On July 19th, we visited Brick Lane. After a long walk, and a much needed stop for Boba, we finally arrived at the start of our walking tour. Each of us presented about different locations important to the history of Brick Lane and the Bengali East End. I was assigned Toynbee Hall, and when my turn came I presented my findings on the location. None of my jokes landed, but I hope people learned something. We also visited a church, Altab Ali park, a mosque, and a number of other locations. The mosque was particularly interesting, as it had at different points served as a church, synagogue, and now a mosque. This reflects the diversity of people who have lived on Brick Lane.
Brick Lane first became associated with being an ethnic enclave in the 1570s with the arrival of a number of French Huguenots. Later on, there was a lot of migration from Ireland, and after that it became a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. The legacy of this history is strong, and each community has left indelible marks on the neighborhood and its character. The street signs in the neighborhood caught my interest, with many being named after people with traditionally Jewish names, and many of the signs including Bengali text under the English. The neighborhood is always in transition, and now is going through the process of gentrification, with a number of hipsters moving in and building cereal bars and other shops selling foolish wares. While this has sparked a number of anxieties about the possible loss of a culturally important space for the Bengali community, Brick Lane has always had a tradition of change, and many are okay with the new residents as long as they don’t erase or usurp the Bengali history of the neighborhood.
Altab Ali park was a somber place to visit. Created in memory of Altab Ali, a man of Bengali heritage killed by white supremacist terrorists, the park serves as a reminder of Brick Lane’s history with racism. The neighborhood has, since at least the turn of the century, served as a front line against xenophobic backlash and fascists. The Jewish and Bengali communities both had to deal with large xenophobic and fascist groups based nearby and fought against them. In the 70s, after the murder of Altab Ali, there was an uptick in racist violence and a strong backlash by anti-racists in Brick Lane. This backlash was done in a show of unity by the local Bengali community, a community which had already been facing housing discrimination and other racist acts in addition to terrorist violence.
After our tour, we were permitted time to walk around Brick Lane, and I visited a number of shops. After our shopping we visited Sheba, one of the well known curry-houses that once dominated the avenue yet have now been in considerable decline. Having walked past a number of curry-house owners beckoning our large, hungry, group of students to enter, I was eager to try the curry at Sheba. It did not disappoint, and we ended our tour of Brick Lane with great food.
Sam Rodick
https://beyondbanglatown.org.uk/globe/making-home-the-world-in-brick-lane/
https://beyondbanglatown.org.uk/globe/politics-racism-resistance/
https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/politics/article/brick-lane-curry-houses-bangladeshi