Page 2-The Chronicle, Thursday, November 19, 1981
Jamaican Musician Longingly Recalls
‘Good Old Days’ In Troubled Brixton
By Calvin Lawrence
LONDON--Thirty-two years ago, when Lorenza Chris
and his musical talents were first transported from
Jamaica to London, blacks hadn't yet achieved their
dubious distinction as a “racial problem”. Things were
different, Chris says.
As part of the initial wave of Jamaican immigrants, he
is all too familiar with that black community’s 30-year
evolution from simple anomaly to scapegoat. He believes
both blacks and society at large are to blame for the rise
in tension - racial or otherwise - that seems to pervade
the lives of London minorities, particularly in Brixton. it
is from a pub table there that Chris sits, wearing a
tilting, black tarn, and reflects on the drastic changes in
southeast London.
He recalls early encounters with white Brixtonians at
jazz performances where his band played, in restaurants,
or just on the streets. His musical abilities and interests
- piano, trumpet, trombone and others - added to his
appeal.
“We’d stop in the toad and have a chat,” he says.
“They, would want to know what Jamaica is like.”
Looking back to the old Brixton, he muses: “It was good
in those days.”
Those days, he admits, are gone; possibly forever, it was
not uncommon, he says, for curious Brixton police, too,
to enquire about the then negligible - but noticeable -
immigrant population; what life was like in Jamaica.
Today, one is hard pressed to find many police casually
conversing with the community’s blacks, especially the
young ones.
Chris, a well-spoken man, still plays and gives lessons.
He generalizes about his age. “I’m fifty-plenty,” he
says, with a smile. But his recollection of the early times
in Brixton is clear. “We were not street pests,” he
asserts. That was why there was little antagonism
between police and the “longer-stay” of his generation.
“We had nothing to hide from the law.”
There was plenty of work, rent was 9 shillings a week
and a bowl of soup set one back five pence. “It was
good,” he says, as if longing for a return to the distant
past. “The bobbies didn’t have time to bother us.”
His outdated use of “bobby”, said in a voice with no
hint of Jamaican influence, sounds a bit out of place. It
describes police who once had the reputation of being
readily available to help little old ladies cross streets.
That generally good-nature carried over to interactions
with the black community, Chris says.
But then, as he realizes that nothing last forever, his
f one changes. Chris’ “bobby” takes on a more
mmediate identity “Cops of today are not the cops of
my time.” Police are now tougher, less caring, he says.
In the old days, “It wasn’t like that.”
That gradual shift in police behavior parallels the
:hanging life of many black Brixton residents. But it is
mpossible to put a finger on which came first. Once
hing is certain. Life in Brixton has come a long way since
Chris led the first black orchestra through the doors of
Brixton Town Hall in 1952. And whites no longer want to
ouch him just to “see if it is real”. These are all old
/oices.
UPI Photo.
New York: Black Separatist Cynthia Boston (R) holds press conference following her release from jail Ms. Boston
said her arrest in connection to the bloody Brink’s car ambush last month in Nanuat, N. Y., was a witch hunt and a.,
hysterical charade. Looking on is her attorney Kenyatta.
Aldermen Approve
Sunnyside Funds
By Beverly McCarthy
Staff Writer
The city Board of Aider-
men Monday approved a
proposal that would allow
the Sunnyside Neighbor
hood Association to operate
its own housing rehabilita
tion project. The project
will be funded with city
community development
funds which could reach an
estimated amount of
$600,000 over the next two
years. Officials from the
neighborhood association
plan to establish a non
profit organization which
will be responsible for ad
ministering rehabilitation
loans over a two-year per
iod.
The proposal was passed
by a 5-3 vote, with Virginia
Newell, Ernestine Wilson
and Robert Northington
voting against it. The three
aldermen said that they
voted against the request
by the Sunnyside Neighbor
hood because it would dup
licate services already oper
ated by the city.
“I voted against the pro
posal because of several
reasons,” said Northing-
ton. “It duplicates services
already carried out by the
city, I’m not sure about the
neighborhood’s accountabi
lity, the training required to
carry out such a project,
and this would reduce the
amount of total block grant
monies from Washington.
That leaves less monies for
other neighborhoods,” ex
plained Northington.
Alderman Newell said that
she voted against the pro
posal because it allows
preferential treatment to be
given to the Sunnyside
Neighborhood.
Larry Little voted in favor
of the proposal because he
supports the concept of
neighborhood rehabilita-
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tion.
“I am aware of some of
the problems that come up
in loan processing,” he
said. “Perhaps the neigh
borhood association could
do a faster job with process
ing the loans.”
Even though the aldermen
did approve the proposal,
the project still may not be
completed. The neighbor
hood association must still
raise an additional $75,000
from private resources in
order to employ a staff
administrator tor the pro
ject.
Officials from the Sunny
side Neighborhood Associ
ation executive board re
ported that a request tor
the monies from the Z.
Smith Reynolds Foundation
had been denied. John
Holleman, manager of the
Neighborhood Association,
said that plans are current
ly being made to request
funds from other resources.
Also during the meeting,
the board approved an ordi
nance which limits the
length of time use, size and
illumination of portable
signs. The vote was dead
locked with Mayor Corpen-
ing breaking the tie.
Under the newly adopted
ordinance, a portable sign
may be displayed for 30
days per year, with an
optional 30 day extention.
The ordinance was adopted
with much debate. Owners
of small businesses gave
comments on the difficul
ties that limiting the use of
portable signs would cause.
“1 rely on the use of these
signs in order for my busi
ness to survive,” said
Linda Willard, who recently
opened a barber shop on
Bethania Station Road.
■
M
Larry Little Speaks A t Kiwanis Meeting
V «
Larry
Little
By Yvonne Anderson
Staff Writer
Larry Little, alderman of
the North Ward, told
members of the Greater
Winston Kiwanis Club of
their importance in shaping
the political future of
blacks, during an analysis
he delivered at Kiwanis’
weekly meeting.
Speaking on, “An Over
view of the General Elec
tion,” Little told the service
organization that their help
was needed by the four
black aldermen in charting
a road for black people to'
follow.
“We need your expertise.
your knowledge, your help,
if we are going to utilize the
position in which we find
ourselves to the fullest,”
said Little.
Little reflected back to
the 1974-77 team when four
black alderman held seats,
Carl Russell, Richard
Davis, C.C. Ross, and the
late Dr. Albert Coleman.
“We had the opportunity
back in ‘74 and we did not
take advantage of it,” said
Little. “They were divided
and consequently, nothing
got accomplished. We must
not let that happen again,
Little said, emotionally.
Little also-said that- the-
aldermen must be percep
tive of intended devisive
tactics that will be targeted
against them in the ensuing
term.
Praising the victory of
Larry Womble in the
Southeast Ward, Little
cited the tactical way in
which Womble’s campaign
was handled.
“They were united in the
Southeast Ward from the
very beginning. They utiliz
ed the voting strength, and
I’m very pleased and proud
of the way the black can
didates stuck together to
achieve a common goal,”
said Little. “If we continue:
to apply that methodology
we will be able to eleci:
blacks as commissioncts
and to the school board
next time; and in ‘85i
perhaps, we will be able IS-
elect a black mayor, but thfi
key is unite.”
Juan Hatchett - “1 think
that the selective buying
project is a good idea but I
don’t think Hairston is do
ing enough. They (NAACP)
don’t go out to get what
they want; they’re not ag
gressive enough.”
Annie Cooper - “1 really
can't comment on the cam
paign. I don’t know too
much about it.”
Tameka Smith 'I think
stores should hire more
blacks so that there would
be an equal representation
of races working in the
stores. 1 think the campaign
is a good move by the
NAACP.”
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