Uprising : Brixton 1981

A radical history of Brixton’s uprising and the forces that sparked it

This book presents a radical, in-depth survey of the Brixton uprising of 1981 and the social inequalities and institutional racism of British politics and policing that led to it. Matt Clement situates the events of April 1981 within the long history of urban oppression and revolt in London, as well as the contemporary Caribbean struggles that shaped the consciousness of the local community. He examines how policing practices, economic marginalization and the enduring legacy of empire produced the alienation that fuelled resistance, and how Rastafarian thought articulated a powerful cultural challenge to Babylon, the name given for the evil values of society that must be resisted for justice to prevail. Bringing together historical analysis and social critique, Uprising reveals how and why Brixton fought back – and how its defiant energy helped reshape British culture, politics and anti-racist activism.