We want to celebrate Brick Lane with the creation on a new heritage mural in the borough. Join us in our ideation workshops at Whitechapel Gallery and Tower Hamlets Local History Library to help co-design a mural which best describes the rich heritage of Brick Lane depicting from the turning point of 1978 featuring an iconic photograph shown above captured by Paul Trevor to the present day.
The photo features Syed Mizan, Jamal Miah and Abdul Manik, all members of the Bangladesh Youth Front. It was taken by Paul Trevor on Curtain Road in London on 20 August 1978 at the Day of Action protest organised by Hackney & Tower Hamlets Defence Committee and Anti-Nazi League.
Photograph (c) Paul Trevor of an anti-racist protest, 1978.
Here are some background information and the inspiration to our project.
Brick Lane 1978: The Turning Point
An exhibition of photographs by Paul Trevor celebrating East London's Bengali activists of 1978.
This exhibition revealed the dramatic events in 1978 which were sparked by the racist murder of Altab Ali, a 24-year-old Bengali leather garments worker, and pays tribute to the activists who mobilised around the rallying cry of justice that followed.
Local East End photographer Paul Trevor documented how members of the local Bengali community endured racial abuse as a constant factor of everyday life, and the moment at which they mobilised against racist violence and institutional police racism. The exhibition brought together 75 of Trevor’s photographs for the first time, alongside oral history recordings by original activists.
The show marks the culmination of a major heritage project led by Four Corners and Swadhinata Trust, in partnership with Paul Trevor. With the help of volunteers and original activists, the project is creating a record of this watershed moment as told by local people. The exhibition, alongside project oral history interviews, short films and podcasts, are available as a touring show, and will be lodged at the Bishopsgate Institute Archives.
Paul Trevor said: "They say a photo is worth a thousand words. But sometimes, as in this case, words are essential. This project is an opportunity to add the voices of those who made history to the images of that story.”
Historical background
1978 began with opposition leader Margaret Thatcher on ‘World in Action’ television programme saying that many Britons feared being “rather swamped by people with a different culture.” Her comments were seen as a direct appeal to would-be National Front voters in working class neighbourhoods. Racist violence was endemic in east London, and particularly around Brick Lane recently arrived Bengali migrants worked in the local rag trade, as had the Jews before them. The National Front’s newspaper pitch at Brick Lane’s Sunday morning market attracted skinheads who harassed the local Bengali community. They were a target for far-right groups, who wrongly blamed them for high unemployment and bad housing.
East London has always been a haven for migrants, from the French Huguenots fleeing 17th century religious persecution, to the Irish poor of the 19th century, and Jews escaping Cossack pogroms in Russia and Poland. It also has an equally long history of racist violence and resistance to it. Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists tried to march east to the docks in 1936, but were stopped by Jews, Irish dockers and communists in the famous ‘Battle of Cable Street’.
Altab Ali’s murder on the night of the May 1978 local elections in which 41 National Front candidates stood, marked a turning point for the Bengali community. 7,000 people marched behind his coffin to a rally in Hyde Park, then to Downing Street where they handed in a petition demanding police protection. That year young Bengali people mobilised in a community-led, antiracist struggle which brought about a radical social transformation both locally and far beyond.
Anti-racist protests against the electoral threat of the far right National Front party were supported by a grass-roots, multi-cultural movement– Rock against Racism – which held open-air concerts in nearby Victoria Park, headlined by The Clash, Steel Pulse and Tom Robinson. Community protest and music radicalised a generation, and helped destroy National Front support.
Local photographer Paul Trevor documented the dramatic events of the era in over 400 photographs, many of which will be on show for the first time in this exhibition. His photographs show how the local Bengali community endured racial abuse as a constant factor of everyday life, and how they united to end violence and institutional racism.
By the end of 1978, the National Front was forced to leave its headquarters near Brick Lane, though far-right racist attacks in east London persisted into the 1990s. To this day the name Altab Ali remains linked with the struggle against racism and for human rights in London’s East End.
Local photographer Paul Trevor documented how members of the local Bengali community endured racial abuse as a constant factor of everyday life, and the moment at which they mobilised against racist violence and institutional police racism. The exhibition – Brick Lane 1978: The Turning Point - brings together seventy of Trevor’s photographs as well as original archival materials and first person testimony.
The works was originally created in 2022 as part of a major heritage project led by Four Corners and Swadhinata Trust, in partnership with Paul Trevor and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. With the help of volunteers and original activists, the project created a record of this watershed moment as told by local people.
Remembering Altab Ali and the Fight For Equality
Altab Ali was the young Bengali man whose brutal murder in Whitechapel in1978 mobilised the Bangladeshi and wider community to take a stand against racial intolerance.
To keep alive the important messages about community cohesion and standing united against racism, it was announced in October 2015 that the London Borough of Tower Hamlets would host Altab Ali commemoration day annually on 4 May.
The racially motivated killing mobilised communities in Tower Hamlets to take a united stand against hatred and intolerance and marked a significant turning point in east London’s race relations. Laying of wreaths, poetry readings and tributes formed part of the Altab Ali Day commemoration ceremony at Altab Ali Park in Whitechapel on Saturday 4 May 2024.
The Fight for Equality, an online education resource, and the short film, Altab Ali and the Battle of Brick Lane, pay tribute to the anti-racist cause for which Altab Ali has become an important symbol.
In 1998 St. Mary's Park in Whitechapel was renamed Altab Ali Park in his honour. Other local landmarks including the adjacent bus stop on Whitechapel Road are also named after him.
Also marking Altab Ali Day, an exhibition titled Fighting Fascism in Focus: 1978 is displayed at the Brady Arts Centre until 25 May 2024.
Altab Ali Park
Altab Ali Park is located on Adler Street, White Church Lane and Whitechapel Road. Formerly known as St. Mary's Park, it is the site of the old 14th-century white church, St. Mary Matfelon. The chapel gave the area of Whitechapel its name. St Mary's was heavily bombed during The Blitz in 1940. All that now remains of the old church is the floor plan and a few graves.
The park was renamed Altab Ali Park in 1998 in memory of Altab Ali, a 24-year-old Bangladeshi leather machinist. He was murdered on 4 May 1978 in Adler Street by three teenage boys as he walked home from work. Ali's murder was one of the many racist attacks that came to characterise the East End at that time. At the entrance to the park is an arch created by David Petersen. It was made as a memorial to Altab Ali and other victims of racist attacks. The arch incorporates a complex Bengali-style pattern, to show the merging of different cultures in east London.
The Shaheed Minar, commemorates the Bengali Language Movement. It stands in the southwest corner of Altab Ali Park. The monument is a smaller replica of the one in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It symbolises a mother and her martyred sons.
Fighting Fascism in Focus: 1978
Fighting Fascism in Focus: 1978 exhibition at the Brady Arts Centre until 25 May 2024 (Open Monday - Friday, 9am - 7pm, Saturday 10.30am – 4.00pm).
The exhibition contains work created during and after 1978 through photography, poster art and graphic design. It captures the spirit of the time and the power of photography to document this key moment in the history of the East End, and the UK’s ant-racism movement.
Four Corners: Memories of Brick Lane Oral History Films
These series of short films shares the stories of the Bengali activists who fought for social justice in 1970s East London, in their own words.
Defiance: Channel 4 x Whitechapel Gallery
Join us for an exclusive free screening of Defiance: Fighting the Far Right – a landmark Channel 4 documentary series that examines the political and social struggles faced by Britain’s Asian community between 1976 and 1981.
Across three episodes, the series investigates campaigns of violence and murder at a time when National Front activity became increasingly prominent, including events such as the Southall protests, the death of Blair Peach, the Battle for Brick Lane and the story of the Bradford 12. The series combines archival footage and compelling new testimony from key figures on the front line at the time, detailing what happened when the British Asian community decided to fight back.
Brick Lane, East London: A Vibrant and Historic Neighbourhood
Sitting in the heart of the East End, Brick Lane was a poor slum area in the past; it was in the very heart of Jack the Ripper territory. Today, following some regeneration, it offers exciting alternative shopping opportunities, various markets and some of the best curries in the capital!
Brick Lane runs from Bethnal Green and through Spitalfields down towards Whitechapel. The street was initially called Whitechapel Lane; it is thought that it was renamed because local earth was used by brick and tile manufacturers who set up shop in the street in the 15th century.
By the 17th century, the street had also become a popular brewery location. The famous brewing family, the Trumans, started their business here, and you can still see their Black Eagle Brewery on the street. This century also saw the start of its market.
Its proximity to Spitalfields saw an influx of French Huguenots when they were driven out of France in the 17th century. The street and the surrounding area became well known for its weaving and tailoring.
Like much of the East End, this area was a haven for immigrants moving into London to escape persecution abroad or seek a better life. During the 19th and 20th centuries, it was best known for its Irish and Jewish population.
The community living in and around Brick Lane today is predominantly Bangladeshi. This gave the area a new nickname and a new cuisine!
Brick Lane becomes Banglatown
Brick Lane is fondly called Banglatown. In 1997 the London Borough of Tower Hamlets officially renamed the southern end of Brick Lane as 'Banglatown'. Since the late 20th century, this has been one of the most popular places for immigrants from Bangladesh, particularly Bengalis from the Sylheti region. The street is THE place to go for a curry in London, especially if you want to try traditional and authentic cooking rather than run-of-the-mill high street curries.
Art in Brick Lane
Brick Lane is also home to a thriving artistic community. Its graffiti and street art scene is worth looking out for being the home of many murals in the area with some wall spaces constantly changing – street art is celebrated in Brick Lane rather than immediately cleaned off!
Conclusion
Brick Lane is a vibrant and historic neighbourhood in East London, home to diverse people and businesses, a popular tourist destination, and the place for you if you want to experience the best of East London.
IDEATION WORKSHOP AT WHITECHAPEL GALLERY, 15 JUNE 2024
IDEATION WORKSHOP AT TOWER HAMLETS ARCHIVE LIBRARY, 6 JULY 2024
FEEDBACKS:
“Informative and enthusiastic workshop. I wasn’t aware that we’d be doing something straightaway but am glad to take part.” Raju
“It was a very relaxing therapeutic activity. I enjoyed meeting new people, and the discussions were great.” Sabiya
“Really wonderful opportunity to collaborate with other like-minded creatives. An eye-opening experience! Collage is such a great method in expressing thoughts.” Khizra
“Beautiful experience collaborating to create art from soul merging difference experiences and identities. Truly representative of Brick Lane and it’s spirit. Thank you.” Rave Report
“We had a wonderful time, exploring and learning with the community about Brick Lane. It's nice hearing first-hand experiences of the people who live in the area and how dear it is to everyone in their own special ways. Trapped in Zone One’s intention to make something that truly resonates with the locals will be held with such high regard and this potential mural will be a wonderful addition to the growing community of Brick Lane.” Waheeda Rahman-Mair
YOUNG CREATORS PROGRAMME WITH YOUNG PEOPLE FROM MULBERRY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, MAY-JUNE 2024
If you have any questions, contact us:
Funders and Partners
This project is funded by Tower Hamlets Council, London Youth and Jack Petchey Foundation and delivered in partnership with NCS, Whitechapel Gallery and Tower Hamlets Local History Library.
