Nzinga lecture series: the gentrification of Peckham & other Black areas

Gentrification is a topical issue which has severely affected the lives of those who reside or wish to reside in urban areas in the UK and globally. Gentrification as a concept however is not new. Peckham has a history dating back to Roman times. In the Domesday book ‘Pechecham’ a rural district in village harvested organic produce from its market gardens, farms and dairies which it supplied to the city of London. The lecture documents some key concepts of displacement such as the ‘Christopher Columbus’ syndrome’ ‘selective belonging’ and ‘social tectonics’ experienced by a significant proportion of the African community who have been displaced by the current Gentrification agenda and the devastating impact on the lives of those individuals whose narratives are fundamental to the social and cultural capital once invested in their communities. This lecture stems from both documentary based research, government policy and primary research into gentrification and the challenges experienced by the African population when engaging with every aspect of displacement. The research will also reflect on changes in those spaces from 1960s – present and aims to facilitate audience participation about similar spaces around London and beyond