Brixton, London – Humanity Project

Building community voice, participation and community power

Brixton has long been a centre of Black culture, community organising and political action. Today, local residents and organisations are exploring how assemblies can create space for Black communities to come together, share lived experience and shape the decisions that affect their lives.

Working with Operation Black Vote and local partners, Humanity Project is supporting the development of assembly culture in Brixton, creating opportunities for deeper participation, collective action and community-led decision-making.

Together, we are exploring how Black People’s Assemblies can become part of a longer-term infrastructure for community voice, accountability and power.

Assembly Culture in Brixton

Creating space for Black communities to listen, deliberate and act together

Brixton’s first Black People’s Assembly took place in February 2026, bringing together 64 residents, community leaders, faith representatives, youth voices, frontline workers, councillors and a local MP. Convened by Operation Black Vote and Humanity Project, the assembly created a Black-led democratic space for people to share experiences, explore common challenges and identify priorities for action.

The Assembly was the culmination of three months of outreach, relationship-building and facilitator training, helping to ensure the process was rooted in local communities and lived experience.

The assembly focused on issues affecting Black communities in Brixton, including the cost-of-living crisis, housing insecurity, food poverty, health inequalities, representation and access to power. Through three rounds of facilitated discussion, participants moved from personal experience to collective analysis and practical solutions.

Culture was an important part of the day. Caribbean food, poetry, music and community support activities helped create an atmosphere of dignity, belonging and connection, ensuring the assembly felt rooted in the community it was serving.

The assembly identified priorities around housing, income security, youth and family support, race equity and stronger community representation. Following the event, 28 participants signed up to join working groups to help take these priorities forward and explore new forms of collaboration and accountability with local institutions.

This work is helping to build the relationships, skills and confidence needed for long-term community participation. A local working group is now being convened to carry priorities forward, with a second Black People’s Assembly planned for 2026. Together, these next steps aim to ensure the Assembly is not a one-off event, but part of a growing ecosystem of Black democratic participation, accountability and community-led power in Brixton.