Culture And Memory

Summer of ’76: Black Youth, Northamptonshire, and the Caribbean - United by Reggae, Heritage and Resistance

Northamptonshire Rights and Equality Council (NREC) will celebrate and preserve the heritage of Black Caribbean families and young people in Northamptonshire between 1976 and 1982—a pivotal era marked by cultural creativity, resilience, and activism. Through oral histories, digitisation of personal archives, and community-led interpretation, we will safeguard stories that risk being lost. We will uncover and record lived experiences; from the rise of a dynamic Black youth culture in a vibrant era that marked the height of the county’s reggae movement. Centered on Northampton, Wellingborough, and Kettering, we will shine a light on the cultural pride that shaped everyday life. By transforming these histories into accessible teaching resources, exhibitions and local events, this vital heritage will stand as a lasting tribute to the voices, rhythms, and spirit that helped define Northamptonshire’s cultural landscape – and be passed onto future generations to speak up to influence change.