are our sources of optimism today?

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.

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