Being Blacker


Being Blacker

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Transcript


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You're going to make me start crying now. I'm trying not to cry.

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I'm trying my best not to cry, yeah?

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But these people are going to make me cry.

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SOBBING

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INDISTINCT VOICES

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This programme contains very strong language.

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I think so... Oh, no, I made that one.

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-Oh, Leon, have you seen the handbag?

-Yeah, all this...everything here is what's going tomorrow.

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-And on the floor?

-Freedom Pass.

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-See the handbags?

-Her sewing machine, her handbag.

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This is the most devastating time in my life.

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I thought when I lost my son I could never feel this way again,

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but this, in a different way, is even worse.

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This is the woman that brought me here,

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this is the woman that I've known for 55 years of my life.

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Nothing compares.

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I don't know what I'm going to do without you, Mama,

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but I love you so much, from your son.

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This is a film that started with a funeral...

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-Morning, morning, morning, morning.

-Hi, Pat.

-Morning.

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..the funeral of Pauline Celestine Martin...

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Big ladies, boy!

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..whose favourite colour was red.

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She'd come from Jamaica in 1962 and died here in south London,

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leaving her grandchildren and children behind.

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Her eldest son, Steve, also known as Blacker,

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was someone I'd featured in a

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student documentary when we were both 19.

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-Morning.

-Good morning. Hello, Molly.

-Hello.

-Good morning, Miss Molly.

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-Good morning.

-How are you this morning?

-All right.

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He'd asked me to film his mother's funeral, but what neither of

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us realised then was that a series of dramatic events in Blacker's life

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would keep me filming with him for the next three years.

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Everybody goes to the church.

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If... Can everybody get in a car or something?

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We're all hanging around and we need to get in the buses and coach and

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everywhere, so we can move.

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I feel like I'm... I feel like I'm at roller skating, cos it's like this

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big disco ball.

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MUSIC: Amazing Grace

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# I shall forever lift my eyes to Calvary... #

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The cortege travelled past

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significant places in the family's life,

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including the iconic record shop

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Blacker had had in Brixton for 21 years.

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TRUMPET PLAYS

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Blacker's mother had come to England alone, but she died leaving behind

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94 grandchildren and great-grandchildren who clearly

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loved her, as did the community.

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Over 700 came to celebrate her life,

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led by Blacker's sisters and brother.

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# I wanna shake my hand with the elder

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# I wanna tell all the people, "Good morning"... #

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Relatives had even come from the family home -

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St Thomas, Jamaica - to pay their respects.

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# When I view the last sunset

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# And I cross over that sea

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# I know sunrise will be waiting for me. #

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APPLAUSE

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SOUL MUSIC PLAYS

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For three and a half hours, there were performances, hymns,

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prayers and tributes.

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APPLAUSE

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But it was a story told by a local pastor in his tribute that made me

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realise what had been happening in this community,

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and how influential a figure Blacker had become.

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I want to tell you something, and the reason I'm here today

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because Steven, known as Blacker,

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he's been a great inspiration to me in my life and I'd

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do anything for him.

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We don't talk a lot, but there's one thing that he did for me when I just

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came out of jail, and those of you

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who know John Wayne and the policeman, he had this thing for me,

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and I was unlicensed and I got nicked.

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And Blacker held on to my hand when all the police were looking at me,

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trying to grab me and put me in the van, and Blacker said, "You're not, you can't take him."

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They couldn't touch me.

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APPLAUSE

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I'm saying this to say that, where did he get that courage from?

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Where did he get this conviction from?

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It was from his mother.

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And I want to say to all the Martin families that are here,

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please hear these words,

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do not look at yourself as someone that's of insignificance.

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Know who you are - you are leaders in this community.

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May you walk in peace and unity with each other.

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May you walk through a community with your head lifted up high.

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JAMAICAN MUSIC PLAYS

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-Thank you.

-Mind your heads, mind your heads.

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That's cool.

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REGGAE MUSIC PLAYS

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I got a lift to the graveyard from an old friend of Blacker's,

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Naptarli, who'd been put in charge of clearing the roads

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for the cortege.

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HORN HONKS

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-You'd be a great getaway driver, Naptarli.

-I was.

-You were? HE LAUGHS

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-Life story, let him tell you his life story.

-She knows my life story.

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-Not in such detail. You were a getaway driver?

-You will know it,

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you will know it, you will know all of it.

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Tell me about when you were a getaway driver.

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Um, that's when I used to do armed robbery, I used to be an armed

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robber, many, many years ago. I used to be an armed robber.

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Banks and post offices and building societies, and that's...

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But I was driving from when I was 13 years of age.

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-In this country?

-In this country, yeah.

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You know, and I just got the knack of driving and

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just this "don't care" attitude that I've got.

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It gets me into trouble but that was just how I was, you know?

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That was just how I was.

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HORN BLARES

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Naptarli was obviously an appropriate choice as the escort.

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The procession travelled unhindered through the rush-hour traffic.

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HORNS BLARE

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You could blow a little more.

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SIREN

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Keep it clear, please. Go out of the way, please.

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Let us bow our heads in prayer, please.

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Heavenly Father, we thank you for the life of this great woman.

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We thank you, Lord, also for the family that was able to share

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the blessings of her life. And we will say amen.

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-ALL:

-Amen.

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A few weeks later, I went around to see Blacker.

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He dug out some old family photographs.

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I'll see if the bag has any goodies in it.

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-Yay!

-The bag of goodies.

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These are Mummy's archives.

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So let's see what Mummy saved up over all these donkeys of years.

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This car here, Miss Molly, see this car here?

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-Yeah.

-2290 UR...

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..that's the only car number plate I have remembered all my life.

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This is the car that picked me up when I came to England.

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Austin Cambridge, Daddy's car.

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2290 UR, and I remember that.

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Do you remember that feeling of him picking you up?

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Yes, I'll always remember that feeling.

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I didn't... It was so cold, because I came to England in some little short

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clothes, some little short clothes and no jacket or nothing, and it was

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cold, and I'm saying, "Why did we come to this place here?"

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And I think I said to my sister on that day,

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"Sis, I want to go home, and I will go home and I have to go home.

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"I'm not staying here. I don't want to be here."

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I didn't know my mum, I didn't know my dad.

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Dad left Jamaica when I was about two and a half,

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and Mum must've left me when I was

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about eight, nine months old, cos Mum came first and Dad came after.

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And there was this horrible moment,

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very horrible, I don't want to say this on camera, but there was this

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horrible moment in the car,

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and I remember saying to my sister,

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"Who is this, who is this woman?"

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Cos I was just so mad, I was like a little terror. "Who is this woman?"

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And she said, "That's your mum." I said, "That's not my mum. I don't know her."

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And my mum, I think my mum cried.

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She was so upset, and maybe that's why I ended up loving her so much,

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cos that's always stuck with me forever, that I didn't know Mummy

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when I came to England. I never knew her.

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Never, ever knew her.

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Back in the 1980s when I first met Blacker,

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I was making a film about the underground network of Jamaican

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sound systems playing around the UK.

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DUB MUSIC PLAYS

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In halls all over the country, teams would arrive,

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string up vast speaker boxes and play exclusive reggae music to

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packed audiences.

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At the time, Blacker was a rising star in that world.

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The sound business is funny.

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It's not, it's not who's carrying the swing on the die, really, that's

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the best sound, it's who can keep it up.

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Blacker went on to become a hugely successful reggae producer with his

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-own label, Blacker Dread Music.

-I'm on my way over to you.

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30 years later,

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he was still producing music, and I went with him to deliver his latest

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track to radio DJ Seani B.

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-What are you saying?

-Blessings, blessings.

-Yeah.

-Hello.

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-Hello, who's this?

-This is Molly.

-Hi, Molly.

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-Filming a documentary.

-Oh, you're filming a documentary?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Well, go on.

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-Welcome to the team.

-About Blacker Dread.

-Blacker Dread?

-Yeah.

-The boss, this is, you know.

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When you look at emcees like Stormzy, Wiley, Chip,

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all these kind of emcees in grime music,

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it started out with a man like this.

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Where everything has to have a seed, you understand what I'm saying?

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And even though it may have flowered and grown in a different manner,

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you know where the seed comes from,

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and the seed comes from Jamaican sound system culture,

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and one of the spearheads, columns in the UK of this culture

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is this man right here.

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DUB MUSIC PLAYS

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With the success of his label,

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Blacker then set up his record shop in Coldharbour Lane, Brixton.

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I dropped into Blacker's shop in 2012, during the Olympics,

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when Jamaica was dominating the headlines.

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CHEERING

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World record! World record!

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The shop had become a focal point in Brixton, and Blacker had

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become a leading figure in his community.

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He went on to work with the authorities, helping create huge

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local events like Brixton Splash,

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where up to 40,000 people came every year.

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Blacker still has his shop, and we arranged to meet down there with his

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old friend Naptarli, who'd driven me at the funeral.

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-This is Brian Alfonso Rancus.

-No, that's a spurious name he's calling me by, Mo.

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-That's a very spurious name.

-Brian Alfonso Rancus, yeah.

-LAUGHTER

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My name is Naptarli, Brian Bedford, but Naptarli is my street name.

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This is a name that he's just conjured out of his brain.

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-Are you an Englishman?

-Am I an Englishman?

-Yeah.

-No.

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So what are you talking like an Englishman for?

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Because sometimes I do, because I'm able to do that, I sometimes feel...

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..I feel comfortable doing it, cos I've been doing it for many years.

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-Not chatting like me, chat like you.

-I can chat like me!

-You do say... You drift in and out.

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-Ah, you see? You're a drifter.

-But I'm talking for you, I'm not talking...

-You're a hybrid.

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Well, that's it, I'm talking for her.

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For her or whoever is the audience behind the camera.

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-All right, I hear you, mate.

-You understand?

-He's a John now, isn't he?

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-He's not like me, innit? He's not Brian any more, he's John.

-LAUGHTER

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-You need your glasses, mate.

-John, I don't know what he's talking about.

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-Need a glasses to be a Brian, mate.

-Glasses to be a Brian.

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-Did you lock your car?

-No, we don't lock car out here.

-We don't lock our cars around here.

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-I don't lock my car around here.

-Not around here.

-Can I be here 21 years and still lock my car?

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-No, there's no point.

-What about parking tickets?

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-We don't worry about that.

-We don't get...

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Parking wardens, they don't give us any problems.

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We've got a man that's in there with a garage.

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-There's a man about a dog there.

-He's a man about... Yeah.

-LAUGHTER

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REGGAE MUSIC PLAYS When I got to the shop,

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Blacker's older sister June was helping out.

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Yeah. It might look like it's closed, but it's not, all right?

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LAUGHTER

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What no-one had actually told me was the shop was being packed up and was closing down.

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-OK.

-Seriously, Blacker, you're going for real?

-It's a lot of spending money here.

-You're joking!

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-So what do you need to do?

-Where's the human chain, then?

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-Right here.

-He can't...he can't go.

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-Why is he going?

-I don't know.

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No, man. What good if I come here today?

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-Molly...

-Why does it matter to you so much?

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Because Blacker Dread's shop is part of the community.

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Very much so.

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People would want to help, man, seriously.

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What wasn't clear was why the shop

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was closing and where Blacker was going.

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One way of finding out was to go and mind his car.

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-Car-sitting.

-How was it?

-Yeah, yeah, everything is great.

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-Car-sitting.

-Car-sitting.

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-It's not a good job for a lady of your status, ma'am.

-LAUGHTER

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Blacker, where are you going?

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-My suspicion is you're not going on a yoga camp.

-Yeah.

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-And you're not going to Jamaica.

-No.

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But you're going away somewhere, which is requiring a lot of

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-preparation of life.

-Yep. That's right.

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That is perfectly true.

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-What a nightmare.

-Yeah, a nightmare.

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I've allowed some things to happen in my life that I should not have

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allowed, and it's come up on top.

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Made some people do some things that

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should've known better,

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but they fucked me over.

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-Oh, God.

-Because they fucked me over. You know what I mean?

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-Is it serious?

-Yeah. Serious.

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Seriously, Blacker?

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Yep. Serious, serious shit.

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Serious shit.

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Can I ask what or not?

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Somebody's led me into a predicament, and now I have to face

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the consequences of that predicament.

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I'm just one of those people that just gets on with my life.

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You know what I mean? I'm just one of them youths that, I've never done

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-anything, I don't do anything, I don't do...

-What do you mean?

-I don't do anything.

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-I don't do anything.

-What do you mean, you don't do anything? You mean bad stuff?

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Yeah, I don't do anything, I'm the type of person that don't do

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anything. I'm always the one trying to encourage people not to do shit.

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-That's what I've always done.

-Yeah, well, I heard that at the funeral.

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And giving people advice. But I'm just a human being and I make

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mistakes, and if I make a big one then it affects me, and it's going

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to affect everyone else, so I have to just stand up and face my

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judgment. And on Friday I will go to face my judgment,

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and when I face that, I will start

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my countdown from that moment,

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whatever happens in my life, but it will change everything.

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Blacker had been found guilty of money laundering.

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He'd allowed large amounts of money, stolen by someone else, to be hidden

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in his bank account.

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He was due to be sentenced at the end of the week. SIREN

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-Still there?

-Yeah, just doing some work.

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People just use this as an iconic place for them. They don't know

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the business of what it takes to keep it going.

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They're not bothered about what makes it, what keeps it going,

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they just want to know that they've got a little place that they can

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say, "This is Brixton, still."

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It's sad he's going, isn't it?

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Yeah, it's very sad, it's like a cornerstone, you know?

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-Not like a cornerstone...

-Matter of fact, he's not like a cornerstone, he IS a cornerstone.

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From he's gone there now,

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we usually come to Brixton and you say, "Blacker Dread", and you come

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to Blacker Dread, you say, "Go and link Blacker Dread."

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You know exactly where to go.

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Everybody wants a bit of him.

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So what's going to happen when they can't have him?

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It's going to be like you've lost a great aunt or a great uncle...

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..cos everyone, all the children, it's "Uncle".

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-Yeah.

-Whether they belong to us or not. It's "Uncle".

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So what's going to happen now that he's not going to be around

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-for a while?

-And he's a figurehead.

-Exactly, so...

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And will they know why he's not around?

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Um, the majority of them won't,

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cos it's not something you're going to advertise, is it, really?

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I replied to him and said, "Well, you know..."

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It would be Blacker's first prison sentence.

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Martin and his shopping.

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What happens about your locks inside?

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-Nothing. Mine is mine.

-You're just allowed to keep them?

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It's mine. Of course, they're mine.

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When did you last cut your hair?

0:21:090:21:13

From the moment I was free of the shackles and the chains,

0:21:130:21:17

and I didn't have to have parental fuss-pottery.

0:21:170:21:22

So I've never had a haircut since I was 14.

0:21:220:21:26

-You don't let it out much, do you? I noticed...

-No, no, no, in England I

0:21:260:21:29

don't let it out, because people get kind of, "Oh, my gosh, it's so

0:21:290:21:34

"long! I've never seen anything like that before, can I touch it?"

0:21:340:21:38

"No, you can't." "Please, can I touch it?" "No, you cannot.

0:21:380:21:42

"Ma'am, you cannot touch my hair. OK, let's make a deal,

0:21:420:21:46

"I allow you to touch my hair if you allow me to touch your breast.

0:21:460:21:50

"Is that a good compromise?" "No, no, no, no, no!"

0:21:500:21:53

-I think that's a slightly strange one.

-But that's what I'm trying to say...

-Yeah.

0:21:530:21:58

..your breast is personal to you,

0:21:580:22:00

as a woman, and you hold it as a private part of your life.

0:22:000:22:04

-Can I see how long now?

-Can YOU see?

-Yeah.

0:22:040:22:08

I don't want to touch, I just want to see.

0:22:080:22:10

OK, now that's maybe a different request, then.

0:22:100:22:13

Yeah, I wouldn't dream of saying, "Can I touch?"

0:22:130:22:16

Especially not under the circs of what you've just said. HE LAUGHS

0:22:160:22:20

See, it works every time.

0:22:200:22:23

I don't mind my locks being shown, cos it's mine, and I have no

0:22:230:22:28

problems with showing my locks, because it is a part of me.

0:22:280:22:32

And some of them have been there for 40 years, cos these are the original

0:22:320:22:36

ones from day one.

0:22:360:22:39

Yeah. This is original from day one.

0:22:390:22:42

Do you wear them out in Jamaica? You say you don't wear them...

0:22:510:22:54

LAUGHTER

0:23:160:23:19

It's just to get the chicks going, that's why you do that.

0:23:190:23:21

No, man, no chicks are around there, man. And then, when you flash them and flash them, the water just

0:23:210:23:26

flies, and then I take them and I spin them. Like this.

0:23:260:23:30

And by about one hour, they're dry, and I get some olive

0:23:300:23:34

oil and put it in it, you know? So that's all I do.

0:23:340:23:39

That's it. That's why, you know,

0:23:390:23:42

any time when I have them out, I just do this

0:23:420:23:45

and put them in my pocket.

0:23:450:23:47

While I was at Blacker's,

0:23:500:23:52

Naptarli turned up to show him the new car he's managed to lease.

0:23:520:23:56

He wants to start a legitimate career as a chauffeur.

0:23:580:24:01

-Looking at all the hits on the car.

-What hits?

-Look!

0:24:010:24:04

That's the accident that they hit me. I'm waiting for my insurance.

0:24:040:24:07

-I don't care! And this tyre...

-This is all one accident.

-And this up here as well is another accident,

0:24:070:24:12

-yeah?

-What? There's no accident there. That's chipped.

-What's this?

0:24:120:24:14

-That's not an accident, brother.

-What's this?

0:24:140:24:16

-So what is this, then?

-That's where somebody grazed me.

0:24:160:24:19

-No, man. I'm not accepting that, man.

-What's wrong with this brother?

0:24:190:24:22

The first time you were inebriated, you broke that.

0:24:220:24:25

Broke what? No, that's nothing to do with that, Steve. That isn't inebriation.

0:24:250:24:28

Let me tell you what that is. That's parking on the kerb, too close to the kerb.

0:24:280:24:32

Could it be something to do with your glasses?

0:24:320:24:34

-Yeah, we need to buy you a pair of glasses.

-No, Mo. No, Mo.

-Why you driving with them?

0:24:340:24:39

-Because they allow me to, they say I can drive with them.

-No, no, no, no, no, reading glasses are reading

0:24:390:24:43

-glasses, my brother.

-Here's why they're reading. This part here is for the reading.

-Yeah.

0:24:430:24:47

-This part here is for seeing.

-Yeah, but you're always looking out that part, down the bottom.

0:24:470:24:51

-I'm looking down to see over the top of the glasses.

-You need...you just need a proper glasses, bruv.

0:24:510:24:55

-It is a proper glass!

-LAUGHTER

0:24:550:24:58

And then you've got the bloody hat on, that's covering your eyes as well.

0:24:580:25:02

-LAUGHTER

-If it's not the hat, it's the towel.

0:25:020:25:04

Naptarli and Blacker have been close friends since they were 13,

0:25:060:25:11

but they've led very different lives.

0:25:110:25:13

-When did that happen?

-You forget?

-I forgot, tell me.

0:25:130:25:17

December '88, when I got shot by the police.

0:25:170:25:19

Excuse the holes in my vest, it's a work vest.

0:25:260:25:29

Across there...

0:25:320:25:35

..and over here.

0:25:350:25:36

That's quite a serious one.

0:25:390:25:41

It would be, it's a gunshot. They're all gunshot wounds.

0:25:410:25:44

What, it went straight through the arm and out the other side?

0:25:440:25:48

Yeah, and along there.

0:25:480:25:51

Tell us the story, Naptarli.

0:25:510:25:53

It's a simple story.

0:25:530:25:55

-Yeah?

-Armed robbery, I used to be an armed robber,

0:25:550:26:00

and on our last escapade we went in and demanded money,

0:26:000:26:05

and we came running out and the Barnes police,

0:26:050:26:08

Barnes robbery squad was there, waiting for us.

0:26:080:26:12

And a gun battle ensued between us and the police,

0:26:120:26:17

and two police officers got shot and three of us got shot.

0:26:170:26:21

And I'm here to tell the tale.

0:26:260:26:28

But does it not make you feel a bit of a shit, scaring someone?

0:26:300:26:33

No, not really, not...

0:26:330:26:36

Not then. In those days I was...I didn't really care less. I just was

0:26:360:26:40

looking out for me and myself.

0:26:400:26:42

-Oh.

-You know, and...

0:26:420:26:46

-You feel different now?

-Yeah, we used to smoke cocaine in those

0:26:460:26:48

days, so we used to,

0:26:480:26:51

we were high up on cocaine, as in fearless.

0:26:510:26:55

So, because we were fearless,

0:26:550:26:58

anything comes, anything goes.

0:26:580:27:01

Didn't really worry about it.

0:27:010:27:03

What's the price you've paid, though?

0:27:050:27:08

Spending time away from my...

0:27:080:27:12

..loved ones, and missed out on the growing up of my children.

0:27:120:27:19

Missed growing up with them.

0:27:190:27:22

-Grandfather, what are you doing?

-Yeah, I'm running from the camera.

0:27:220:27:25

More of Blacker's old friends have turned up to help dismantle the shop.

0:27:250:27:30

The camera there, see one there, see one there.

0:27:300:27:32

They're all around. You can't hide.

0:27:320:27:35

-This is Grandfather.

-My agent told me I have to cover up.

0:27:350:27:38

-These are your agents.

-LAUGHTER

0:27:380:27:41

REGGAE MUSIC PLAYS

0:27:410:27:44

How long have you known them, as a family?

0:27:470:27:50

I've known them 40-odd.

0:27:500:27:53

He's really caught up at the moment.

0:27:550:27:59

You know? And trying to come to terms with the loss.

0:27:590:28:03

In time he will get there, but at the moment he's...you know?

0:28:030:28:06

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

0:28:060:28:09

But it's a sad thing, you know?

0:28:090:28:12

Especially when we are saying how you're close to that individual,

0:28:120:28:16

you know? Cos he's just getting over his son...

0:28:160:28:21

His son also died as well.

0:28:210:28:24

You know, and he's getting over that, and then his mum here now,

0:28:240:28:27

-so it's a double for him, you know?

-What's going on, my soldier?

0:28:270:28:30

-You good?

-Yeah.

-Yeah? You're getting big, man. Yeah, man.

0:28:300:28:36

How did he lose his son?

0:28:360:28:38

Some street battle.

0:28:380:28:42

Street, you know?

0:28:420:28:44

Oh, let's see that.

0:28:470:28:49

And he walks with me, wherever I go.

0:28:530:28:57

-You see what I'm saying?

-That's a fantastic shirt.

0:28:570:29:02

It's like a war wound, you understand?

0:29:020:29:06

You go to the war and it's there, you know?

0:29:060:29:11

-This bag is yours?

-Yeah, you can manage this as well, at the same time?

0:29:110:29:16

Now wasn't the right time to ask Blacker about Solomon.

0:29:160:29:20

I knew he'd been killed violently on the streets, but I wondered why

0:29:200:29:23

Blacker had called it a war wound.

0:29:230:29:27

What it is, right, I was on a building site, yeah?

0:29:270:29:31

We're not getting racial, right, but I was on a building site and a white

0:29:310:29:35

man said to me that, "The other day I took up a magazine, and I read the

0:29:350:29:40

"magazine and it was an article with the National Front,

0:29:400:29:44

"and you know what the National Front said?"

0:29:440:29:46

He said, "Thank God for the Yardies."

0:29:460:29:48

So I'm thinking, "Why would he say that?"

0:29:480:29:51

"Because we don't have to do black people anything no more,

0:29:510:29:54

"they're doing themselves harm.

0:29:540:29:57

"We don't have to be killing black people or going and burning down

0:29:570:30:00

"their houses or offending black people."

0:30:000:30:02

It's a black-on-black thing, what's happening now.

0:30:020:30:05

The black youths don't respect their culture or their skin. They need

0:30:070:30:10

to start going into their culture and get to know their culture.

0:30:100:30:14

You get me? They need to start learning about their culture.

0:30:140:30:17

They know nothing about their culture.

0:30:170:30:19

They know nothing about Africa, they know nothing about the West Indies.

0:30:190:30:23

They need to know where their parents came from and the struggle they went through.

0:30:230:30:27

I wanted to ask June about Solomon but an old friend of her mother's was

0:30:300:30:34

passing by.

0:30:340:30:36

I thought it was June that was your girlfriend.

0:30:360:30:38

What's your profession?

0:30:380:30:39

-What do you do?

-He's retired, he's an OAP, darling.

0:30:390:30:42

My profession?

0:30:420:30:43

-Yeah, but what was it?

-He used to...

0:30:430:30:45

Engineering, engineer, Post Office.

0:30:450:30:47

British Telecom, stop it.

0:30:470:30:50

-Eh?

-British Telecom.

0:30:500:30:51

I had the best time with Post Office, Government.

0:30:510:30:56

I'm living happy.

0:30:560:30:58

When we came here, England was England.

0:31:000:31:03

Third and fourth generation, no love at all, no love.

0:31:080:31:12

They're not like we. We would pass and say good morning, good evening.

0:31:120:31:17

They're not like we.

0:31:170:31:19

Will you tell me about Solomon, what he was like?

0:31:240:31:26

-She can tell you.

-As a person?

0:31:260:31:28

-No, no.

-Oh, go on.

-It's too emotional for me.

-It is very emotional for you, though.

0:31:280:31:33

-Yeah, yeah.

-You were very close to him?

-Yeah.

-She was.

0:31:330:31:35

And although it's been...it's ten years this year...

0:31:350:31:38

..it's... Yeah.

0:31:390:31:42

I know, cos Steve's still got the DVD and he's never watched it.

0:31:420:31:46

-Yeah, I've never watched it either.

-I've never watched it either.

0:31:460:31:49

-The DVD?

-Of his funeral. And I've never, ever watched it.

0:31:490:31:52

How was he killed?

0:31:530:31:54

-They shot him.

-He was shot in his head.

0:31:540:31:58

-In the head.

-Did they ever find out who did it?

0:31:580:32:03

-Nope.

-Serious?

0:32:030:32:05

Up until today, it's an unsolved case.

0:32:050:32:09

Is anyone trying to solve it?

0:32:090:32:11

Hm.

0:32:110:32:12

I borrowed the DVD from Blacker and found that his mother had delivered

0:32:190:32:24

the graveside eulogy.

0:32:240:32:26

We just want to thank you for Solomon's life.

0:32:270:32:30

We know we can't do nothing for him now.

0:32:300:32:32

You said there's no repentance in the grave or pardon offering to the dead

0:32:320:32:36

so we have got to pray for the ones that are left behind.

0:32:360:32:39

Lord, my family is very, very large and you know, I know,

0:32:390:32:43

and everybody knows, and I pray God for them, especially for the young men.

0:32:430:32:48

Lord, I pray that you'll take them off the streets.

0:32:480:32:51

I pray God that you'll let them be at home where they belong.

0:32:510:32:56

I pray, Heavenly Father, that you'll touch their hearts,

0:32:560:32:58

touch their lives, Lord, and turn things around.

0:32:580:33:02

And I ask you, Heavenly Father, that you will take full control of their

0:33:020:33:06

lives. We don't want to see any more young men like this.

0:33:060:33:11

-ALL:

-Amen.

0:33:110:33:13

I see. Everybody's in one

0:33:170:33:20

grave, then? Everyone's in one grave, then?

0:33:200:33:24

With Mummy? Yeah. We've got Daddy, he was number one.

0:33:240:33:28

Solomon's on top of him. And then Mummy's on top of them.

0:33:280:33:32

They're all down there together.

0:33:330:33:36

Mama...

0:33:380:33:39

..brother Martin...

0:33:420:33:44

..father Martin and son Martin.

0:33:460:33:49

-When's Solomon's anniversary?

-31st of December, it will be ten years to the day.

0:33:500:33:56

Ten years to the day.

0:33:580:34:00

I think the longer it is, just the worse it gets.

0:34:030:34:05

They shoot him. Drive-by killing.

0:34:080:34:12

They set him up and shoot him.

0:34:140:34:16

But the law don't care.

0:34:160:34:18

You know what I mean? I've never had a conversation with the police in charge of the case.

0:34:180:34:25

What did he do, Solomon? What was his thing?

0:34:260:34:30

Solomon was a street youth. He'd been away,

0:34:310:34:35

done a robbery, got some time for it.

0:34:350:34:38

He came out in December and died in December, so it's not like he had a chance

0:34:380:34:44

to even change his life if he wanted to.

0:34:440:34:48

He didn't get the opportunity to wake up one morning and feel the spirit

0:34:480:34:52

of the Almighty hold him and say, "Come, son, I'll take you home."

0:34:520:35:00

24, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I never took any exams at school.

0:35:020:35:06

-Why?

-My knowledge is of the street.

0:35:060:35:09

I don't know if I'm academically wise. I know I'm streetwise and I learned

0:35:110:35:17

my education from the ghetto college of education, further education.

0:35:170:35:23

It's called ghetto-ology.

0:35:250:35:27

And do you think there's a freedom in that or a price to pay?

0:35:270:35:32

You pay the price of probably missing out on the opportunities of

0:35:320:35:37

being a part of the so-called society.

0:35:370:35:43

I grew up in the '70s and '80s, you know.

0:35:470:35:49

There was no opportunity for us.

0:35:490:35:52

It was token black time, when token blacks were given token jobs.

0:35:520:35:57

-You don't think it's different now?

-No.

0:35:570:36:00

-Really, no?

-You ask all the youths in the community around Brixton if it's any different now.

0:36:000:36:07

Don't ask me. I had my chance and I did what I did.

0:36:090:36:12

But you ask the youths, because when they grow up and they're telling their story like I am,

0:36:120:36:18

they're going to say the 2000s,

0:36:180:36:22

2010 to 2020 were the hardest times in the history of England.

0:36:220:36:28

How much youths were dying, how much youths were in jail, how much youths couldn't get jobs.

0:36:300:36:36

Do you want a hug? Do you want a hug?

0:36:470:36:49

Where are you? Upstairs?

0:37:060:37:08

Yes. I'm downstairs eating my breakfast.

0:37:080:37:11

OK, you make your own breakfast now?

0:37:110:37:14

Blacker's youngest son, JJ, goes to school in Jamaica, where he lives with his mother, Maureen.

0:37:140:37:20

Sorry, excuse me, sir.

0:37:200:37:22

You see me make my breakfast every morning. There's no difference to this morning, is there, Daddy?

0:37:230:37:28

No. No, son.

0:37:280:37:30

No, son.

0:37:300:37:32

SIREN

0:37:320:37:34

That's the sound of Brixton.

0:37:350:37:37

-And how often do you talk to them?

-Every day.

0:37:390:37:42

Every single day.

0:37:440:37:45

-Every day.

-Why does he...?

0:37:470:37:49

Why have you got a son who goes to school in Jamaica?

0:37:490:37:52

Because of England. England has messed up a couple of my other children,

0:37:520:37:56

they end up in prison now, whatever, but the system, their oppression,

0:37:560:38:01

all kind of crap, saying he's a bad child, he's this, he's that,

0:38:010:38:06

he's the other.

0:38:060:38:07

And now he's in Jamaica, he's an A student.

0:38:070:38:10

So what does that tell me as a father?

0:38:100:38:13

They had actually told us... The school in

0:38:130:38:16

the UK told us that Jahmel does not belong in a mainstream school.

0:38:160:38:19

They said that you have some children that cannot deal with mainstream

0:38:190:38:24

schools and Jahmel is one of them.

0:38:240:38:28

-Whoa.

-So, you know, what do you do? So if my child stayed in the UK,

0:38:280:38:33

he would have ended up in a pupil referral unit full-time.

0:38:330:38:37

When I was 13, I was...

0:38:400:38:42

..I got involved with some wayward people at school that were...

0:38:420:38:47

-They were unruly like myself.

-Yeah.

-And we just did silly things and I never got a chance to finish

0:38:470:38:53

school because of my waywardness at school and so I ended up in the

0:38:530:38:58

children's home and...

0:38:580:39:00

-Why? Where were your parents?

-Well, they were here, they did their best. But you know when you buck up

0:39:000:39:05

with some people and then you don't want to listen to what Mum is saying

0:39:050:39:09

any more, you know, and before you realise it is too late.

0:39:090:39:14

-Then what happened to you?

-Approved school.

0:39:160:39:19

Borstal.

0:39:190:39:20

Children's home. Detention centre.

0:39:200:39:23

To prison. Ten years in prison then two years in prison in France.

0:39:230:39:30

-So if you've only been out for three years...?

-Yes.

0:39:330:39:37

But before that you were in for how long?

0:39:380:39:40

-For two years.

-Oh, OK.

-And then before that for ten years.

0:39:400:39:44

-Too naughty.

-Too naughty.

0:39:470:39:50

-He was knighted?

-No, naughty.

0:39:500:39:53

Knighted? Yes, that would be nice!

0:39:530:39:55

He was a naughty boy. He was a bad boy.

0:39:550:39:59

All right, all right, all right.

0:39:590:40:01

Tomorrow morning, Blacker goes for sentencing.

0:40:010:40:05

Word's got out.

0:40:050:40:07

-I saw you.

-Yeah.

-Love you to the max.

0:40:070:40:09

-All right? Sorry about that.

-Yeah, man, respect.

0:40:090:40:11

-Everything OK?

-Yeah, man.

-Family well?

-Yeah.

-God bless you.

0:40:110:40:15

-I'm going to come look for you, all right?

-All right.

0:40:150:40:17

Can you take me in the morning?

0:40:170:40:19

Yeah, you going to come to my house?

0:40:190:40:20

No, cos I've got no transport.

0:40:200:40:22

-I won't have no transport.

-Get you from where?

0:40:230:40:25

-The Vale. It's on the way.

-It's not on the way.

0:40:250:40:30

-It is!

-Are you going as well?

0:40:300:40:33

-Of course I'm going.

-Why do so many of you go?

0:40:330:40:36

Because...

0:40:360:40:37

-..we go.

-Because you've got a family and you've got a support system and

0:40:370:40:41

those kinds of things, you know what I mean?

0:40:410:40:43

Like, a lot of people, when they are facing these things, they don't have anyone.

0:40:430:40:46

It's just them.

0:40:460:40:48

One and God. But he's got family and people that care, innit?

0:40:480:40:50

Hello.

0:40:540:40:55

Some of the family have come round to be with Blacker on his last night at home.

0:40:560:41:00

Hello.

0:41:020:41:04

Five, six, seven, eight, nine pairs of socks.

0:41:040:41:09

-June, why are you doing all of this?

-Hmm?

-Why are you doing all this?

0:41:090:41:14

I'm listing so he knows what's in there.

0:41:140:41:16

They're packed to go,

0:41:160:41:18

like you're packing on a holiday and that. It's not holiday, you know?

0:41:180:41:23

Yeah, and you're forced to go to a place where you don't want to go.

0:41:230:41:27

Have you ever been in one of those places?

0:41:270:41:29

More than I would like to count.

0:41:290:41:31

Really?

0:41:310:41:33

-I ironed my underpants and my vest.

-Proper perfectionist.

0:41:330:41:38

No, his mother does these things.

0:41:380:41:41

Look in my drawer, I ironed my underpants, I ironed everything.

0:41:410:41:46

I ironed my sheets,

0:41:460:41:48

I ironed my pillowcases and my towel, if you don't watch it, as well.

0:41:480:41:52

Daddy's got OCD.

0:41:520:41:55

Why, Blacker?

0:41:550:41:56

Why? I don't know, it's just what I do.

0:41:560:41:59

I didn't think of... Is it not normal?

0:41:590:42:03

I don't know what normal is, Dad, but...

0:42:030:42:06

I don't know nobody else that iron...

0:42:060:42:08

-So, you don't iron your underpants?

-No! What for?

0:42:080:42:10

People don't iron socks.

0:42:100:42:12

You take your socks out, you put them down like this,

0:42:120:42:15

and you go like that and you roll them and you sit them down.

0:42:150:42:19

My baby brother, sometimes I have to love you cos you iron your socks.

0:42:190:42:23

Oh, my God, my brother irons his socks! Oh, God!

0:42:230:42:26

You never seen it?

0:42:260:42:28

-Yo, sis, put down that bag.

-Come on, baby, get in.

0:42:460:42:50

-I'm driving.

-No, me.

-Hold this.

0:42:550:42:59

PHONE RINGS

0:42:590:43:00

REGGAE MUSIC PLAYS

0:43:000:43:03

-How are you?

-Tony.

-No, I'm all right.

0:43:370:43:39

Who were you talking to, Blacker?

0:43:390:43:40

And what did he say to you?

0:43:450:43:48

So, it's a shock.

0:43:560:43:57

So he said tears are coming down his face.

0:43:580:44:01

She's getting married in Jamaica, and Daddy's not going to be there to give her away.

0:44:060:44:10

It's Corinne who's about to get married.

0:44:140:44:16

She's one of Blacker's elder daughters and a probation officer.

0:44:160:44:19

-Good morning.

-Morning.

0:44:220:44:24

Ebony is another of his daughters.

0:44:260:44:27

In fact, quite a few of Blacker's children have come.

0:44:270:44:30

Remember, her mum said that we mustn't come in, innit.

0:44:320:44:34

The judge sentenced Blacker to two and a half years

0:44:490:44:52

and in his summing-up dismissed him as a failure.

0:44:520:44:55

You've failed, you've failed and you've failed again.

0:44:550:44:59

You know what, he needs to not take in those words.

0:44:590:45:01

No, he hasn't failed, that's his opinion.

0:45:010:45:04

He doesn't know him from nowhere.

0:45:040:45:05

No, but listen, someone so stupid that the fact they think Dad was the instigator.

0:45:050:45:08

Do you know how stupid that sounds?

0:45:080:45:10

I don't think that word "failure"...

0:45:100:45:11

-I don't think he's failed.

-..should penetrate. That's what I'm saying.

0:45:110:45:14

He'll be out next week. Next year, June.

0:45:140:45:17

See, look at that. Fuck me,

0:45:170:45:20

-that's all right.

-Well, that's it, isn't it?

0:45:200:45:22

-It is what it is.

-Yeah.

-It is what it is.

0:45:220:45:23

So he only has to look after his ass for a couple of months, a year.

0:45:230:45:26

For a year. For a couple of months. Look after himself.

0:45:260:45:29

Are you crying? Stop it. Please, stop it.

0:45:290:45:32

There's times when I'm at home and I think about him, and my mind goes to

0:45:360:45:40

him, and I think, "Fucking hell, Steve."

0:45:400:45:42

You know, what he's going through in there now, where he is.

0:45:420:45:45

Because I've been in the same place many a time, so I know that part of it.

0:45:450:45:50

I feel that pain.

0:45:500:45:52

There's times when I know even as a man he will sit down,

0:45:520:45:55

and because he's there he will sit down and cry.

0:45:550:45:58

He will cry. To himself, when there's no-one around.

0:45:580:46:01

For Naptarli, it's now life on the outside that's the struggle.

0:46:050:46:09

I only washing up.

0:46:090:46:10

And he waits for me to come home from work at half past six to cook, sometimes seven.

0:46:100:46:15

Cos she does it so nice.

0:46:150:46:17

It turns out he can't get a licence to be a chauffeur because of his criminal record.

0:46:170:46:22

As the man I have to help provide,

0:46:230:46:26

and not providing how I should be providing.

0:46:260:46:29

And it hurts me to...

0:46:290:46:32

I'm...frustrated.

0:46:320:46:34

Because I feel inadequate.

0:46:360:46:37

Is this just, as it were, sort of just deserts,

0:46:390:46:43

that you sit here thinking, "Shit, now what?"?

0:46:430:46:46

What would you say to that?

0:46:470:46:48

I know you will have something to say.

0:46:500:46:51

Life is not fair, is it? Life ain't fair.

0:46:510:46:54

Life is not fair. I did what I did.

0:46:550:46:57

I paid for what I did.

0:46:580:47:00

I paid for what I did.

0:47:010:47:03

I was incarcerated for many years.

0:47:030:47:05

And that's my just deserts.

0:47:060:47:09

So, now, I'm still a human being and I'm still alive,

0:47:090:47:13

so what are you going to do with me?

0:47:130:47:16

Are you going to make me live and be dependent on you?

0:47:160:47:19

No.

0:47:190:47:21

Fend for yourself.

0:47:210:47:23

But because of your situation, we've taken away your liberty

0:47:230:47:28

from you and we just dropped you in...

0:47:280:47:31

..in a pond, now, for want of a better word.

0:47:310:47:35

You need assistance to get going and be straight like everyone else.

0:47:350:47:41

Cos if you don't straighten up like everyone else, then you just end up back where you was.

0:47:420:47:45

I miss him.

0:47:560:47:58

And, like, here,

0:47:580:48:00

I'm in his home looking after his bits and pieces.

0:48:000:48:04

Every time I turn around there's Mum and my dad sitting on one wall,

0:48:040:48:07

there's Solomon on the other wall, and there's Steve sitting up there,

0:48:070:48:10

and they're all smiling at me and I'm not in a very smiley mood.

0:48:100:48:13

Were you this involved with Blacker before all this began?

0:48:130:48:17

Were you around and helping him?

0:48:170:48:18

Do you know, he was my baby.

0:48:180:48:21

And I was there.

0:48:210:48:23

I was there from the beginning, and he was our baby brother.

0:48:230:48:27

Jean and my baby brother.

0:48:270:48:28

He would have been ten...

0:48:310:48:32

I think he'd only be about eight when he got here, and his dream was to go home.

0:48:320:48:37

It's always to go back to Jamaica and live in Jamaica.

0:48:370:48:40

Not stay here indefinitely,

0:48:400:48:43

die here or anything like that.

0:48:430:48:45

And the only reason why Steve did not go was because of Mummy.

0:48:450:48:50

His heart was never in England.

0:48:520:48:54

He left his heart in Jamaica when he was a child and came here.

0:48:550:48:59

Cos he had no choice.

0:49:000:49:02

Is the house that your mum lived in still there?

0:49:040:49:07

Yes, cos my sister... Oh, my sister made me laugh.

0:49:070:49:11

She said... Cos when we were little

0:49:110:49:13

this house was like a huge, phenomenal thing to us as little ones.

0:49:130:49:18

And my sister said to me, she said, "You know what? Mum's house that we thought was so grand

0:49:180:49:24

"is just like a shack."

0:49:240:49:25

My grandfather's house, which was like...

0:49:250:49:27

..huge to me when I was little, she said, "It's a shack."

0:49:280:49:31

The home they left behind all those years ago is here in the parish of

0:49:340:49:38

Saint Thomas, Jamaica.

0:49:380:49:40

So, this is all the family plot?

0:49:400:49:42

That, there.

0:49:420:49:44

Is Blacker's mum's, Pauline's old house?

0:49:480:49:51

No, it's where my great-grandmother used to live.

0:49:510:49:55

Some of the family still live here now.

0:49:550:49:57

In fact, June's son Nicky is living here at the moment and he's brought me out here.

0:49:570:50:03

That's Anne Marie.

0:50:030:50:06

So, this is... Whose place is this, then?

0:50:060:50:09

Mine.

0:50:090:50:10

And down there is Steve Martin.

0:50:110:50:14

That's what he left. Who lives there now?

0:50:140:50:16

I've got a cousin staying in there.

0:50:160:50:19

The main reason I'd come out to Jamaica

0:50:190:50:21

was to meet Blacker's son JJ, who I'd only met on Skype.

0:50:210:50:25

Don't worry, I'll play another one, hopefully I'll win that.

0:50:290:50:32

Is this going to go on BBC News?

0:50:330:50:35

Well, I think it'll probably go on prime-time television.

0:50:350:50:38

-Yeah, you playing your game.

-OK.

0:50:380:50:40

-I think so.

-What, like, everybody in the world's going to see it?

0:50:400:50:43

What are you going to do when you grow, do you think?

0:50:480:50:49

-What would you like to do?

-I would want to be a wrestler.

0:50:490:50:52

-Do you?

-Yeah.

0:50:520:50:54

I would want to be a wrestler.

0:50:560:50:57

My other profession would be a footballer,

0:50:590:51:02

if I don't get to do that.

0:51:020:51:04

You don't want to follow your academic work?

0:51:040:51:07

Well, if I had to, I will.

0:51:070:51:09

-You're so clever.

-I know. Thank you.

0:51:100:51:13

JJ lives in Kingston, which is two hours from the family plot.

0:51:180:51:22

Some people get a ride on the back or front of the car.

0:51:220:51:25

They don't want to pay you, though.

0:51:250:51:26

LOUD REGGAE MUSIC PLAYS

0:51:310:51:34

-30 for them?

-Yeah, 60 you get two.

-Come on, man, 20 for them.

0:51:370:51:41

You want bagjuice? 20 for bagjuice?

0:51:500:51:54

In two days' time, JJ has to sit entrance exams for secondary school.

0:51:590:52:04

And when you get those good grades that you're proud of and you turn

0:52:040:52:08

around and say you didn't think that you could do it but you did,

0:52:080:52:10

just remember that feeling.

0:52:100:52:13

I didn't say I didn't think I could do it.

0:52:130:52:15

Remember the feeling you had when we looked at your report card the other day?

0:52:150:52:19

-Yeah?

-And you got what?

0:52:190:52:20

91.2, I know I could do it.

0:52:200:52:23

-Absolutely.

-What did you get?

-91.2.

0:52:230:52:26

But I wasn't surprised, because I knew I could do that, but I know I can do better.

0:52:260:52:31

-That's right.

-Yeah.

-You can do better.

0:52:310:52:33

I can get 100% if I focus more.

0:52:330:52:36

So, I don't think you're going to be a wrestler.

0:52:360:52:39

Well, I could be, cos you have to use your brain to be a wrestler.

0:52:390:52:42

You have to know what moves, when to do it.

0:52:420:52:44

So, everything you have to use your brain

0:52:440:52:48

when you're doing it, like how to pour a bag of sugar into a pot,

0:52:480:52:52

you have to put the exact amount.

0:52:520:52:54

THEY LAUGH

0:52:540:52:56

That's where I put my science book.

0:52:590:53:00

You know the work that you've done in those extra books that she gave you,

0:53:000:53:03

-and you need to bring back those books.

-I have to do extra work.

0:53:030:53:07

Extra work pays off!

0:53:070:53:09

How long has he been at school out here?

0:53:090:53:11

-Four years.

-Four years.

-Yes.

0:53:110:53:16

This month makes four years.

0:53:160:53:17

One thing that Jamaica has taught him is that

0:53:190:53:24

he's not different.

0:53:240:53:26

He's not different. He is a normal boy that has lots of energy.

0:53:260:53:32

That's like a lot of the boys out here.

0:53:320:53:35

In the UK...

0:53:350:53:36

..he was being taught that he's not normal.

0:53:380:53:40

They thought he had ADHD, they thought he was autistic,

0:53:400:53:44

they thought he was this, that... He was just rude.

0:53:440:53:47

He was just rude, rude, rude, rude, rude.

0:53:470:53:53

-But I had brains.

-And... Yes,

0:53:530:53:55

he's always had a brain, because he knew how to wind the teachers up.

0:53:550:54:00

-This is in England?

-Yes. Yes.

0:54:000:54:02

And because the teachers are powerless to do anything

0:54:020:54:06

because your government over there has made them powerless to do things,

0:54:060:54:09

so they can't even touch a child,

0:54:090:54:11

cos if they touch a child then they're frightened of losing their job,

0:54:110:54:15

then of course the children are going to run wild.

0:54:150:54:17

That's what he done, he ran wild.

0:54:170:54:19

I kicked a teacher.

0:54:190:54:20

-Did you?

-Yeah, I remember that.

0:54:200:54:22

And I got... It's like in an article, and Daddy had to come for me.

0:54:220:54:24

He was cursing all the way home.

0:54:240:54:27

When he was going to mainstream school,

0:54:270:54:29

practically every day apart from maybe one or two days a week...

0:54:290:54:34

..they called us in to come and pick him up.

0:54:350:54:38

Do you feel here, too, do you feel the teachers are more interested in you here?

0:54:380:54:43

Well, yeah. Like, they might be hard on you, but they're more interested of you helping...

0:54:430:54:49

They want to help you get somewhere.

0:54:490:54:53

So, if they want you to help get somewhere,

0:54:530:54:55

as well as teaching you the work, they want you to have, like...

0:54:550:54:59

They want you to have behaviour so when you grow up you know your manners

0:54:590:55:03

and respect for elder people, so you can say please and thank you and hello and good morning.

0:55:030:55:07

So they teach you discipline at the same time as they teach you the work.

0:55:070:55:11

So it's a good thing.

0:55:110:55:13

But England, they didn't teach me that.

0:55:130:55:15

All they taught me was my behaviour, I wasn't anything good.

0:55:150:55:20

And I was believing it, but when I came to Jamaica I realised that what they were saying was not true.

0:55:200:55:26

-And who is this?

-My sister, Colleen, Dad's daughter.

0:55:320:55:37

Whoa.

0:55:370:55:38

This is just your morning costume?

0:55:390:55:41

-Yeah, basically.

-You look fab.

0:55:430:55:44

Oh, gosh! Good morning.

0:55:440:55:47

Good morning!

0:55:470:55:48

Good morning! Good morning!

0:55:480:55:53

-Jahmel?

-Yes?

-What are you doing, baby?

0:55:560:55:59

-I'm waiting on you.

-Are you going to come?

-Yes.

0:55:590:56:02

You got your bag, you got everything?

0:56:020:56:04

No. Not got everything.

0:56:040:56:07

I haven't got everything.

0:56:070:56:09

You were sitting in there on the phone

0:56:090:56:10

and you haven't even done your wallet, you haven't put on your watch.

0:56:100:56:13

So, you are not ready, and I'm ready to go through the door.

0:56:130:56:15

-Yeah.

-You were sitting on your phone, Jahmel.

0:56:150:56:18

That's why I'll take the phone away from you.

0:56:180:56:21

Because if you don't know when to put down the phone and look about

0:56:210:56:23

getting yourself ready, I will take the phone away from you.

0:56:230:56:26

All right? This is what I keep on saying.

0:56:270:56:30

It's a distraction, and until you know how to use it responsibly, I won't let you have it.

0:56:300:56:35

That's fair enough, right?

0:56:380:56:39

Bye.

0:56:410:56:43

Bye, Jahmel, see you at school.

0:56:430:56:44

What about Jahmel? At the moment, does he know or not?

0:56:560:56:59

No. No, no, no, he doesn't.

0:56:590:57:02

And he's not going to until his father is ready to tell him.

0:57:020:57:07

We've discussed it and we've said,

0:57:070:57:10

yes, he does need to know, but he doesn't need to know now.

0:57:100:57:14

-Yeah.

-And it's going to be a conversation that him and his father will have,

0:57:140:57:19

because his father is going to have to explain to him

0:57:190:57:22

what he'd done, what he'd done wrong.

0:57:220:57:24

You know, why it was wrong, and this is what happened to him

0:57:240:57:27

because of the wrong that he done. But then for Jahmel to process that,

0:57:270:57:31

he's going to be seeing his father in the flesh.

0:57:310:57:33

Maureen, how is it for you?

0:57:350:57:37

Yeah, for me, put it this way. I think I can talk for...

0:57:370:57:40

It's not just me, it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter what background you are,

0:57:400:57:44

I don't think anybody sets out to end up in jail.

0:57:440:57:49

I don't think anybody does.

0:57:490:57:51

When you think about life and the things we've done in life,

0:57:510:57:54

you know, even if it's to do with the taxman, you're fiddling a bit of tax.

0:57:540:57:58

Now, I know people have got their business,

0:57:580:58:00

you know, it's about getting a good accountant.

0:58:000:58:02

When you've got a good accountant

0:58:020:58:04

then you're trying to pay the least amount of tax as possible.

0:58:040:58:07

Technically, that's illegal, if you think about it, but we all do it.

0:58:070:58:12

Because it's about surviving. It's about surviving.

0:58:120:58:16

Because life is hard, so, sometimes things come your way,

0:58:160:58:21

an opportunity comes your way and...

0:58:210:58:24

..you think about it...

0:58:260:58:27

..for a split second, and you just probably think about the glory side of it

0:58:290:58:33

but you're not really thinking about "what if..."

0:58:330:58:36

And it's that split second that you say, "All right, gonna try a ting."

0:58:360:58:41

And you try that ting and you're going to say, "Yeah, if it work, it go nice."

0:58:410:58:46

And, you know, if it works, it's going to be nice and nobody's going to be none the wiser.

0:58:460:58:50

But if it doesn't work...

0:58:500:58:51

..your whole world can be blown apart.

0:58:520:58:55

And that's what it is.

0:58:560:58:57

It's the difference between, "Yes, I'm going to do it," "No, I'm not." Simple.

0:58:570:59:03

And it was a yes or no decision. He went with a yes.

0:59:030:59:06

And that's it. And then your whole world gets turned upside down

0:59:080:59:12

just because you said yes.

0:59:120:59:14

And that's what life is about, life is about choices.

0:59:140:59:16

Back in London, Naptarli has managed to get a job driving a van for an agency.

0:59:240:59:29

At the moment he's delivering to charity shops.

0:59:300:59:33

-My name is Brian.

-Brian?

-Yeah.

0:59:350:59:38

Thank you, Brian. Very helpful.

0:59:390:59:41

-Now, where's the bloody key?

-Why do you enjoy it?

0:59:510:59:54

I'm giving back. I feel like I'm, you know, helping out...

0:59:550:59:59

..from society, so to speak,

1:00:011:00:04

as a man who spent a portion of his life taking.

1:00:041:00:09

It's all in a day's work.

1:00:111:00:12

PHONE RINGS

1:00:191:00:22

-Hello!

-Hi, is this the right time that I can talk to you?

1:00:221:00:27

Well, you can, in a way, yes, you can, but...

1:00:271:00:30

-Good clothes!

-Good clothes!

-THEY LAUGH

1:00:331:00:36

Yes, hello?

1:00:381:00:41

Yes. You do remember the conversation that we had...

1:00:411:00:46

-I don't.

-..regarding... ..regarding the arrears.

1:00:461:00:50

Right, OK, yes.

1:00:501:00:52

So, as of now, as of today the arrears are £3,352.49.

1:00:521:01:00

Yep, I'm hearing this. Jesus.

1:01:001:01:02

OK. So, we want you to

1:01:021:01:07

come to some kind of payment plan where you can actually start paying more.

1:01:071:01:12

Obviously, yes. Yeah, I would imagine that, yeah.

1:01:121:01:15

What do you work as?

1:01:171:01:19

I'm a driver.

1:01:191:01:21

OK, and how many hours do you work?

1:01:211:01:24

It depends. That's the thing, I don't work every day of the week.

1:01:241:01:29

Sometimes, because it's an agency, I might not have work tomorrow.

1:01:291:01:36

And how much do you get paid?

1:01:361:01:38

For me to tell you a set wage weekly, I can't.

1:01:381:01:42

It doesn't work like that.

1:01:421:01:44

The sooner you come and sort this out, the better to...

1:01:441:01:47

Obviously, yes, yes, yes.

1:01:471:01:49

OK. We will see you next Thursday, then, yeah?

1:01:491:01:52

-Yes, madam. Yes, bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye.

1:01:521:01:55

Isn't it? That's the world I live in, Molly.

1:01:581:02:02

I don't get the break that I want.

1:02:021:02:05

Cos the world is not a nice place.

1:02:051:02:08

-It doesn't forgive.

-Well, it's just that you are...

1:02:101:02:13

-Doesn't forgive.

-It doesn't really forgive.

1:02:141:02:16

It's just you started on your straight journey so late.

1:02:191:02:22

Yes, that's the problem.

1:02:221:02:25

The world is awash with money.

1:02:271:02:30

It's awash with fucking money but...

1:02:301:02:34

..people who need what they need to get by and be comfortable

1:02:351:02:40

can't get nothing, they get swindled out of it.

1:02:401:02:44

You must just put up with your lot, so to speak,

1:02:441:02:49

but the big guy, or big guys,

1:02:491:02:53

can get around it anyhow they can and get around it and it's OK.

1:02:531:02:59

And it's just total bollocks.

1:02:591:03:03

It does make someone like me who is of the other side of the track,

1:03:031:03:07

or who has been on the other side of the track,

1:03:071:03:10

say to yourself, "Fuck me, man,

1:03:101:03:12

"I just want to do criminality all the time."

1:03:121:03:15

Cos, you know,

1:03:151:03:16

if that's what you know to get yours

1:03:161:03:19

then you want to do it when you see these other shit.

1:03:191:03:21

But conscience, you know, you have a thing called conscience.

1:03:241:03:29

-Also you have a thing called prison.

-Yes.

1:03:291:03:32

And these guys in front of you!

1:03:351:03:37

HE LAUGHS

1:03:371:03:38

After 15 months in prison,

1:03:451:03:49

Blacker has been released, and JJ and Maureen have come from Jamaica.

1:03:491:03:54

HE SHOUTS AND LAUGHS

1:03:541:03:55

-Comfortable now?

-No, no!

1:03:571:04:00

Now we can do the interview.

1:04:001:04:02

This is, yeah... This is called child crutality.

1:04:021:04:06

-This is child crutality.

-You can't do that, that's horrible!

1:04:061:04:10

-No!

-That's horrible!

1:04:101:04:12

That is not nice!

1:04:121:04:14

Hang on to the rope already! Hang on to the rope... Aagh!

1:04:141:04:17

Oh, excuse me.

1:04:171:04:19

All right...

1:04:191:04:21

-Daddy loves you so much.

-I can't get up, man!

1:04:211:04:24

How long since you two have been together fighting?

1:04:241:04:26

I've not beaten him up for 17, let me see, 12...

1:04:261:04:31

..19 months, I haven't been able to beat him up.

1:04:311:04:35

Blacker, what did you tell JJ?

1:04:391:04:42

I just sat him down

1:04:421:04:43

and I told him the whole "shangbangdiddlybangsking".

1:04:431:04:47

Everything.

1:04:471:04:48

And he was very receptive to it and he sat down and he listened intently

1:04:491:04:56

and he was like... Could see he was shocked, could see he was shocked

1:04:561:05:00

because nobody had told him anything, which was brilliant,

1:05:001:05:03

and I explained to him, I said,

1:05:031:05:05

"Listen, your family and your friends have done what I asked.

1:05:051:05:08

"So don't have anything against them,

1:05:081:05:10

"don't think anybody was keeping a secret from you, it was my request."

1:05:101:05:14

Tell me what you got.

1:05:171:05:18

-What, my average?

-Yeah.

1:05:181:05:20

Well, when I did the actual exam it was easy to me

1:05:241:05:28

and when I got my results...

1:05:281:05:29

..I wasn't surprised.

1:05:311:05:32

Mummy wasn't surprised either

1:05:321:05:34

because we knew I was going to cut it.

1:05:341:05:36

Most of my grades were 95.

1:05:361:05:38

-Yeah.

-Which you were one of the top ten.

1:05:381:05:41

No, the top six.

1:05:411:05:42

-He was in the top six.

-Yeah.

-Wow.

1:05:421:05:45

Top six, top of the class, ain't he?

1:05:471:05:50

-Yeah.

-OK.

1:05:501:05:52

What was it like in there, Blacker?

1:05:561:05:58

That... It's crazy. It's rubbish.

1:05:581:06:01

What are they doing, they throw you behind the door and the judges,

1:06:011:06:07

the politicians, they don't care, you're behind the door,

1:06:071:06:11

that's it, another one off the road.

1:06:111:06:13

It's crazy. For the amount of black people that's in prison

1:06:131:06:16

in a country that's allegedly only got 5 million of us or 6 million,

1:06:161:06:22

whatever the amount, that total of us is terrible.

1:06:221:06:26

That means somebody's failing somewhere

1:06:261:06:29

so it's either coming from when you're a child at home,

1:06:291:06:33

your parents have failed you,

1:06:331:06:35

then the society has failed you in school

1:06:351:06:37

because as you're a young black boy, if you are militant, you're trouble.

1:06:371:06:42

And I'm not going to be bothered with trouble so we put you in that little naughty corner,

1:06:421:06:46

or send you out to the headmaster's office or something like that

1:06:461:06:50

and that's it. And then you grow up feeling left out,

1:06:501:06:53

you grow up feeling that you're not a part of what's going on,

1:06:531:06:56

so then when you get on the street

1:06:561:06:58

you're still not a part of what's going on so you become

1:06:581:07:01

what you would never have been if somebody had taken that five minutes

1:07:011:07:05

just to put you aside and give you a good talking-to.

1:07:051:07:08

So tell me what happened to you at school.

1:07:091:07:12

I took my 11 plus.

1:07:121:07:13

I got a very good mark but I was told to take the 11 plus again.

1:07:131:07:17

I just knew they didn't believe that I could just come to England

1:07:171:07:22

and be able to take that 11 plus.

1:07:221:07:25

I got good results and I went to grammar school in Penge.

1:07:261:07:30

It was only, like, four or five black boys in the school, yeah,

1:07:301:07:34

so Mr Jenkins used to pick me up

1:07:341:07:37

and drive me up the road,

1:07:371:07:39

far away from where the boys used to stand up and wait for you

1:07:391:07:43

cos they'd wait by the gate. So you jump over the back fence

1:07:431:07:47

and make a run for it,

1:07:471:07:48

you see the bus coming, you know the bus is coming,

1:07:481:07:51

you know you can run so you'd, like, wait until they thought you couldn't get the bus

1:07:511:07:55

and you make a run. Boom.

1:07:551:07:57

And just run and jump the bus,

1:07:571:07:59

and it was like a cat-and-mouse thing with me and them for years,

1:07:591:08:03

so it was a godsend when I had to move school.

1:08:031:08:07

Did your parents know what was happening?

1:08:081:08:11

Mum never knew because

1:08:111:08:12

you couldn't tell her, I say I get beat up,

1:08:121:08:15

you couldn't tell her that people beat you up, yeah?

1:08:151:08:18

And you can't tell her

1:08:181:08:20

that you're running from people

1:08:201:08:22

because she never bring us come England to be scared of anybody,

1:08:221:08:25

she bring us come England for want of a better life.

1:08:251:08:28

My daughter's getting married.

1:08:341:08:35

So I'm supposed to... I signed the paper two nights ago,

1:08:351:08:40

the man came and gave me a paper to sign to say that

1:08:401:08:44

it's one second before midnight.

1:08:441:08:46

Blacker's daughter Corinne had changed her wedding plans

1:08:461:08:50

so her father could give her away, but he's out on tag.

1:08:501:08:54

Could you tell that to my wife?

1:08:541:08:55

I didn't get a letter from Corinne or anything like that

1:08:551:08:58

so she's worried that I'm making it up. Thank you.

1:08:581:09:02

Hello, good evening.

1:09:041:09:05

-OK.

-What's it look like?

1:09:081:09:11

-It's a little thing.

-Oh, it's tiny.

1:09:121:09:14

-I see.

-See it?

1:09:171:09:19

Thank you very much.

1:09:191:09:21

OK, all the best. Thank you, bye-bye.

1:09:211:09:23

Here we go, you got permission.

1:09:281:09:30

-See?

-Make sure you get your backside in the house long before 12 o'clock,

1:09:301:09:34

otherwise I'm going to beat you.

1:09:341:09:36

I'm so happy!

1:09:361:09:38

Thank you for your gifts, yeah, thank you very much for your gifts.

1:09:521:09:56

Yeah, see you.

1:09:561:09:57

-Oh.

-Come on, Daddy.

-Oh, baby.

1:09:571:10:00

Let me hold you.

1:10:001:10:01

Oh, my word.

1:10:041:10:06

Nice. I want your dress.

1:10:071:10:09

-Lovely day as well.

-But you knew you were going to get this day.

1:10:091:10:11

Listen, remember we were going to Jamaica? Jamaica came to us.

1:10:111:10:14

Remember I said that to you, because you've changed it.

1:10:141:10:17

-You remember what I said?

-Yeah.

1:10:171:10:19

Cos you've changed it, you're going to get the best day of the year.

1:10:191:10:22

MUSIC: Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran

1:10:241:10:27

# Darling, I will be loving you till we're 70... #

1:10:271:10:31

Wicked, wicked!

1:10:361:10:38

# And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23

1:10:381:10:43

# And I'm thinking 'bout how

1:10:461:10:48

# People fall in love in mysterious ways

1:10:481:10:54

# Maybe just the touch of a hand... #

1:10:541:10:59

You all right?

1:11:021:11:04

You all right, bruv? Thank you.

1:11:041:11:06

-You look beautiful.

-Congratulations.

-Wonderful, super.

1:11:061:11:09

Thank you, thanks.

1:11:111:11:13

-Beautiful.

-Thank you.

-It was really nice, though, you know?

1:11:131:11:16

-Was it?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

1:11:161:11:17

-It just went by so quick.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Really quick.

1:11:171:11:20

And so is the rest of the day.

1:11:201:11:21

I'm so glad that you're here to see.

1:11:211:11:23

Yeah, man, what do you mean? This is, like, my world.

1:11:231:11:26

If I wasn't here I would be so upset.

1:11:261:11:28

I don't think... I would have been mad today.

1:11:281:11:30

-Yeah.

-I think I would have been crazy. Yeah.

1:11:301:11:33

And I've always wanted

1:11:361:11:38

to walk one of my children down the aisle,

1:11:381:11:41

one of my daughters, cos I have about six of them, right?

1:11:411:11:44

And so, Corinne,

1:11:441:11:47

I thank you so much for today.

1:11:471:11:50

After all the sadness and all the sad things that we go through,

1:11:501:11:55

you know, today is a day with bare joy, bare love,

1:11:551:11:59

bare happiness, bare smiling.

1:11:591:12:02

And, Dwayne, respect, my brother.

1:12:021:12:05

I'm glad to say you turned my daughter into a wife, yeah?

1:12:051:12:08

LAUGHTER

1:12:081:12:10

Yeah, give me a kiss, babes, I need it.

1:12:101:12:13

-Thanks, Dad.

-Blessed.

1:12:131:12:15

APPLAUSE

1:12:151:12:16

MUSIC PLAYS

1:12:231:12:25

Where's the best man? Where's the best man?

1:12:251:12:27

Just as the party's getting started, Blacker has to leave.

1:12:401:12:44

He has to be home in time for his curfew.

1:12:451:12:48

-Bye, stranger!

-See you, baby.

-You all right? See you soon.

1:12:581:13:01

Thanks for a nice day, Miss Molly.

1:13:081:13:10

-Thank you.

-I know I got up your nose two times for the day.

1:13:101:13:14

Bye!

1:13:171:13:18

Tomorrow, Maureen and JJ are going home to Jamaica.

1:13:231:13:26

And in six weeks, as soon as his tag is off,

1:13:271:13:31

Blacker will be free to follow.

1:13:311:13:33

# I do my own whatsit

1:13:341:13:36

# You know what a whatsit?

1:13:361:13:39

# Some people don't know what a whatsit, they can't do a whatsit. #

1:13:391:13:43

Hoover thieved my locks.

1:13:451:13:47

Hoover tried to thieve my locks.

1:13:511:13:53

# ..judgment, murderer!

1:13:571:13:59

# Blood is on your shoulder. #

1:13:591:14:01

I'm listening to some Buju Banton.

1:14:011:14:03

Blacker's shop was leased to someone else while he was away.

1:14:061:14:09

And it's now a dress shop.

1:14:091:14:11

The whole of Brixton is changing as well as Blacker's life.

1:14:131:14:16

On the house.

1:14:181:14:20

We are what? We're opening soon, on the house.

1:14:201:14:24

So what is that they're opening there?

1:14:241:14:26

It's an estate agent.

1:14:261:14:28

Oh, bloody hell, yes.

1:14:281:14:31

That's about right, innit?

1:14:311:14:33

Another one here.

1:14:351:14:36

There's another one there.

1:14:371:14:39

That's why they wanted to get me out, you see - "We get Blacker out,

1:14:401:14:43

"we can do what we want.

1:14:431:14:44

"When Blacker's here, everyone's coming to Brixton to see Blacker,

1:14:441:14:48

"we can't afford to do anything while he's here.

1:14:481:14:51

"Get that bugger out. Have to get him out of Brixton, mate."

1:14:511:14:55

Who's that? The great silver wonder?

1:14:551:14:57

Yeah!

1:14:571:14:59

-It's the great silvey.

-Silver wonder in person.

1:15:001:15:02

Mr Martin.

1:15:021:15:04

-Rasta.

-You good?

-Yeah, man.

1:15:041:15:06

-Brethren!

-Who's that? My sister.

1:15:061:15:09

I'm good, I'm good, I'm good.

1:15:091:15:12

-Irie?

-Yeah, I do.

1:15:121:15:14

Blacker.

1:15:151:15:16

-Oh, Lorna. This is my cousin Lorna from America.

-Greetings.

1:15:161:15:19

-Hello, Lorna from America.

-And this is my sister Joanne.

1:15:191:15:21

-Hi, Joanne.

-This is Blacker Dread.

1:15:211:15:23

-Greetings.

-Blacker Dread is one of the characters of Brixton. Trust me.

1:15:231:15:27

-I remember you.

-Do you?

1:15:271:15:28

You were so upset the shop was shutting.

1:15:281:15:30

I was. And I was going to point out his shop to you and show you.

1:15:301:15:34

This is one of our famous Brixton landmarks.

1:15:341:15:37

-OK.

-And then I see him. That's good.

-Yeah, you see.

1:15:371:15:40

I'm not making what happened to my mum and dad happen to me.

1:15:471:15:50

I'm sure when they left Jamaica it wasn't forever...

1:15:501:15:53

Has England been good to you?

1:16:091:16:11

No, sir.

1:16:111:16:13

No?

1:16:131:16:14

England good to me in terms of the education in learning, life.

1:16:141:16:19

I can't film you against the window, cos you're so dark,

1:16:191:16:21

you're going to have to sit down. I'm so sorry!

1:16:211:16:24

-But you go silhouetted.

-You're being racist now,

1:16:261:16:28

you're being racist now, Molly, man.

1:16:281:16:30

It's not, it's about video exposure.

1:16:301:16:32

OK. So I'm going to sit down here all day.

1:16:321:16:34

What did you mean, learning about life?

1:16:341:16:36

I mean there were so many things happening and your brain,

1:16:361:16:39

as a little youth, you don't even think.

1:16:391:16:41

Describe the sort of things.

1:16:411:16:43

When I'm working at Crystal Palace

1:16:431:16:45

and all these big footballers used to be there

1:16:451:16:47

and you can't believe these are the guys you're seeing

1:16:471:16:50

on your black-and-white TV.

1:16:501:16:52

Match Of The Day. And these are the same guys you're walking past,

1:16:521:16:55

I was allowed to walk through the place because I was staff.

1:16:551:17:00

I used to sell programmes walking around the pitch.

1:17:001:17:02

They used to curse me, "Oi, nigger, come sell me a programme."

1:17:021:17:06

"Hey, you little black cunt, come here." Things like that.

1:17:061:17:10

I used to get abused like nobody's business, but I love football

1:17:101:17:14

so I didn't care about the abuse, because I'm getting abused when I'm walking on the road,

1:17:141:17:18

I'm getting abuse when I'm on the bus, I'm getting abused when I'm going shopping,

1:17:181:17:22

I'm getting abuse when I go to school,

1:17:221:17:23

so if I get abused at football matches it's just the next abuse.

1:17:231:17:26

It doesn't really matter to me.

1:17:261:17:28

What do you mean by abuse - what kind of things?

1:17:281:17:30

I mean racial abuse, when people are cursing you and telling you to

1:17:301:17:34

go back on the jam jar, you little gollywog, you know what I mean?

1:17:341:17:37

"Black bastard" and...

1:17:371:17:39

What, because they say that it's better?

1:17:451:17:48

You got the people that believe that it's better, let's just be real.

1:17:481:17:52

Forget all that hype about diversity - diversity is a word.

1:17:521:17:56

It's a word, it doesn't walk, it doesn't live, it doesn't breathe,

1:17:561:18:00

it's not like a piece of grass or a tree leaf that comes from the ground

1:18:001:18:04

that's grown. It's a word that people, all right...

1:18:041:18:07

A black child...

1:18:091:18:10

..a child that's born in a mixed relationship, yeah?

1:18:121:18:16

We used to call them half caste, now you can't call them half caste,

1:18:161:18:20

why not? Cos it's not politically correct.

1:18:201:18:24

So all these new words,

1:18:241:18:26

all they've done is swept it under the carpet,

1:18:261:18:30

so when you go under the carpet,

1:18:301:18:31

all the dust and the mites and everything is living under there

1:18:311:18:35

now, there's a world under that carpet that you're not seeing.

1:18:351:18:38

You don't even know that it's there but it's there and when anything

1:18:381:18:42

happens, you're going to see who is who, yeah?

1:18:421:18:45

You will see who is who.

1:18:451:18:47

I ain't no racist person, you know?

1:18:471:18:49

But I'm on the side of reality, yeah?

1:18:491:18:51

And what I like, when I go to Jamaica, black Prime Minister,

1:18:511:18:56

black finance minister, black police, black people,

1:18:561:19:02

and that's what I see. When I was a kid in Jamaica, you know,

1:19:021:19:05

I used to see white people and we used to say, "Look at the white man there,"

1:19:051:19:10

but we never, ever thought of hating that white person.

1:19:101:19:14

It was...

1:19:141:19:15

You love them, you bring them in because they look so different,

1:19:151:19:19

so you just want to be around them to see what is this person,

1:19:191:19:22

why is this person's skin different? Why is their hair different?

1:19:221:19:25

Why do they talk like that? Why do they do the things they do?

1:19:251:19:28

When you come to England, it's a complete different thing.

1:19:281:19:31

You land in their country, they don't want you here!

1:19:311:19:34

Oi!

1:19:401:19:41

Hello!

1:19:431:19:44

Mr Man!

1:19:461:19:47

What are we going to do?

1:19:481:19:50

-We're going over to north-west London.

-Yes, I know that much.

1:19:501:19:53

And we're going to a gathering.

1:19:531:19:56

-Yes?

-And it starts at two, finishes at four

1:19:561:19:59

and it's just a solidarity thing to do with the family of...

1:19:591:20:03

-Sylvia's family?

-Yes.

1:20:031:20:04

-NW10.

-Do you like my posh sat nav?

1:20:061:20:09

-Posh, isn't it?

-Cos you have one in the car ain't working

1:20:091:20:12

cos there's no point in putting in crap sat nav like that,

1:20:121:20:15

-those days are over.

-Yeah, mate.

1:20:151:20:18

Turn right, A23 Brixton Road...

1:20:181:20:21

I know what I'm doing, I'm not exactly going to follow this.

1:20:211:20:24

-I won't be following him.

-OK.

1:20:241:20:26

Turn left, then sharp right.

1:20:281:20:31

Shut up, man, we know where we're going.

1:20:311:20:33

Sharp right means your immediate bloody right,

1:20:331:20:36

that's what a sharp right means.

1:20:361:20:37

Yeah, and it also means driving with due care and attention.

1:20:371:20:40

No, no, no!

1:20:401:20:41

Actually, you can use this lane - what am I doing?

1:20:411:20:43

-You sure?

-Yes, yes!

1:20:431:20:45

-There's no-one else there.

-No, you're allowed to use the lane.

1:20:451:20:48

I remember the other day.

1:20:481:20:50

I came down here and look, see, look.

1:20:501:20:52

If I'm turning left I can use this lane.

1:20:521:20:54

Turn left, A3213 Drummond Gate,

1:20:541:20:58

then take the second right.

1:20:581:21:01

REGGAE MUSIC PLAYS

1:21:011:21:05

-THEY SING ALONG:

-# ..to the edge of the boom, hey! #

1:21:101:21:13

Turn left, Doyle Gardens, then you've reached your destination.

1:21:131:21:17

Yeah, left.

1:21:191:21:21

OK, I can see crowds already.

1:21:241:21:26

Where can I park?

1:21:301:21:31

Can I park on the corner?

1:21:321:21:34

Yeah, we can park on the corner.

1:21:341:21:35

We're going to park on the bloody corner.

1:21:351:21:37

So this is the school?

1:21:421:21:44

Yeah, must be there, innit?

1:21:441:21:45

Fucking hell.

1:21:471:21:49

The gathering we've come to is a vigil.

1:21:511:21:53

The child of a friend of Blacker's

1:21:531:21:56

was murdered outside his school last week by another boy.

1:21:561:22:00

..killing a child, and that is not OK on our streets, in our community,

1:22:001:22:05

that is not OK!

1:22:051:22:07

Yep, that's right.

1:22:071:22:09

Me and Quamari been brethrens for so very long

1:22:091:22:12

and I was fortunate enough to talk to him on the day that he died.

1:22:121:22:18

Quamari was one of the realest people I ever met

1:22:181:22:23

and it just saddens me,

1:22:231:22:24

when I did find out the news, my body went numb.

1:22:241:22:28

-Yeah.

-I told my mum,

1:22:281:22:31

I was Instagram

1:22:311:22:32

and had to find out that one of my good, good friends is passed.

1:22:321:22:36

And I couldn't even walk down the stairs,

1:22:361:22:39

I'm walking on the street and I'm seeing someone and I'm thinking

1:22:391:22:43

it's Quamari and I know that I can't even call his number

1:22:431:22:46

because the phone won't ring or something like that.

1:22:461:22:49

And it really saddens me.

1:22:491:22:51

I know I don't shed no tears yet, but this really affects me.

1:22:511:22:55

And I just want, as black people,

1:22:551:22:57

cos I am black and that's all I know,

1:22:571:23:00

and I want us all to be together.

1:23:001:23:02

How come every other single culture can be together but we can't?

1:23:021:23:06

Talk the thing! Talk the thing!

1:23:061:23:08

-Yes, talk the things.

-Black people are always fighting over nothing.

1:23:081:23:13

As a black youth myself, I think that...

1:23:131:23:15

..us black boys especially, we don't value our other people.

1:23:171:23:25

But we'd rather go and fight people, go and stab and shoot people,

1:23:271:23:31

-and it's just for what?

-Talk it, son.

1:23:311:23:35

Because you're going to go and stab and shoot people and end up in prison.

1:23:351:23:39

There's no use in prison, you can't do nothing in prison.

1:23:391:23:43

We have to really realise that a lot of us black people,

1:23:431:23:46

we don't know the value of this colour.

1:23:461:23:48

We want to walk and go and lighten our skin to go and get a job.

1:23:481:23:53

APPLAUSE

1:23:531:23:55

So we need to understand, we've got something important and valuable.

1:23:551:24:00

That's all I have to say, but we all love Quamari

1:24:001:24:03

and I'm happy on behalf of him that we've all come out.

1:24:031:24:07

Yes!

1:24:071:24:08

# Old pirates, yes, they rob I

1:24:131:24:17

# Sold I to the merchant ships

1:24:171:24:21

# Minutes after they took I

1:24:221:24:26

# From the bottomless pit

1:24:261:24:29

# But my hand was made strong

1:24:291:24:35

# By the hand of the Almighty

1:24:351:24:39

# We forward in this generation

1:24:391:24:44

# Triumphantly

1:24:441:24:48

# Won't you help to sing these songs of freedom?

1:24:481:24:56

# It's all I ever have

1:24:561:25:00

# Redemption songs

1:25:001:25:04

# Redemption songs. #

1:25:041:25:08

Beautiful flowers you got there.

1:25:141:25:16

Yeah, my sister bought them for me. She's always buying me flowers,

1:25:161:25:19

cos she knows I love flowers.

1:25:191:25:21

-Gene.

-Really?

1:25:211:25:23

Yeah, she's a darling, she's always buying me flowers.

1:25:231:25:26

Today would have been Solomon's birthday.

1:25:261:25:29

They're going to open up now and go...

1:25:291:25:32

I keep telling you, you're killing them.

1:25:361:25:38

You need to stop putting them in this.

1:25:381:25:40

That's why I need a couple of those, I can't help it,

1:25:401:25:42

I like to see the things up, babes.

1:25:421:25:44

-Right?

-But every time he puts them in there I take them out,

1:25:441:25:46

you know, because they're just going to die.

1:25:461:25:49

Which one's he putting in?

1:25:491:25:50

No, what he does, he puts them just in the ground

1:25:501:25:52

and then what happens is that they all just die after a day

1:25:521:25:55

-and they need water.

-Blacker just sticks those?

1:25:551:25:57

He just, yes, he just sticks them in the ground.

1:25:571:25:59

-Like that.

-It looks like it belongs there.

1:25:591:26:01

But it's going to die.

1:26:011:26:03

-Cos it can't...

-Yeah, but the point is that when I come,

1:26:031:26:05

I like to see the beauty of the flowers,

1:26:051:26:08

-that's why I don't bother with the plant.

-And we want longevity.

1:26:081:26:10

Come here, sweetheart.

1:26:121:26:14

Solomon's older sister Serita arrives.

1:26:141:26:17

You're taking liberties, you know?

1:26:171:26:18

Followed closely by one of Blacker's sisters, Kim.

1:26:181:26:22

-We've been waiting!

-Hi, people.

1:26:261:26:29

Hi, people.

1:26:291:26:30

Bit by bit, the whole family start to arrive

1:26:301:26:33

because it's also the anniversary of Blacker's mother's death.

1:26:331:26:37

Look, we've got them here!

1:26:371:26:39

Come, we brought all our knives, we got rid of our knives.

1:26:391:26:43

I have not seen you since the West was won.

1:26:441:26:47

-Since the West was won.

-I haven't seen you since the West was won.

1:26:471:26:51

-This is for Mummy.

-That music?

1:26:541:26:57

Yeah, that music is for her, it's all her church songs.

1:26:571:27:00

And she likes it.

1:27:001:27:02

We've been coming up here from we was little children for my dad

1:27:021:27:05

over 30 years. And it's just a place to, like, remember

1:27:051:27:09

and just gather, and my mum likes her flowers and we can put

1:27:091:27:12

a really wicked display on for her. You know what I mean?

1:27:121:27:16

And we're all in one, everyone...

1:27:161:27:19

You know what I mean? We've all got the same feelings.

1:27:191:27:21

Everybody went to Mum for everything and anything.

1:27:241:27:28

She was like the backbone.

1:27:311:27:32

People call their beloved ones rock but she was the backbone, literally.

1:27:331:27:38

It was Blacker's mother who brought him here.

1:27:411:27:44

She was the reason he never went home to Jamaica.

1:27:441:27:47

Now that she's gone, he's free to go.

1:27:501:27:53

It means leaving behind his father, mother, and son at the cemetery,

1:27:531:27:57

and the rest of his family.

1:27:571:27:59

-He's coming, look, he just...

-Driver!

1:28:021:28:04

One-stop! Put on the brakes!

1:28:041:28:07

Look, they sent a helicopter for us.

1:28:071:28:09

But being with Blacker has made me understand why Britain has

1:28:091:28:13

never really felt like his home.

1:28:131:28:15

What? The snow is falling,

1:28:211:28:23

England snow, you see this?

1:28:231:28:25

A snow scraper off a window, you know that?

1:28:251:28:28

-What's going on?

-God bless.

1:28:281:28:31

MUSIC: Praise Him by Sanchez

1:28:321:28:36

Long time since I seen snow like this.

1:28:451:28:48

# Hey! Hey! It cold!

1:28:511:28:54

# England pretty but it cold, I said England's pretty but it cold

1:28:541:28:58

# I want to go to Jamaica, where the sun shines bright

1:28:581:29:01

# England's pretty but it's cold. #

1:29:011:29:03

-# Hallelujah

-Praise his name

1:29:031:29:06

-# Hallelujah

-Highest praise

1:29:061:29:09

-# Hallelujah

-Every night and day

1:29:091:29:12

# Hallelujah

1:29:121:29:15

# Oh, when I am down and low

1:29:171:29:20

# And the heathen, dem a throw dem glow... #

1:29:201:29:23

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