COMMUNITY COHESION
BURNING WORK, JUNE 22, 2020
Chaired by Christxpher Oliver
Creating Black Community Space(s): The West Indian Sports and Social Club (WISSC) was created a year before Tom Nelson was born in 1953, with at least two of its founding fathers sailing to the UK on the Empire Windrush ship itself. The desire to create a Black led community space was driven by people such as Professor Arthur Lewis, the first Black professor in England, and influential local community elder Mr Gore, both who have since passed. Tom Nelson spoke of their famous meeting in Alexandra Park, Manchester, and it was their determined vision to create an organisation with its own facilities, directed by the cultural, economic and social needs of the African Caribbean community which has recently been extended through the digital space of WISSC's new website designed by Angela Ankeli and Paul R. Williams.
Financial viability: Tom also spoke of his focus of maintaining a financially viable community space, with an embedded intergenerational ethos that recognises the contribution of the Windrush generation. There is added impetus to lay down roots that secure cultural legacies for current and future descendants to build upon. Tom states how this has been his main message over the years, in order to ensure younger generations have the tools, understanding and space to pursue their vision. He beieves developing a strong financially viable base will strengthen the political, economic and social foundations of Black communities in the United Kingdom.
Collaborative Designs: Tom Nelson states how the club has always had a 'no closed door policy' for different organisations to hold meetings and work on issues that affect local communities. WISSC have made it clear finance would never be a barrier for local groups needing space to gather. WISSC is not a charitable trust, therefore, for the day to day running of the club, rather than seek funding, they generate their own income through takings at the bar or admission fees to events held inside the club. However, they have sought funding to deliver specific projects which meet community needs, such as supporting the Burning Work digital forum and collaborating with Louise Da Cocodia Education Trust to deliver hot meals around Moss Side to elderly people who are isolated and in need.
Tom Nelson
A trustee and volunteer leader at the West Indian Sports and Social Club based in Moss Side, Manchester.Jacqueline Mckenzie
A lawyer from McKenzie, Beute and Pope law firm based in South London. She also co-directs the Centre for Migration Advice and Research and is a member of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review advisory group and the Windrush Stakeholders Advisory Group.Against the Manufacturing of Consent for Racism: Jacqueline Mckenzie tells the Burning Work Digital Forum how the Windrush Lessons Learned Review pins blame for the Windrush Scandal on the Home Office, not the racist ideology which she sees underpinning almost every immigration law between the United Kingdom and former colonies. Mckenzie argues that what needs to be challenged is the racist depictions of 'migrants', manufactured to divide communities to construct these rules which determine whether people can live, work and access public services in this country. In addition, although she hopes the 30 recommendations of the review will go far to support vulnerable people in a fugitive relation to public services, it does not claim that the Home Office is by 'definition' institutionally racist. However, the definition must be revisited as the review concludes the Home Office was ignorant of British colonial history, suffered institutional amnesia of race, has broken responsibilities to equality legislation, use dehumanising practices of law enforcement which all fall into the tenets of institutional racism.
Community infrastructure: Jacqueline Mckenzie's law firm supports foreign nationals, or, in the cases of Windrush, British citizens, who cannot access an immigration lawyer in prison, at an immigration detention centre or due to living in fear undocumented. Given her firm specialises in immigration, asylum and refugee law, they were prepared to respond to an invitation from the Black Cultural Archives to setup a legal surgery in Brixton. Windrush cases date back decades therefore recording testimony takes time and resources. Jacqueline Mckenzie, along with her colleague Michele, identified the need for more immigration lawyers so delivered a 10 week legal study group with the aim to create a new cohort of accredited practitioners. The group contains members of Windrush groups from Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Preston and London
Moving Against Policy: Jacqueline Mckenzie argues that a lot of work needs to be done to expand what we understand 'policy' to be. She points to the political process of changing the law, alongside the cultural process of transforming society through writing papers, books, making films and music. She states that in the wake of Windrush, we shouldn't be limited by the paradigms which currently exist and that we've got to look for new ways of conducting and presenting primary research. She states changing the law is part of the answer and agrees that the current design of justice is inadequate, as there are a lot of people who just won't qualify for compensation as they cannot demonstrate loss or harm. In light of her comments on moving against the manufacturing of consent for racsim and towards the building of community infrastructure, Jacqui concludes with the point of how moving against policy requires rethinking the broader process of community development.