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Written by: Kaidon Adams
Last Saturday saw something that our communities have been yearning for. Hood Futures Studio, WAITS and The Legacy Centre of Excellence joined forces to host How to Build Black Community Wealth.
It was a room full of organisers, builders and go-getters, who all came together for one reason. To shed light on how we can build collective ownership and wealth within the Black community.
The premise of the day was simple. Draw back the curtain on the details usually kept from us.
Each conversation covered one of the following themes:
● Land and property
● Business/Legal structures
● Funding and investment
The morning
Between 11:30am and 1pm, there were four conversations running side by side.
At one table, Juliet Can from Stour Trust walked us through some of the practical steps she has taken. Using freeholds and leases, Juliet has helped reclaim spaces in London such as Picture Palace in Brent. And the Old Baths in Hackney Wick. Juliet continues to help Black communities secure, own and manage their own community spaces without the need for outside intervention.
Right across the room, we had Kathy Hopkins from Save Birmingham. Kathy was taking us through a mapping session where she mapped out lost spaces in the city. She also touched on what we as a community can do to prevent this from happening in the future. It turned out that a lot of people had no idea these routes of resistance were even possible. This is the kind of information that can make the difference when it comes to the survival of community assets.
Then, Arlyne Chinyanganya from Roots to Froots ran “Building Wealth 101”. Despite what people may believe, having our personal finances in order is imperative to build community wealth. And how it is the foundation for anything we want to do as a collective.
Then on the final table, we had Keith Shayaam from LCOE, Lynda McFarlane from Nature in Mind, and Kaidon Adams from Hood Futures Studio. The three were in conversation around what they called “New narratives for community wealth”. Keith spoke about his involvement in Newtown’s cultural placemaking strategy. Kaidon shared his story of how he helped reclaim garden space in his local estate. Lynda then shared her wisdom on the value of reconnecting with nature.
Three different angles, but one common thread. Don’t wait for permission.
If you have an idea, don’t wait for anybody to action your ideas. Action them yourself.
This took us into lunch. And by then, the room was full of energy.
The afternoon
Now this is where things went deeper.
At one table, Amahra Spence spoke about her ten-year battle to acquire the land where Hood Futures Studio will build ABUELOS, an art centre and hotel built for the people.
Amahra went into depth on what it takes to reclaim space. In her own words, “Reclaiming this space was about providing infrastructure that the local community is crying out for”.
Next to her, Lizzie Forrester from Birmingham Settlement was breaking down legal structures. Lizzie was taking us through how certain legal structures impact what you can and can’t do. And how important the right legal structure is in the pursuit of community ownership.
Across the room, we had Kat, who is part of the Buy Back Brixton campaign. In her own words, “Brixton is under attack”. Kat came to shed some light on the things they’re doing to fight back against the gentrification of the Brixton area. While her work is rooted in London, this is an issue that plagues inner-city working class and communities across the UK.
And to top it all off, we had Claude Hendrickson (MBE) in conversation with Marcia Lewinson, CEO of WAITS. The two were in conversation around community-led housing. Claude himself was successful in building social housing in his hometown of Leeds. He also helped locals to develop construction skills, which they used to build the same houses they now live in.
As he spoke about how to acquire land, secure funding and rally your community, you could see how people lit up.
By the end of the day, an infectious energy filled the air. People were ready to go out and make change.
This might have been one day. But it proved one thing. People are hungry to build practical ways to resource and sustain Black communities, now and into the future. How to Build Black Community Wealth might have been one day. But it’s one day that could well become the catalyst for serious change in Birmingham and beyond.
