A Leeds Rastafarian man has opened up about the ‘no-go racist’ areas in Leeds he was told to avoid before moving to the city.
DJ Sammy ‘Dreadlocks’ Glynn, 61, moved to Leeds from Tottenham, London, and was told about three areas to avoid. He’s said that ever since he moved to Leeds, in the early 90s, he’s never had an issue with racism and even lives in one of areas he was told not to go to.
However, he spoke about how the West Indian community across the country forms associations with places. He’s said from a young age, he’d also known the more desirable places to go if you’re worried about racism.
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Sammy said: “When it comes to areas to go to, even as a kid growing up I knew of Chapeltown, Handsworth in Birmingham, Toxteth in Liverpool and Moss Side in Manchester. This is because our foreparents all came and congregated in one area.”
Sammy, who is a father-of-ten and grandfather-of-five, is a proud Rastafarian and has been part of Leeds roots-reggae-dub collective Iration Steppas for more than 30 years. When he decided to make the move to Leeds, he was given a well-meaning warning by other members of the community.
Sammy said: “I’ve never experienced racism in Leeds, since I moved here in the 90s. Even though I was told about ‘racist’ areas.
“Down South, we were told about certain areas to be aware of. Holbeck, Seacroft and Gipton. They were the major areas. People said to me to be careful of those areas because of the racism of those areas.”
When Sammy first moved to Leeds, he decided to live in the Harehills and Chapeltown areas. But eight years ago, he moved to Seacroft with his wife – where he’s very happy and gets along well with his neighbours.
He feels “bad” that his music nights, called Subdub, with Iration Steppas can no longer take place at the West Indian Centre in Chapeltown – but ultimately there is nothing he can do about it, he shrugs it off as a way times have changed.
Sammy said: “We used to have the West Indian Centre in Chapeltown. But with noise complaints with the council, that’s no longer happening. If you chuck a stone in the water, you get ripples.
“It makes me feel bad but there’s nothing I can do about it. I don’t let things get on top of me or cause stress – as stress is a killer. There’s nothing I can do about it.”
When it comes to health, the 61-year-old says he still smokes a lot of weed in his older age but now relies on it for medicinal purposes, rather than purely for its spiritual benefit. He smokes between half an ounce and a full ounce a day, which comes to between 14g and 28g.
Sammy said: “I’m a big heavy smoker. I had a bad car crash and it’s a big pain relief for me. I was on a life support and on bedside care for about nine months. I was on a Zimmer Frame, I couldn’t walk.
“As a pain relief, it has been helpful to me over the years. Medicinal, spiritual and it just keeps me in a good mood. I smoke about half an ounce a day to an ounce. I smoke spliffs.”
He’s currently mourning his mum’s death – but says he’d still hide his smoking from her, even though he’s 61 years old. He’s said only a couple of his ten children smoke weed and overall attitudes have changed in the younger generation so weed smoking isn’t as commonplace for young Rastafarians.
He said: “Everybody knows tobacco or smoking is bad for your health. When you talk about the younger generation nowadays, it doesn’t matter where they’re coming from, denomination or religion or whatever, it’s a different kettle all around.”
Sammy wasn’t able to travel with the Iration Steppas for their ongoing US tour due to visa issues, however he is looking forward to their next Leeds Subdub event at Freedom Mills on May 6.
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