UPRISING: Cherry Groce Day

28 September-28 September

A live show, book launch, performance showcase, after-party and more commemorating Cherry Groce.

Brixton House and Cherry Groce Foundation present

Description

On 28 September 1985, Cherry Groce was shot in her home by police, sparking the Brixton Uprising. Forty years on, we are commemorating this day — honouring Cherry’s life, her legacy, and the community’s ongoing journey of justice and healing. Join us for a powerful day of entertainment, reflection and community.

Programme

Part 1

  • 4pm: Young people’s showcase directed by Lorna Sutara Gee and Adjoa Andoh
  • 5.45pm: Book launch for The Colour of Injustice by Lee Lawrence, followed by a Q&A hosted by Nadine White
  • 6.30pm: Networking and nibbles
  • 7.30pm: Finish

Part 2

  • 8.00pm: Networking in Brixton House Foyer
  • 8.45pm: Live show featuring acclaimed artists Winston Reedy, Lorna Gee, Nathan, Reggae Choir, Jay Jay Born2Sing and Teshay Makeda.
  • 10.15pm til late: After-party

Presented in partnership with the Cherry Groce Foundation, join us for a live show, book launch, performance showcase, after-party and more held in celebration of the life of Cherry Groce.

Please note, you will need to book separate tickets to attend both Part 1 and Part 2 of Cherry Groce Day. Performances and the book launch will be held in Theatre 2.

About Cherry Groce

Dorothy “Cherry” Groce was born in 1948 in Portland, Jamaica, in the historic land of the Maroons. The eldest of eight siblings, she moved to England in 1962 to join her mother in Brixton Hill, South London. A devoted mother, grandmother, great grandmother, Cherry was known for her love of music and dancing, and her vibrant spirit lit up every room she entered.

Deeply rooted in the Brixton community, Cherry was a beloved friend and “auntie” to many. Her home was a hub of warmth, filled with food, laughter and cultural gatherings. She had a passion for reading and sharing her rich cultural and historical knowledge, leaving a lasting impression on all who knew her.

Cherry sadly passed away in 2011, due to the injuries she sustained 26 years previously, where she was wrongfully shot by the police in her own home on 28 September 1985 and was left paralysed from the waist down. This sparked the 1985 Brixton Uprising.

Her legacy continues through the Cherry Groce Foundation and a memorial in Windrush Square, honouring her life and impact on the community.

Winston Reedy

Hailing from Jamaica, Winston Reedy is renowned as one the most successful and popular UK based Reggae singers. He’s a master of both roots and lovers genres.

In the 1970’s he was lead vocalist with one of the UK’s top reggae bands The Cimarons. The band made a trip to Jamaica in 1975 to record an album called On The Rock, and released a version of Bob Marley’s ‘Talking Blues’ which went to number 1 for 7 weeks in Jamaica. 

Lorna Gee

Lorna Gee aka Sutara Gayle is an artist who remains synonymous with the British Reggae sub-genre of Lover’s Rock. 
She is an award winning Singer and Actor. Born and raised in Brixton, South London.

The multi-talented performer began her foray into music during the late 1970s. She was a pioneering female presence on male-dominated sound systems such as Saxon, Small axe, Coxsone and Nasty Rockers.

She has released a number of hit singles since the 1980’s including ‘Three weeks gone – Mi Giro’ ‘Stop Chat’ ‘Singalong’ and Don’t go crazy’ However, it was the 1985 heartfelt ‘Gotta Find a Way’ that placed her at the top of the Reggae charts for six weeks.

Nathan

Nathan Fagan Gayle is a British RnB singer. His hit ‘Come into My Room’ catapulted him into the charts in 2005.  Nathan was nominated alongside Amy Winehouse, Ne-Yo, Lemar and Akon for Best RnB act at the 2007 MOBO Awards. Having achieved a Top 40 hit, Nathan already has a critically acclaimed album under his belt, entitled ‘Masterpiece’. Recently back from performing in Japan, Nathan pens his own music and also counts Acting and music producing amongst his talents.

JayJay Born2Sing

Jason Junior Johnson came into this world not just with a song for the lost and broken-hearted, but also with a lyrical tongue that pierces the heart and soul of mankind. JayJay is a singer/songwriter with a passion for music; his material portrays his sensitive side. Since 2022, JayJay has been creating and writing his undiluted truth which can be heard on all major digital platforms!

Teshay Makeda

Teshay Makeda (pronounced Tash-Eye Ma-Keeda) is an award-winning Roots Soul artist from South London, blending reggae, soul, and spirituality with powerful vocals and uplifting lyrics. Rooted in her Jamaican heritage and Rastafarian upbringing, her music celebrates resilience, empowerment, and divine feminine energy.

Lee Lawrence

At the age of eleven, Lee witnessed his mother Dorothy ‘Cherry’ Groce unlawfully shot by police, sparking the 1985 Brixton Uprising, and leaving Cherry with physical injuries and disabilities which eventually lead to her death in 2011. After his mother’s passing, Lee dedicated his time to pursuing justice. In 2014, an inquest began into his mother’s death – although his application for legal aid was denied, Lee obtained over 133,000 signatures from the public to support the decision being overturned which led to legal aid being granted. Lee campaigned to obtain justice, successfully receiving a full public apology and accountability by the Metropolitan Police.

Since then Lee has dedicated his time to pursuing justice through his work as an inspirational speaker, restorative justice ambassador, social change advocate and sharing his story in his award winning book ‘The Louder I will Sing’. Working with organisations, institutions, educational establishments and communities.

Nadine White

A multi-award-winning journalist, Nadine White is one of the UK’s leading reporters and a celebrated filmmaker, as well as a cultural archivist. Her career has spanned outlets including HuffPost UK and The Voice Newspaper, before she made history in 2021 as Britain’s first dedicated Race Correspondent at The Independent, leading agenda-setting coverage on Black and minoritised communities, politics, and current affairs.

Nadine has been honoured by Forbes magazine and recognised by the British Journalism Awards, Amnesty International, and the UK Parliament. She was also the first Black reporter shortlisted for the prestigious Paul Foot Award. This year, she was named among the world’s Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) in the Global Top 40 Under 40, Media & Culture category – a global civil society initiative recognised by the United Nations.

Raised in Brixton, Nadine is the founder of Brixton Heights Multimedia Productions and the Black Current News.

Her debut, self-produced documentary Barrel Children: The Families Windrush Left Behind (2023) became a UK box-office hit and won her the Menelik Shabazz Legacy Award at the Windrush Caribbean Film Festival.

She has been recognised by Glamour as one of “9 Black women fighting to make the UK a more equal place” and by The Guardian as one of “20 Britons who deserve to be on a postage stamp.” The BBC describes her as “making Black history now.”

No performances currently available.

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