When I first arrived in London, I heard a lot of excitement around this famous Notting Hill Carnival, the largest street event in Europe, one of the globe's largest annual arts events, second only to Brazil's Rio Carnival. Millions of people come every year and fill the streets of Notting Hill with vibrant colours and dance to loud jamming rhythms but when I asked “What is this carnival about” no one could really answer. Here is the story behind the infamous Notting Hill carnival, a story that started with the idea of a community to stop racial discrimination.
Kelso Cochrane was a 32 year old, Antiguan-born carpenter, and aspiring lawyer, living in Notting Hill at a time when racial tensions were high. He died after a racially motivated attack on Southam Street Notting Hill on May 17th 1959. His murder had a huge impact on race relations. Reportedly, there were over 1,200 attendees at his funeral many of whom came to demonstrate solidarity and a show of defiance against racism locally. Much activity to ease racial tension within the Notting Hill area preceded Cochrane's murder, leading to a children's street fair organised by a local resident and community activist, Rhaune Laslett. Laslett is reported to have said of her community and her event "We felt that although West Indians, Africans, Irish and many other nationalities all live in a very congested area, there is very little communication between us. If we can infect them with a desire to participate, then this can only have good results." It was this small community children’s street fair, back in the mid-60s, that would morph into what we now know as Notting Hill Carnival.
Today’s Notting Hill Carnival is still proudly a community-led event, its ever-increasing popularity over the last 5 decades has seen it become the wonderfully diverse and vibrant event it is today.
