Cherry Groce Day takes place at Brixton House

   Cherry Groce Day takes place at Brixton House 

A day of commemoration for Cherry Groce featuring live performances, special guests and a book launch.

• On the 28th September at Brixton House, Cherry Groce Day will take place. The event
features live performances, a book launch, and an afterparty hosted by Dark Crew
• Cherry Groce Day is in partnership with the Cherry Groce Foundation
• Performing artists include Winston Reedy, Lorna Gee, Nathan Fagan Gayle, Reggae
Choir, JayJay Born2Sing and Teshay Makeda
• Sutara Gayle aka Lorna Gee, sister of Cherry Groce will also be leading a devised
performance
• Lee Lawrence, the son of Groce, will be launching his new book The Colour of Injustice
with a Q&A hosted by journalist Nadine White.
Cherry Groce Day has been created to commemorate the memory of Dorothy ‘Cherry’ Groce
who was unlawfully shot by the police during a raid on her family home in Brixton 1985. The
shooting left Groce with life changing injuries and sparked the 1985 Brixton Uprising. 40 years
on, Brixton House announced their UPRISING Festival, which is currently taking place. The
festival reflects on 40 years since the 1985 Brixton Uprising and explores contemporary Black
British life and culture in Brixton and South London.
The day will begin at 4pm with a devised performance directed by award-winning actress, singer
and playwright Sutara Gayle and award-winning actress and director Adjoa Andoh. The
performance, featuring several young creatives explores the urgent themes of safety,
community, and belonging drawing inspiration from the story of Cherry Groce.
“This project is about giving young people the space and tools to express themselves creatively,
and to connect their own stories with wider questions of justice, safety and community,” says
Sutara Gayle
Following the performance, Lee Lawrence, son of Cherry Groce will be launching his new book
The Colour of Injustice. Lee will introduce the book and a select group of young people will be
reading excerpts. Journalist, filmmaker and archivist Nadine White will host a Q&A discussion
with Lee. The book is a cultural and social history exploring a myriad of racial injustices through
deeply impactful stories. The Colour of Injustice is published by Hatchette, the book is on sale
from 2nd of October (audience members will be able to purchase copies at the event).
About The Colour of Injustice
Through a deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Lee Lawrence seamlessly combines
historical fact with his dramatic first-hand experiences of racial injustice to present vivid stories –
from the Somali sailor who was wrongly convicted of murder in Cardiff in 1952 to the assault on
professional footballer Dalian Atkinson and from the hounding of Notting Hill’s Mangrove Club to
Black Lives Matter – that chronicle how Britain’s Black community has been mistreated. Though
there remains much work to be done, Lee Lawrence is also an inspiring guide who highlights
the many positive changes that have taken place and outlines those still needing to be enacted.
Against the backdrop of the hard-learned lessons of years gone by, The Colour of Injustice also
lays the foundation for a pathway to the future to move towards a truly anti-racist society.
The second half of Cherry Groce Day includes networking and a live musical show featuring
performances from acclaimed artists Winston Reedy, Lorna Gee, Nathan Fagan Gayle, Reggae
Choir, JayJay Born2Sing and Teshay Makeda. Cherry Groce Day will close with an afterparty
with Dark Crew to celebrate the life of Cherry Groce.
Tickets and event information is available here.