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Terraformed: Young Black Lives in the Inner City
An uncompromising wake-up call. Joy White tells uncomfortable truths and blows apart our understanding of racism, crime and policing in our inner-cities.
Since the 1980s, austerity, gentrification and structural racism have wreaked havoc on inner-city communities, widening inequality and entrenching poverty.
In Terraformed, Joy White offers an insiders view of Forest Gate -- an urban neighbourhood in London -- analysing how these issues affect the black youth of today. Connecting the dots between music, politics and the built environment, it centres on the lived experiences of black youth who have had it huge student debt, invisible homelessness, custodial sentences, electronic tagging, surveillance, arrest, police brutality, issues with health and well-being, and of course, loss.
Part ethnography, part memoir, Terraformed uses the history of Newham as an example of inner-city life across the globe and considers how young black lives are affected by racism, capitalism and austerity.
Since the 1980s, austerity, gentrification and structural racism have wreaked havoc on inner-city communities, widening inequality and entrenching poverty.
In Terraformed, Joy White offers an insiders view of Forest Gate -- an urban neighbourhood in London -- analysing how these issues affect the black youth of today. Connecting the dots between music, politics and the built environment, it centres on the lived experiences of black youth who have had it huge student debt, invisible homelessness, custodial sentences, electronic tagging, surveillance, arrest, police brutality, issues with health and well-being, and of course, loss.
Part ethnography, part memoir, Terraformed uses the history of Newham as an example of inner-city life across the globe and considers how young black lives are affected by racism, capitalism and austerity.
172 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 12, 2020
21 people are currently reading
843 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 4, 2020
Overwhelmed by thoughts of this brilliant book by Dr. Joy White. I have so many thoughts but I shall just say this: if you work in any shape or form with “community” this is a must read to prevent “good intentions” from pushing out Black and Brown members of the community. There is a lot more to say but really I just want every English person to read it. It’s a very well written book, so accessible but absolutely important. I relate so much to her thoughts on austerity and predatory capitalism and their impact on communities like Newham.
October 6, 2020
A very readable portrait of the ways in which urban transformation affects Black and brown minorities and their cultures.
July 3, 2020
This is a fantastic book that links human geography with sociology, cultural studies and urban studies to provide an insight into the effect of structural racism, austerity and gentrification on inner-city communities in London. White uses a framework called hyperlocal demarcation to analyse the effect of gentrification and capital flows on young Black people in Newham, through considering the changing sonic landscape (there is a chapter on the sociopolitical meaning of grime music), legislation, communities and town planning.
It was possible to draw parallels between her case study and the area of London where I live, particularly how the creation of the 'urban village' through neoliberal urban renewal schemes results in 'pockets of whiteness' within historically multicultural areas. E.g. the middle-class farmers market stall next to the Afro-Caribbean grocers' shop, although both in close proximity to each other and selling similar produce, had markedly different customer bases. The latter was evidently seen as obstructive by the Council while the former was encouraged as part of the Council's ambitions to 'regenerate' the area, along with expensive coffee shops, indie bars and 'clean-up' operations.
The chapter written in memory of her nephew was sobering and beautifully written, and added a memoir component to the book. I also found the chapter outlining the history of East London and its links to the slave trade very useful for better understanding the situation today.
I would also recommend listening to the Surviving Society podcast episode with the author alongside reading the book (https://soundcloud.com/user-622675754...). I agree with Chantelle Lewis - Joy White gives the clearest definition of neoliberalism I've ever read!
It was possible to draw parallels between her case study and the area of London where I live, particularly how the creation of the 'urban village' through neoliberal urban renewal schemes results in 'pockets of whiteness' within historically multicultural areas. E.g. the middle-class farmers market stall next to the Afro-Caribbean grocers' shop, although both in close proximity to each other and selling similar produce, had markedly different customer bases. The latter was evidently seen as obstructive by the Council while the former was encouraged as part of the Council's ambitions to 'regenerate' the area, along with expensive coffee shops, indie bars and 'clean-up' operations.
The chapter written in memory of her nephew was sobering and beautifully written, and added a memoir component to the book. I also found the chapter outlining the history of East London and its links to the slave trade very useful for better understanding the situation today.
I would also recommend listening to the Surviving Society podcast episode with the author alongside reading the book (https://soundcloud.com/user-622675754...). I agree with Chantelle Lewis - Joy White gives the clearest definition of neoliberalism I've ever read!
June 14, 2020
Thank you to Repeater Books for the Advanced Reader's Copy!
Through an insightful, focused analysis of the Forest Gate community, Joy White's "Terraformed" shows the underlying interplay between white supremacy, policing and governmental policies. From housing to music to farmer's markets, Joy White leaves no corner of life unturned.
Why is it that the primarily white farmer's market is allowed to occupy the streets while Afro-Caribbean grocery stores are chastised for doing the same? Why is it that folk buy from the farmer's market but not the same goods that they can buy from the local Black owned and operated stores? Why is it that a group of Black men in white at a funeral are stopped and questioned?
The answer is perhaps uncomfortable for those who are benefitting from the everyday policing and deportation of Black bodies, but perhaps that's the point. This is a book that might make you rethink your daily routine, the people with whom you interact, the businesses you so brazenly support, the complicity with white supremacy in every level.
Through an insightful, focused analysis of the Forest Gate community, Joy White's "Terraformed" shows the underlying interplay between white supremacy, policing and governmental policies. From housing to music to farmer's markets, Joy White leaves no corner of life unturned.
Why is it that the primarily white farmer's market is allowed to occupy the streets while Afro-Caribbean grocery stores are chastised for doing the same? Why is it that folk buy from the farmer's market but not the same goods that they can buy from the local Black owned and operated stores? Why is it that a group of Black men in white at a funeral are stopped and questioned?
The answer is perhaps uncomfortable for those who are benefitting from the everyday policing and deportation of Black bodies, but perhaps that's the point. This is a book that might make you rethink your daily routine, the people with whom you interact, the businesses you so brazenly support, the complicity with white supremacy in every level.
June 28, 2020
Town planning and a lot of this is about town planning isn’t that interesting, but the parts about Joys personal experience are so good it’s worth reading for that. I would have preferred a more personal book about Joy and the residents of Newham.
October 30, 2020
Terraformed: Young Black Lives In The Inner City' must be an essential read for the educational system and gives a detailed, honest conversation that would be key for any context on how critical race theory should be mandatory. This is a borough I was born and raised in, it's certainly had many pressing moments in media so it's the history and reflection of the community that lived and lives there is overlooked. I had this book recommended to me prior to lockdown because I honestly felt like those who had a misunderstanding of what particular areas and how communities were represented needed to refresh themselves with this book with consideration to what is happening in today's society.
Dr Joy White gives anyone who is familiar and unfamiliar with Newham a firm, deconstruction of society, political structure, community surrounding one of the boroughs Forest Gate from the 1980's. Not only does she present an insight to the Industrial revolution, Joy leaves no street uncovered, not stones unturned when presenting the history of the areas. The area I grew up in was once a port for and it was very interesting to know this as it started to clarify a lot of moments I had caught up living there. For one, I wasn't aware the area I was raised in which was close to the River Thames was dominated by trade which is crucial to the development of the area and its community.
When I was growing up, Forest Gate, Manor Park, East Ham up and through Upton Park were familiar areas where my parents would often visit. I found a lot of times when me and my family would talk about growing up. Often, it's tough to detail every moment and also feel a genuine connection from listener, it was also beneficial to understand rather than criticise especially in recent years when we've bared witness to the the Windrush scandal and furthermore, seeing how long certain areas in London have benefitted whilst many are still going through poverty, lack of mental health services and seemingly the loss of arts. I honestly felt art was a source of comfort for a majority which I personally felt was very present in Newham.
Joy provides readers with a deep insight to what life was like growing up in an area which had been impacted by gentrification, austerity, racism and how this has impacted on the mental wellbeing of the Black community.
It appears that there's a gap between how the older generation and younger generation can come together with concerns of the future and stability of the UK particularly in areas that aren't given the security or safety to survive. The book shows an important perspective from the author when she had faced racism and the response towards this.. She details the moments like they would (and have) happened before time and time again. When you gather the information and follow the map of the areas Joy talks about, it's disheartening to hear what has happened in her personal life and what surrounds that which I feel needed to be heard just as much.
I've been longing to find texts that would reflect on how Grime music impacts culture and the strong message behind each video, music and lines put together. I personally appreciated the note on how Grime artists would create music videos from scratch. I recall watching a few which started with two artists sitting on stairs passing words back and forth, there was something quite homely about this. Joy makes a valid analyses of how the music videos, which were mostly made independently, had given a clear indication of how an environment changes and impacts the movements and expressionism in each video. This also came alongside bias views from the media dictating that Grime music was a harmful, violent and aggressive look at 'true urban life' thus misguiding the narrative which should be given to the artist.
I do believe this book should be encouraged for everyone to read as I do no justice with this review, Joy guides you through the inner-city fluidly and gives a reader insight on what could be missing from our key text lists.
Terraformed is a book that's based on reality - not predictions, not assumptions - an unbias reality.
Dr Joy White gives anyone who is familiar and unfamiliar with Newham a firm, deconstruction of society, political structure, community surrounding one of the boroughs Forest Gate from the 1980's. Not only does she present an insight to the Industrial revolution, Joy leaves no street uncovered, not stones unturned when presenting the history of the areas. The area I grew up in was once a port for and it was very interesting to know this as it started to clarify a lot of moments I had caught up living there. For one, I wasn't aware the area I was raised in which was close to the River Thames was dominated by trade which is crucial to the development of the area and its community.
When I was growing up, Forest Gate, Manor Park, East Ham up and through Upton Park were familiar areas where my parents would often visit. I found a lot of times when me and my family would talk about growing up. Often, it's tough to detail every moment and also feel a genuine connection from listener, it was also beneficial to understand rather than criticise especially in recent years when we've bared witness to the the Windrush scandal and furthermore, seeing how long certain areas in London have benefitted whilst many are still going through poverty, lack of mental health services and seemingly the loss of arts. I honestly felt art was a source of comfort for a majority which I personally felt was very present in Newham.
Joy provides readers with a deep insight to what life was like growing up in an area which had been impacted by gentrification, austerity, racism and how this has impacted on the mental wellbeing of the Black community.
It appears that there's a gap between how the older generation and younger generation can come together with concerns of the future and stability of the UK particularly in areas that aren't given the security or safety to survive. The book shows an important perspective from the author when she had faced racism and the response towards this.. She details the moments like they would (and have) happened before time and time again. When you gather the information and follow the map of the areas Joy talks about, it's disheartening to hear what has happened in her personal life and what surrounds that which I feel needed to be heard just as much.
I've been longing to find texts that would reflect on how Grime music impacts culture and the strong message behind each video, music and lines put together. I personally appreciated the note on how Grime artists would create music videos from scratch. I recall watching a few which started with two artists sitting on stairs passing words back and forth, there was something quite homely about this. Joy makes a valid analyses of how the music videos, which were mostly made independently, had given a clear indication of how an environment changes and impacts the movements and expressionism in each video. This also came alongside bias views from the media dictating that Grime music was a harmful, violent and aggressive look at 'true urban life' thus misguiding the narrative which should be given to the artist.
I do believe this book should be encouraged for everyone to read as I do no justice with this review, Joy guides you through the inner-city fluidly and gives a reader insight on what could be missing from our key text lists.
Terraformed is a book that's based on reality - not predictions, not assumptions - an unbias reality.
January 20, 2025
I love the format of Terraformed, interweaving evidence-based academic analysis with the author's personal experience and her subject matter expertise. These self-reinforce and create a rich and memorable read, and one to which I will return for sure.
I found it a hard-read, and a must-read. I was left quite empty but much better informed.
Tragically, Joy knows the pain of losing a close relative to violence. The chapter on this is personal, heartfelt, and heartbreaking. It also serves to add weight to the critique set out in her book; no-one can refute it as naive. To put it another way, she knows what she is talking about.
It would be a disservice to try to summarise something that is an integrated whole, distilled from a corpus of work. But if I was asked to extract three things, then for me it would be these.
Trafficking. Throughout the book Joy references the story of a vulnerable child who was groomed by criminals and "had come into contact with more than a dozen agencies that were supposed to protect him". They failed, and tragically the boy was murdered as a child of 14. Joy concludes that as a society it seems we have given our political leaders permission to label trafficked children as criminals and unworthy of protection. This is a national shame. She advocates the power of properly funded youth services.
Leisure. Joy identifies that gentrification results in a locale where "access to leisure is through consumption". This is an expression that I have been seeking for a while and which I will now use, with reference to the author, of course. She asks that Councils, in their desire for "urban villages", need to consider the needs for all residents, including all ages and levels of wealth.
The evolution of racism from the 1960s to the present day. Joy explains in detail how the decline of overt racism has been replaced by today's covert racism. This controls "young black lives in the inner city" who face covert systematic societal hurdles to independence, and enables Joy's recent and appalling experience on the receiving end of covertly aggressive language and attitude.
This book is not specifically a call to action. I think the author may want us to work that out for ourselves. My immediate pledges: to look in the window of a venue before I enter, and to stay away if it misrepresents the multicultural locale. To buy things from shopkeepers who have clearly not benefited from gentrification. To call out pejorative language about poor neighbourhoods. To tell people about this book. To not take at face value any news story about "young black lives in the inner city", the sub-title of this extraordinary book.
I found it a hard-read, and a must-read. I was left quite empty but much better informed.
Tragically, Joy knows the pain of losing a close relative to violence. The chapter on this is personal, heartfelt, and heartbreaking. It also serves to add weight to the critique set out in her book; no-one can refute it as naive. To put it another way, she knows what she is talking about.
It would be a disservice to try to summarise something that is an integrated whole, distilled from a corpus of work. But if I was asked to extract three things, then for me it would be these.
Trafficking. Throughout the book Joy references the story of a vulnerable child who was groomed by criminals and "had come into contact with more than a dozen agencies that were supposed to protect him". They failed, and tragically the boy was murdered as a child of 14. Joy concludes that as a society it seems we have given our political leaders permission to label trafficked children as criminals and unworthy of protection. This is a national shame. She advocates the power of properly funded youth services.
Leisure. Joy identifies that gentrification results in a locale where "access to leisure is through consumption". This is an expression that I have been seeking for a while and which I will now use, with reference to the author, of course. She asks that Councils, in their desire for "urban villages", need to consider the needs for all residents, including all ages and levels of wealth.
The evolution of racism from the 1960s to the present day. Joy explains in detail how the decline of overt racism has been replaced by today's covert racism. This controls "young black lives in the inner city" who face covert systematic societal hurdles to independence, and enables Joy's recent and appalling experience on the receiving end of covertly aggressive language and attitude.
This book is not specifically a call to action. I think the author may want us to work that out for ourselves. My immediate pledges: to look in the window of a venue before I enter, and to stay away if it misrepresents the multicultural locale. To buy things from shopkeepers who have clearly not benefited from gentrification. To call out pejorative language about poor neighbourhoods. To tell people about this book. To not take at face value any news story about "young black lives in the inner city", the sub-title of this extraordinary book.
July 24, 2020
Joy White is a sociologist and researcher whose work tackles topics such as urban geography, social mobility and youth culture. She has a penchant for writing about contemporary music trends, particularly hiphop, grime and drill, using lucid prose to elucidate how these genres emerge organically from the urban environment. Whilst Terraformed contains an engaging chapter charting the tonal shifts of local music, White has widened her scope, conducting an ethnographic study of Newham, her home neighbourhood.
Despite her personal connection to Newham, White remains remarkably clear-sighted throughout the ethnography. She expands upon the origins of Newham's multicultural community, narrating the ebb and flow of immigrant populations with compassion. Even her account of the ongoing gentrification of Newham - the sinister reformulation of systematic racism - reads as sagely impartial. She coins the term 'hyper-local demarcation' to describe the ways in which instruments of gentrification carve urban space into desirable and undesirable, inevitably marginalising indigenous BAME residents whilst foregrounding the mostly white middle-classes, whose wokeness drives them to seek diversity, but whose diffidence (or more cynically, snobbishness) maintains de facto segregation. Whilst White's description of the bleak impact this has on the Black community (criminality, lack of prospects, police brutality) warrants an incendiary tone, her objectivity makes her fundamental argument for proper investment in the long-term community all the more convincing.
The book throws an unexpected curveball with Chapter 6, subtitled 'In Memoriam: Nico Essian Ramsay'. Nico was Joy's nephew, and at nineteen years old he was stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack by three young men. The departure from the cool ethnographic tone is jarring, but appropriate. The tragedy underscores White's demand for change, reminding us of the urgency and seriousness of her research. But more than this, it's a beautiful, heartfelt eulogy to Nico. White describes the difficulty of finding the language to express her grief, so it is humbling to witness her efforts to put words to feelings. The allusion to Sharpe's theory of the Wake is a respectful and fitting nod to academic literature, a reminder that White knows and lives race theory, but not a distraction from this project's material base.
I'd fully recommend this book to everyone looking to gain insight into how racism functions in British society.
Despite her personal connection to Newham, White remains remarkably clear-sighted throughout the ethnography. She expands upon the origins of Newham's multicultural community, narrating the ebb and flow of immigrant populations with compassion. Even her account of the ongoing gentrification of Newham - the sinister reformulation of systematic racism - reads as sagely impartial. She coins the term 'hyper-local demarcation' to describe the ways in which instruments of gentrification carve urban space into desirable and undesirable, inevitably marginalising indigenous BAME residents whilst foregrounding the mostly white middle-classes, whose wokeness drives them to seek diversity, but whose diffidence (or more cynically, snobbishness) maintains de facto segregation. Whilst White's description of the bleak impact this has on the Black community (criminality, lack of prospects, police brutality) warrants an incendiary tone, her objectivity makes her fundamental argument for proper investment in the long-term community all the more convincing.
The book throws an unexpected curveball with Chapter 6, subtitled 'In Memoriam: Nico Essian Ramsay'. Nico was Joy's nephew, and at nineteen years old he was stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack by three young men. The departure from the cool ethnographic tone is jarring, but appropriate. The tragedy underscores White's demand for change, reminding us of the urgency and seriousness of her research. But more than this, it's a beautiful, heartfelt eulogy to Nico. White describes the difficulty of finding the language to express her grief, so it is humbling to witness her efforts to put words to feelings. The allusion to Sharpe's theory of the Wake is a respectful and fitting nod to academic literature, a reminder that White knows and lives race theory, but not a distraction from this project's material base.
I'd fully recommend this book to everyone looking to gain insight into how racism functions in British society.
September 27, 2020
Hyperindividualism is something I worry about in the UK, I have witnessed it permeate British culture as it is offered as a common sense solution to the problem our society faces. Therefore I enjoyed the book, purely because I agreed with the book, and only wished it's content was common knowledge.
The books is incredibly well researched, I loved the local history of her chosen square mile and the surrounding area. It felt like the author Joy White revealed important stories about the area that are not widely known by the local residents, let alone the general public.
I never realise the legacy of forest gate police station, and the historical terrible relationship with the community it served. I have had a couple encounters with that particular police station in my childhood at polar opposite ends of the scale but mostly they were negative experiences that left me feeling helpless or mistreated. But never thought much of the experience or how it was representative of a wider culture of the police station.
The term "newly created pockets of white only spaces" in forest gate, are something I found very interesting. Very powerful, because I had never thought about it. I am a black male in my early 30's but I have the luxury of being in the target social economic group of these spaces so therefore never personally felt excluded. I personally don't mind white spaces, but I work in them daily and also socialise in them, but there is something worth questioning if a space is white only and people of colour are treated with hostility. I would like to hope the regeneration of forest gate was an inclusive endeavour.
Overt racism feels like a very American issue, British racism has a reputation of being more hidden and nuanced. Therefore the stories of public racism in Newham felt shocking. I always raised to believe Newham was a multicultural paradise, only because of always feeling welcome, in incredibly diverse spaces, but I think I personally benefited from the community spaces of the 90's and early 2000s.
Her depiction of her own grief is incredibly honest, and heartbreaking. It makes a powerful argument of the effects of the hostile environment and austerity introduced by the coalition government back in 2010 and its enduring legacy. The book indicates that these youth services and community spaces are vital to community cohesion and the development, I really wish such spaces were not at the mercy of government funding and could sustain themselves independently.
The books is incredibly well researched, I loved the local history of her chosen square mile and the surrounding area. It felt like the author Joy White revealed important stories about the area that are not widely known by the local residents, let alone the general public.
I never realise the legacy of forest gate police station, and the historical terrible relationship with the community it served. I have had a couple encounters with that particular police station in my childhood at polar opposite ends of the scale but mostly they were negative experiences that left me feeling helpless or mistreated. But never thought much of the experience or how it was representative of a wider culture of the police station.
The term "newly created pockets of white only spaces" in forest gate, are something I found very interesting. Very powerful, because I had never thought about it. I am a black male in my early 30's but I have the luxury of being in the target social economic group of these spaces so therefore never personally felt excluded. I personally don't mind white spaces, but I work in them daily and also socialise in them, but there is something worth questioning if a space is white only and people of colour are treated with hostility. I would like to hope the regeneration of forest gate was an inclusive endeavour.
Overt racism feels like a very American issue, British racism has a reputation of being more hidden and nuanced. Therefore the stories of public racism in Newham felt shocking. I always raised to believe Newham was a multicultural paradise, only because of always feeling welcome, in incredibly diverse spaces, but I think I personally benefited from the community spaces of the 90's and early 2000s.
Her depiction of her own grief is incredibly honest, and heartbreaking. It makes a powerful argument of the effects of the hostile environment and austerity introduced by the coalition government back in 2010 and its enduring legacy. The book indicates that these youth services and community spaces are vital to community cohesion and the development, I really wish such spaces were not at the mercy of government funding and could sustain themselves independently.
February 20, 2022
3.5🌟
“We cannot arrest, medicate or imprison our way out of the challenges that face young Black lives in the inner city”
Chapter 2 and 7 were the strongest for me, Chapter 3 on music was also very interesting. Her In Memoriam chapter was beautifully written and an excellent piece on feelings of grief and experiences with death. However, as an academic piece I feel it did not go into enough depth. This would be a great read for those not from a student/academic background and a fab entry point into Sociology and urban Geography. I also think it is important to produce public anthropology (even though shes a sociologist) and work that is accessible to most, not filled with unnecessary academic jargon. Alas, it still fell short, the fieldwork part of the book was very brief and I wished it had gone into more detail or theoretical analysis
(for context, im reading this as research for my dissertation).
“We cannot arrest, medicate or imprison our way out of the challenges that face young Black lives in the inner city”
Chapter 2 and 7 were the strongest for me, Chapter 3 on music was also very interesting. Her In Memoriam chapter was beautifully written and an excellent piece on feelings of grief and experiences with death. However, as an academic piece I feel it did not go into enough depth. This would be a great read for those not from a student/academic background and a fab entry point into Sociology and urban Geography. I also think it is important to produce public anthropology (even though shes a sociologist) and work that is accessible to most, not filled with unnecessary academic jargon. Alas, it still fell short, the fieldwork part of the book was very brief and I wished it had gone into more detail or theoretical analysis
(for context, im reading this as research for my dissertation).
August 25, 2022
Highly recommend this to other Brits.
Joy White does a great job at capturing the impact of neoliberalism and the consequential growing socioeconomic disparities prevalent in Newham, her home.
I found the discussion comparing rejuvenation and gentrification particularly interesting as it manages to put into words the discomfort I feel from the desirable urban villages built with farmers markets, craft beer and artisan bakeries.
Moreover, it highlights the sinister outcome of how the hobbies in these area require an up-front payment to engage: it limits who can afford to attend and leads into areas that have white pockets in underinvested areas. Socioeconomic segregation is becoming more prevalent over ethnic segregation.
The book also vividly paints a picture for the callous behaviour of police (e.g. via Section 60), contains a beautiful tribute to her murdered family member and shares names of organisations who are working to benefit the local community in Newham.
Joy White does a great job at capturing the impact of neoliberalism and the consequential growing socioeconomic disparities prevalent in Newham, her home.
I found the discussion comparing rejuvenation and gentrification particularly interesting as it manages to put into words the discomfort I feel from the desirable urban villages built with farmers markets, craft beer and artisan bakeries.
Moreover, it highlights the sinister outcome of how the hobbies in these area require an up-front payment to engage: it limits who can afford to attend and leads into areas that have white pockets in underinvested areas. Socioeconomic segregation is becoming more prevalent over ethnic segregation.
The book also vividly paints a picture for the callous behaviour of police (e.g. via Section 60), contains a beautiful tribute to her murdered family member and shares names of organisations who are working to benefit the local community in Newham.
March 15, 2021
This is an essential read for anyone living in London, but also extremely relevant for wider Britain as well. It tells the story of a community from the inside, following years of changes in policy which eroded and at times supported the prospects of the local population.
One of the most moving parts of the book was the story of Nico. So many deaths are attributed to “gang violence” without a second thought. Seeing the experience of Nico by his family and that of losing him is heartbreaking but it also creates a sense of reconnecting with those affected by violence in East London.
The book is easy to read and follow and has a sense of acceptance and resilience build on an underlying current of hope, that the community has withstood hardship so far and will continue to evolve despite it.
One of the most moving parts of the book was the story of Nico. So many deaths are attributed to “gang violence” without a second thought. Seeing the experience of Nico by his family and that of losing him is heartbreaking but it also creates a sense of reconnecting with those affected by violence in East London.
The book is easy to read and follow and has a sense of acceptance and resilience build on an underlying current of hope, that the community has withstood hardship so far and will continue to evolve despite it.
July 2, 2020
This is one of the most unique non-fiction books I’ve ever read.
It’s a careful mix of rigorous academic work and personal experiences, presented in an easily digestible way. This work is timely. With the Black Lives Matter movement gaining momentum in the mainstream, there are lots of people expressing their complacency about racism in the UK. This book demonstrates that racism is rife here in Britain, and that current plans for regeneration and transformation of inner city areas is more likely to add to systemic racism than it is to solve the problem.
This is a hugely important book that I hope is read widely. I read this on Kindle and will be buying a physical copy to annotate and reread.
Thank you Repeater and NetGalley for gifting this book in exchange for an honest review.
It’s a careful mix of rigorous academic work and personal experiences, presented in an easily digestible way. This work is timely. With the Black Lives Matter movement gaining momentum in the mainstream, there are lots of people expressing their complacency about racism in the UK. This book demonstrates that racism is rife here in Britain, and that current plans for regeneration and transformation of inner city areas is more likely to add to systemic racism than it is to solve the problem.
This is a hugely important book that I hope is read widely. I read this on Kindle and will be buying a physical copy to annotate and reread.
Thank you Repeater and NetGalley for gifting this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2020
Given recent events this is an important book that needs to be read and discussed.
It details the Black experience in Newham, a deprived London borough that is still buzzing with life and vibrancy.
It is easy for the white majority to express concern about racism but it certainly helps to hear and read how it feels to be on the receiving end of violence and racist comments.
I found this book to be disturbing, upsetting and enlightening. It is a necessary read that certainly concentrated my mind.
It details the Black experience in Newham, a deprived London borough that is still buzzing with life and vibrancy.
It is easy for the white majority to express concern about racism but it certainly helps to hear and read how it feels to be on the receiving end of violence and racist comments.
I found this book to be disturbing, upsetting and enlightening. It is a necessary read that certainly concentrated my mind.
October 17, 2020
This is a very important and for me timely book about predominantly young, black lives in London's inner city borough of Newham. But it's about much more, inequality, police violence, neoliberal economics and austerity, music, immigration, British colonialism, family and the tragedy of loss. Though I wanted the author's voice and experience to come sooner in the book, I am very grateful to her for writing this. It's something we can all learn from about our arbitrary but racialised, classed position in British society.
December 6, 2022
Worth a listen, repetitive in places and some sections (e.g. the commentary on the 'white' part of the area) rubbed me the wrong way. However, the standout piece here is the In Memoriam chapter. Excellent writing, well worth the read for that alone. The audible narrator does a good job if you'd prefer to consume on audio over print.
June 12, 2020
Terraformed :Young Black Lives In The Inner City is a thought provoking gritty, honest read, highlighting very relevant and real issues within society. A necessary read for all who are passionate about equality and every person being treated the same.
March 5, 2022
An interesting analysis into how cultural and economic forces like austerity and gentrification impact life for the locals in a neighborhood in east London, particularly Black youth. While a short read, it was very thought-provoking.
June 4, 2020
An engaging & important contribution to the field. Beautifully written.
March 12, 2021
A powerful read, painting a vibrant picture of a London borough through the lens of black communities, amid the backdrop of hostile political environments, gentrification, and structural racism.
February 28, 2023
Really interesting perspective on Newham, Austerity, Youth Violence, Race and Class in the 21st Century. Would Highly reccomend from a sociological perspective.
August 13, 2024
I found it an important insider’s reflections and depictions of gentrification and oppression historically and contemporary in Newnham - an area I knew well in the 1990s.
April 2, 2021
Necessary reading, I appreciated the time and emotional energy Joy put into this body of work. Joy explores systemic and deep rooted oppression in a way that really resonated with me. I found her take on culture, music and inclusion very refreshing and I would highly recommend this book to anyone living in the UK especially.
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