New centre in Ealing shines a light on Black history and culture

Ealing’s Black community has long been part of the borough’s rich cultural fabric – yet until now, it has lacked a dedicated space to celebrate its history, heritage and contribution made to the borough. That changed last week with the launch of a new centre, which its chair calls: “a breakthrough moment for Ealing”.

The Caribbean and African Collective, Ealing (CACE) Cultural Centre of Excellence has opened as a residency space in West Ealing’s SET Ealing with plans to eventually find and operate its own permanent location in the borough.

The launch saw a number of local dignitaries attend including Ealing Council Councillors Aysha Raza, Dee Martin and Grace Quansah attend along with members of the local community to see for themselves the work that has gone into where CACE is today and where it is aiming to be in the future.

The CACE project, which was set up as a social enterprise in 2024, has a vision to showcase and celebrate the achievements and contribution Black people make and have played across Ealing and its seven towns.

The launch also saw CACE member Carlene Bender talk about her groundbreaking book which was published last month – Black History in Ealing, West London: A quiz book.

Ms Bender’s book showcases and educates readers through a series of 100 questions to discover more about the story of Black people in Ealing over the centuries that Caribbean and African have lived in the borough and their contribution to culture, knowledge, art and business.

EALING.NEWS attended the launch and spoke to chair of CACE, Michelle Brooks who grew up in West Ealing as well as meeting local Councillor Grace Quansah from Walpole Ward to find out more about the initiative and what it means to them and the Black community across Ealing and its 7 towns.

Michelle Brooks, chair of CACE explains what it means to have a centre of African and Caribbean culture here in Ealing
“I think it’s actually a breakthrough moment for Ealing. I grew up in West Ealing. A lot of people know that I was like, six or seven years of age when I was going to the Bogle-L’Ouverture Walter Rodney bookshop across the road from where we are today.

“I’d go and get my hair done at the barber shop the hairdresser’s next door. I know all these people like Michael Sylvester, whose shop is still there.

“We all grew up together. I went to Drayton Manor High School with people like Sir Steve McQueen, Shaparak Khorsandi and it for us to have a Caribbean and African centre in West Ealing is a real breakthrough moment.

“A lot of people don’t realise that the Australia Roads community is full of Caribbean and African people, and they’re very low key. You won’t know that they’re there, but it’s very intrinsic that we have a space that’s right near that community. Go from St Kilda Road to Leighton Road to Coldershaw Road to Sydney Road. They’re all a tightly knit black community in this area who’ve never had that opportunity to have their own space.

“We have so many amazing members of Black talent that come from Ealing, like Jamal Edwards, Sir Steve McQueen, Angelica Bell, Andrew Levy, who is from The Brand New Heavies, went to school with my brother. This is like, these are people who people don’t realise come from Ealing. Maybe because we’re not cool, maybe we’re not Brixton or Croydon, but Ealing is a really lovely, warm, welcoming network, and for people to realise that there is a Black culture here is a really powerful thing.”

Ms Brooks says CACE will also be helping and supporting local Black businesses. 
“A lot of black businesses suffer from not having a permanent stable foundation. And our aim is to get the entrepreneurs, the small businesses, the people starting out, to work together, to unite, communicate effectively when it comes to funding, to work together to apply for funding bids when it comes to spaces, work together to share spaces.

“If you’re a new business, you can’t afford £600 or £700 a month on an office space but you can be part of this hub. You can be part of the hub. You can have a membership here with us, and it’s a lot more affordable than spending several £1000 a year for a shop front.

“A lot of people will remember West Ealing as it was back in the 60s and 70s, and it was a thriving High Street. We had Woolworths, we had, you know, Top Shop, we had British Home Stores. We had so much. And I feel like if people had a cultural centre here, it would bring that buzz back to West Ealing, which it desperately, desperately needs.

Tell us a bit more about how the centre is inclusive to all communities across Ealing
“A lot of people are perhaps scared or perhaps worried about the Black community through sheer lack of knowledge. And our aim is to share that knowledge to educate people about our history and our culture. They think they may know certain things, and we’re going to show them they may not know as much as they know. They may not know all the Islands. Carlene Bender’s book is like a hundred of amazing facts about Ealing.

“I didn’t know half of those facts. So we just want to show people there’s a lot more to Ealing that you recognise. You can come here find more out about Black culture, Black history, if you want to find out more about Black fashion, about the fabrics of Africa, about all the music, about the poetry of the Caribbean, about our famous poets. We’ve got so many people that are, you know, a part of the heritage.

“And this is an opportunity for us to be actively anti racist and show to people this is the history that you may not be aware of, and if you find out more about us perhaps you’ll be less afraid of the Black community, because you’ll understand where certain things come from and you’ll understand, and you’ll be welcomed into a space where you can find out more about you know the education and the knowledge that we have to share.

Councillor Grace Quansah explains what it means to her to be at the launch of CACE
“It’s an absolute honour to be here and at a place where we can come together collectively that embodies the richness of our history and all the wonderful things that we do.

“We are such a wonderful mix of artists and speakers and teachers and makers and shakers, and we’ve been here for a very long time. I mean, I couldn’t even begin to tell you, but you would probably know the many different groups that are in Ealing, from Hanwell right down to Acton to Northolt to Southall and everywhere across the borough.

“We have a voice and the council has been supporting us to have this voice, but yet, there has been no physical space.

“The roots of this, I have to say, did start with Margaret Noel and Descendants, and we were all working together, and Michelle Brooks and Carlene Bender, they’re just some of the members on the committee and it’s just grown, so we’ve set the foundation in place.”

CACE is located at 105-113 St James House, Broadway, London W13 9BE.