Plaque for Birmingham's black housing association builders
A dozen men from the Caribbean who created a black housing association in Birmingham in the 1970s are to be recognised with a blue plaque.The men, part of the Windrush generation who came to post-war Britain, used their "vision, resilience, and community spirit", relatives said, to create the first black housing association in the UK.Access Self Build was established in Small Heath after the men encountered a country gripped by economic hardship while they faced racism and discrimination. Dr Yana Johnson, daughter of one of the men, said she was very proud and the plaque, to be unveiled at her former home on Tuesday, would always mark what they did.
Ten houses were built on Millward Street and two on Green Lane and remain today.Ms Johnson has been integral in helping remember the legacy the men created along with the Nubian Jak Community Trust, a social enterprise dedicated to celebrating black and minority heritage, and said the men did not fully appreciate what they had achieved.
Her father Keith died 20 years ago, some former owners were still alive and would hopefully be attending the ceremony, she said.The trust, which is awarding the plaque, said the men were determined to create opportunity where none was offered and sought to provide homes for their families and affordable rentals for others in their community.Access Self Build evolved into African Caribbean Association for the Furthering of Economic and Social Sustainability, ACAFESS and "laid the foundation for a landmark moment in British history", the trust said.
"We can't forget what they did," Ms Johnson, a beauty entrepreneur and gospel artist, said and added said she has learned so much about the community."I posted a tour of the street and the houses on TikTok and it's got like, 50,000 hits in about 24 hours which is amazing and it's not just my story, I'm hearing from so many others about their stories," she said.Dr Jak Beula, CEO of the trust said: "It's one thing to be told that England was built with streets of gold. It's another thing to arrive in the mother country and discover this was not the case. "But the greatest thing of all is overcoming the discrimination that came with trying to find accommodation and to go on and build their own Streets of Gold. "In doing so, 12 great men unbeknown to them, would create Britain's first Black Housing Association in 1973."
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