Lee Jasper resigns as Chair of Brixton Splash

[Gramsci]

LJ posts this on his FB page:

www.voice-online.co.uk/article/tensions-rise-after-claims-afghan-shopkeeper-beat-black-boy

And then he helpfully points out: "Tension rise in Peckham as Afgan shopkeepers are alleged to beat black boy. Similar tensions in Brixton of late"

Does anybody know about the "tensions in Brixton" LJ refers to ?

He only posted that up 7 hours ago on his FB. Maybe I missed something but I have not heard of "similar tensions in Brixton".

Violent Panda is correct. This is stirring up racial tension between different groups.

 

[Gramsci]

http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/tensions-rise-after-claims-afghan-shopkeeper-beat-black-boy

If a newspaper had written an article saying "Tensions rise after Afghan shopkeeper beat white boy." it would rightly be criticised for being inflammatory and making it an issue of race.

 

[editor]

Looks like he's right back in on the board of Splash. It's like he never left!

Lee Jasper – Company Director

Lee Jasper is a long time Brixton resident. Lee has extensive experience of organising and managing major London festivals in addition to his long career as a human rights race equality activist. Former political adviser to the Mayor of London, currently Secretary of the anti violence campaign group SACRYD, current Chair of the London Race and Criminal Justice Consortium and active in a myriad of local, regional and national organisation and forums Lee brings huge experience, passion and commitment to the board of Brixton Splash Ltd.
http://www.brixtonsplash.org/?page_id=541

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Looks like he's right back in on the board of Splash. It's like he never left!

I don't think he ever did leave. When he 'resigned' I saw him a few weeks later at the Splash itself wandering around wearing Brixton Splash high-viz and fully involved in proceedings.

 

[Rushy]

An opaque board including a money launderer and a bully boy. I would like to see the council to step in and take control of this embarrassment by insisting on appointing a couple of board members charged with overseeing this - including an accountant.

 

[Badgers]

An opaque board including a money launderer and a bully boy. I would like to see the council to step in and take control of this embarrassment by insisting on appointing a couple of board members charged with overseeing this - including an accountant.

Sounds oddly like our government

 

[Rushy]

Looks like the history page has been re written. No mention of Blacker!

 

[editor]

Looks like the history page has been re written. No mention of Blacker!

They've got previous for writing people out of their history!

 

[editor]

An opaque board including a money launderer and a bully boy. I would like to see the council to step in and take control of this embarrassment by insisting on appointing a couple of board members charged with overseeing this - including an accountant.

They're struggling to get funding this year. I certainly have no interest in getting involved, and I know a fairly long list of local businesses who also feel the same way.

It's such a shame because the original idea of a festival to celebrate the culture and diversity of Brixton was a fantastic one.

 

[Rushy]

They're struggling to get funding this year. I certainly have no interest in getting involved, and I know a fairly long list of local businesses who also feel the same way.

It's such a shame because the original idea of a festival to celebrate the culture and diversity of Brixton was a fantastic one.

On the one hand, I'm sorry to hear it. On the other hand, I'd quite like it to go down the pan and picked up by someone new. Plenty of people I speak to, particularly locally business owners, see it as having been tainted with Jaspers' bitter and divisive politics which, as you say, is not at all what it was originally about. They really made an error keeping him on in any capacity after the public business threats. People don't car whether he is chairman, director or office tea maker. They simply see his association and think "same old, same old".

 

[tufty79]

Looks like he's right back in on the board of Splash. It's like he never left!

pop-up chair?

 

[SarfLondoner]

Looks like he's right back in on the board of Splash. It's like he never left!

Its says Lee Jasper Brixton resident,Im sure he lives in clapham and has done for some time now.

 

[TopCat]

Posh Lee has a massive house in Clapham.

 

[editor]

Its says Lee Jasper Brixton resident,Im sure he lives in clapham and has done for some time now.

It's right next to Clapham North tube, although it's got an SW9 postcode.

 

[SarfLondoner]

It's right next to Clapham North tube, although it's got an SW9 postcode.

I used to see him out in clapham on a regular basis when i lived there.Maybe that explains the bowler hat he use to adorn

 

[Brixton Hatter]

They're struggling to get funding this year. I certainly have no interest in getting involved, and I know a fairly long list of local businesses who also feel the same way.

It's such a shame because the original idea of a festival to celebrate the culture and diversity of Brixton was a fantastic one.

On the one hand, I'm sorry to hear it. On the other hand, I'd quite like it to go down the pan and picked up by someone new. Plenty of people I speak to, particularly locally business owners, see it as having been tainted with Jaspers' bitter and divisive politics which, as you say, is not at all what it was originally about. They really made an error keeping him on in any capacity after the public business threats. People don't car whether he is chairman, director or office tea maker. They simply see his association and think "same old, same old".

I reckon most people who go to the event don't know anything about the politics and probably wouldn't care even if they did. The vast majority of people just go and have a good day out. I like the event itself. When else do you get a chance to rig up some massive sound systems and stick them in the middle of the road for an all-day party? There's no point in wanting the event to fail imo.

 

[editor]

I don't want it to fail. I just don't want to get professionally involved.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Yeah fair enough.

Though the event could probably benefit from people like you and Rushy!

I know what it's like to work with dickheads though. Not fun.

 

[Rushy]

I reckon most people who go to the event don't know anything about the politics and probably wouldn't care even if they did. The vast majority of people just go and have a good day out. I like the event itself. When else do you get a chance to rig up some massive sound systems and stick them in the middle of the road for an all-day party? There's no point in wanting the event to fail imo.

I take your point. I don't want the event to fail overall. But I don't think people's ignorance of the kind of behind the scenes bullying going on is excuse for it to continue regardless either. I don't think it would be a disaster if it skipped a year to make a clean break from the current Jasper crony team. Not that I imagine that is going to happen.

I'm currently working along side a Lambeth department for another open community event and thinking of withdrawing as most of my time seems to be spent trying to get them to even reply to basic enquiries - it is soul destroying.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

I'm currently working along side a Lambeth department for another open community event and thinking of withdrawing as most of my time seems to be spent trying to get them to even reply to basic enquiries - it is soul destroying.

My sympathies are with you. I've got loads of stories about the same. (But I'm afraid I'm not gonna waste any more of my time typing them up here!)