1980s

  • 1980 - Haringey athlete Heather (Hunte) Oakes won two Olympic bronze medals for the 100m relay, the first in 1980 and then 1984.
  • 1982 - Ceddo Film and Video Workshop based in Tottenham, set up to empower black film production and training. Funded by Channel 4 and the British Film Institute, Ceddo initiated ground-breaking film production and community training and hosted screenings with filmmakers including Spike Lee.
  • 1983 - First Nelson Mandela birthday concert at Alexandra Palace to mark his 65th birthday while he was imprisoned.
  • 1983 - People’s World Carnival Band established in Tottenham
  • 1983 - Afro Hair and beauty Expo launched by Dyke & Dryden
  • 1983  Until 1985, Tottenham actor Judith Jacobs played the character 'Sensimillia' in Channel 4’s 'No Problem!'. It was the first sitcom to be aired on the new television channel and was also the first black-made comedy series created for British television. Its cast and creators came from the Black Theatre Co-operative - Judith was a co-founder of the group. Judith was also well-known for her roles in the BBC's hospital drama 'Angels' (1979-1981) and for playing the health visitor 'Carmel' in the soap opera 'Eastenders' (1986-1989).
  • 1984 - The naming of Nelson Mandela Close, off Coppetts Road in Muswell Hill
  • 1984 - Police and Criminal Evidence Act
  • 1984 - Broadwater Farm Youth Association opened by Ken Livingstone, Leader of the GLC. Based in a disused chip shop on the estate, the association was set up by Dolly Kiffin and Clasford Stirling. Clasford went on to manage Broadwater Farm United Football Club.
  • 1985 - Bernie Grant (1944-2000) became Leader of Haringey Council, the first black council leader in Europe.
  • 1985 - Haringey town-twinned with Clarendon, Jamaica.
  • 1985 - Black Lesbian & Gay Centre, based at Tottenham Town Hall Annexe, opened.
  • 1985 - On 5 October, four police officers carried out a search for stolen goods at the home of Cynthia Jarrett. During the search, Mrs Jarrett collapsed and soon after she died. The next evening, a demonstration outside Tottenham Police Station was followed by a violent uprising at Broadwater Farm Estate. PC Keith Blakelock was attacked and died. In 1987, three men, Winston Silcott, Mark Braithwaite and Engin Raghip were wrongly convicted of his murder. Known as The Tottenham Three, they were eventually released after the successful Broadwater Farm Defence Campaign.
Bernie Grant Centre
  • 1986 - Ceddo made ‘The People’ s Account’, a documentary for Channel 4 about the 1985 Broadwater Farm uprising, from the point of view of the black community living on the estate. The Independent Broadcasting Authority demanded editorial changes and as the filmmakers, refused, the programme was never shown on British television.
  • 1986 - At the Vth European Veteran Games in Malmo, Sweden in 1986, Tottenham resident and community activist Bill Guy (1930-2014) took the Gold running in the 100 metres in 12.3 seconds, becoming the fastest man in the world over the age of 55. The same year he set a new veterans’ 100m track record at Haringey with a staggering 11.89 seconds.
  • 1987 - Bernie Grant elected as MP for Tottenham. Bernie, Paul Boateng and Diane Abbott were the first three black MPs in the House of Commons. Bernie wore traditional African dress to the Opening of Parliament.
  • 1987 - Positive Images and Haringey Black Action organised ‘Smash the Backlash', the first UK demonstration to highlight the stories of black lesbians and gay men.
  • 1989 - Collection of photographs commissioned and curated for the 'Re-creating Memories' exhibition project at Bruce Castle Museum. The exhibition celebrated the lives of African- Caribbean people living and/or associated with Haringey. The series of photographic portraits of a community were taken by three new generation black photographers: Ingrid Pollard, David A. Bailey and Dave Lewis 
  • 1989 - The Ghana High Commission moves some of its administrative departments into Cromwell House, Highgate Hill. 
  • 1989 - Haringey town-twinned with Arima, Trinidad.
Bruce Castle

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