—
Malcolm X, “Message to the Grassroots” (1963)
This is strictly for the Mandem. The “Mandem” being: the aunties, the uncles, the young bucks, the girls, the guys, the sisters, the akhis, the preachers and the sinners. Anyone and everyone that makes up our inner-city communities. Hear me out for a second…
These past couple decades have seen the landscape of the Ends changing dramatically. Its practise can be seen prominently in London Boroughs of Brent, Camden, Islington, Southwark, Hackney etc. but its not limited to London - it is a nationwide dilemma. Social housing blocks are being replaced with glossy gated-communities, complete with futuristic living facilities, logos and colour palettes to market a glamourous ‘inner-city living’ lifestyle experience at our expense. You’d have thought that they were specifically out to uproot us, but the reality is that it’s a lot more complicated than that; we’re collateral damage in an otherwise perfect storm.
This cannot continue.
History has repeatedly shown that our landowners consistently fail to address the needs of the Mandem and the Ends. Decisions about urban change made by these landowners rarely reflect the interests of our communities. It often feels as if they are committed to a cycle of disinvestment, demolition and privatisation - where ‘estate regeneration’ programmes lead to the Mandem being forced out of the Ends, to live in far-away suburbs that diminish their social networks and sense of belonging.
So, how do we preserve the Ends?
The answer: we privatise the Mandem.
And how do we ‘privatise the Mandem’?
The answer: we buy the Block.
Why? Because, nobody can buy the Ends, if it ain’t for sale. Nobody can sell the Ends, if they don’t own it no more. To find out how, get your copy of Privatise the Mandem (2021) and To Free the Ends (2024) below.
And be sure to hit up the privatisation line with any of your questions: