The controversial name of a North London lane, “Black Boy” was renamed, but according to reports, some locals are not happy with the change.
However, Haringey Council in London said the decision to rename the street was made in response to concerns raised by residents that Black Boy Lane “had racist connotations and was a source of ongoing hurt for Black people.”
The road, located in Tottenham, will now be known as La Rose Lane, a reference to John La Rose, a Black publisher, poet, and essayist who was an influential figure in the struggle for social justice.
But posting to Twitter on Tuesday, the council leader shared an image of the street sign covered in black spray paint. The newly installed street sign has been vandalized less than 24 hours after the road was renamed.
The leader of Haringey council Peray Ahmet said she was “really sad and disappointed” to have been sent the image of the damage just one day after the sign was unveiled.
“This follows a fantastic launch yesterday where we celebrated the life and legacy of John La Rose,” she said, adding: “What could this ever achieve beyond mindless vandalism.”
The local authority said it had started a consultation into the planned name change following the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer of 2020.
It is thought the original name of the road referred to a nearby pub with a similar name that could be traced back to the 17th century.
The authority allegedly spent 180,000 British pounds to change the street name to La Rose Lane. The street is located in Tottenham.
AWM has more of the story:
Meanwhile, some residents of Black Boy Lane posted signs of the original street name in their windows as a protest of their own after the street was changed to La Rose Lane. Meanwhile, London conservatives who want to preserve the heritage of the area and some locals, namely those who put up their own sign to combat the name change, are not happy that the street was given a new name although the new name is less offensive to Black people living in London
Sixty-eight-year-old art professor Rishi Jogoo was one person who was upset by the name change. He joined other conservatives in the neighborhood to install a Black Boy Lane sign in his window to protest the change.
“There is nothing racist about the name. I don’t understand why people say that,” Jogoo said. “The council never came round to talk to us about it. We did receive a letter, but when we argued about it, they didn’t listen to us. The problem is when you change the road name, we all have to change our documents, like our passports which is very inconvenient. The council has said they will offer us £300 because of the change, but I don’t think that will be enough to sort everything. We will keep our signs up, but I’m not optimistic that they will listen, but we can always hope.”
Jogoo’s neighbor, Ian, also put up a Black Boy Lane sign.
Ian said, “We are hanging the old sign up because we don’t want it to change. It is a complete waste of time and money. I will keep my address as it is until there is an official issue. I want to use it as long as I can.”
Source: AWM