Notting Hill Carnival is a yearly event that has taken place in London every bank holiday at the end of August since 1966 (cancelled past two years due to Covid-19). It takes place in the streets of the Notting Hill area of Kensington. The carnival attracts over two and a half million people per year, making it the world’s second-largest street festival, second only to Rio Carnival, and is considered an incredibly significant event in Black British Culture. Notting Hill Carnival is one of the most vibrant weekends in Britain, but it’s so important to not forget the history behind it or the importance of why it started.
The origins of Notting Hill Carnival were a necessary response to racial tensions in Britain. On the 29th August 1958, a 400-strong mob of white men armed with sticks, stones, and knives stormed through the streets of west London, with cries of “go home you black bastards”. Consequently, the mob of 400 white men murdered an innocent black man on the streets of Notting Hill. Mark Olden described them as “feral young white men, drunk on beer, high on bravado, and terrified at the emergence of a community they did not understand or recognise.” Nothing but pure xenophobia. This is what makes Notting Hill Carnival so special. It ensures a better understanding of different cultures and backgrounds, and better understanding leads to a more embracing society and…
