Notting Hill Carnival

The most colourful weekend of the year in London, Notting Hill Carnival is the second biggest carnival in the world, behind only Rio de Janeiro.

This beautiful expression of Caribbean culture rose out of protest and resistance — a response to years of oppression and racial violence experienced by Caribbean immigrants in London and the rest of the UK.

As a descendant of Caribbean immigrants myself, this weekend is among the most important days in my calendar. It is a time for our community to step out and be seen in all our colour and beauty, perhaps the one time we feel the streets of London truly belong to us too.