Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Council Decides to Rename Black Boy Lane
Following my consideration on the origins of West Green's Black Boy name back in the summer, Haringey Council has decided to rename Black Boy Lane in West Green.
The Council have called the exercise a 'renaming consultation', but the online questionnaire offers only the ability to choose from a shortlist of two new names. So it appears that the decision to rename has already been taken with only the choice of name left to be decided.
They have issued the following press release.
The council has launched a renaming consultation with residents and businesses located on Black Boy Lane, as part of the wider Review on Monuments, Buildings, Place and Street Names in Haringey – which was launched on 12 June 2020, in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
The council believes that the names of our monuments, buildings, places and streets must reflect the values and diversity that we are so proud of in the borough. One of the street names that has been identified as not being reflective of this is Black Boy Lane.
Meanings change over time, and the term “Black Boy” is now most commonly used as a derogatory name for African heritage men.
As part of the consultation, the council is asking residents to consider new alternative names that celebrate some of the borough’s most notable influencers, and truly reflect the borough’s rich heritage.
The two names that have been shortlisted for residents to consider are, ‘Jocelyn Barrow Lane’ and ‘La Rose Lane’. The consultation will launch today, Monday 28 September and will run for a period of 4 weeks to Monday 26 October 2020.
Letters will be arriving on Black Boy Lane residents' doorsteps this week, who can respond to the consultation using one of the following methods:
- Online: www.haringey.gov.uk/renaming-black-boy-lane.
- Email:
- bblconsultation@haringey.gov.uk
- Telephone: 020 8489 3797
- By post: Consultation Co-ordinator, The Communications Team, River Park House, 225 High Road, Wood Green, London, N22 8HQ
If Haringey residents have concerns or queries about place, street or building names in the borough, please get in touch. Send your views to Leader@haringey.gov.uk.
Bios:Dame Jocelyn Anita Barrow (15 April 1929 – 9 April 2020) was a Barbadian/Trinidadian British educator, community activist and politician, who was the Director for UK Development at Focus Consultancy Ltd. She was the first Black woman to be a governor of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and was founder and Deputy Chair of the Broadcasting Standards Council.
John La Rose was a publisher, poet and essayist. He founded the Caribbean Artists’ Movement and publishing company New Beacon Books which has a bookshop in Stroud Green. In 1975, he co-founded the Black Parents Movement from the core of the parents involved in the George Padmore Supplementary School incident in which a young Black schoolboy was beaten up by the police outside his school in Haringey.
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Tags for Forum Posts: blackboy lane name change, review on monuments, building place and street names
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Devon Williams on
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These online petitions are meaningless. They in no way reflect the sort of consultation that would be needed to justify a change.
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you need to continue posting the petition on social media, i have on twitter and my facebook and maybe even contact the media before its too late
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It appears to me that this thread is dividing more and more. I have one solution to this for this Cllr, put it to the vote by all Haringey residents who pay his wages and Haringey and if the majority want the change, although I strongly disagree, I personally would accept it as this is democracy. I feel it's sad because to me and many I have spoken too, the BLM movement has caused the opposite to what it was intended.
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Permalink Reply by Sarah on
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I still think residents of the street should have the final say, although I hope they vote to change it.
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As it won't inconvenience you, will it? I'm facing redundancy, yet I have to deal with this now, too.
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I take it you live on BBL? Do you really think people who don't should have as much of a say on its future as you do?
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There are far more important things going on in the world at the moment than changing a street name because some people have chosen to take offence to it. And anyone who says that it should be changed, should think about the cost and inconvenience to those who will be affected before they pass opinion.
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Excuse me Sarah but yes they should. Is it not my council tax money being used? Is it not all residents affected by the cuts that this Council has already warned as on Twitter "tough Times ahead" and they are wasting money on changing this name and others because some are offended?
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sorry to hear that you are facing redundancy. This is why im so angry about this waste of money when so many people are facing difficulties and cuts to services. Please dont give up.
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Thank you. And your (and everyone's) support is appreciated in fighting this. Sign the petition and email the Council even if one isn't a resident.
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well I hope they dont change it and I also hope this current Council Leader is removed
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Hi,
The BLM has 'caused' increeased awareness of the issues of discrimnatin and injustice against black, brown and other people.That is a good thing. It is a complex issue.
I do not think BLM has requested that the name of BBL be changed, but rather certain individuals.
Let us not get things confused.
Thanks
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