Evidences of the Black Presence in Hackney

A number of places testify to the Black experience in Hackney. These are at some distance from each other. Visiting them would require time and transport.

Going south to north these places are:

SITE 1 : Issho Ni Restaurant, 185, Bethnal Green Road, E2 6AB.
This was infamously occupied by the Blade Bone Pub, once notorious as a Fascist gathering-place. On April 30 1978 a Rock Against Racism march passed by the Pub and was greeted with insults and barracking!

SITE 2: St Augustine’s Tower Churchyard, Mare Street, E8 1HT (now St John’s grounds)

1630 Grave of Anthony, a man of African descent, said to be a remarkable 105 years old. This is when male life expectancy was 35. No documentation of him exists.

Site 3: CLR James Library, Dalston Square, E8 3 BQ.

Dalston Library was re-named in 1985 to honour the Trinidad-born writer and activist.

Site 4: Claudia Jones Organisation, 103, Stoke Newington Road, N16 8BX.

This supports and empowers women and children of Afro-Caribbean descent with services such as family support, counseling, parenting classes and therapeutics.
60 Minutes

Site 5: Abney Park Cemetery , Stoke Newington High Street, N16 0 (junction with Rectory Road)

This is famed as the resting place of many notable 18th and 19th century campaigners against the slave trade. So many are their memorials that the Cemetery has produced a downloadable self-guided tour detailing them and the order in which to visit.

Stoke Newington had a strong community of Quakers and these were intense advocates of abolition.

https://abneypark.org/virtual-events/2020/6/12/abolitionists-voices-from-abney-park

40 Minutes
100 Minutes Total