Birmingham City Council To Name Street After Bert Carless

Birmingham City Council will name a street after the City's first Black Councillor, Bert Carless. 'Bert Carless Way' will be the name given to what will soon be a new road within the Perry Barr Residential Scheme.

Being the City's first Black Councillor naturally means that Carless is a historical figure of significance for the city. He can be seen here speaking on the need for black communities to be integrated into politics in the '80s. (If you're looking for a video to capture the political realities in which black communities faced, including the reporting of the problem itself, I'd strongly recommend finding the time to watch this report here.)

His career on the city council was long, having spanned 19 years. In that time he would serve on a wide range of committees chairing the appeals committee (85-92) vice-chair the housing committee (92-93). He also became a member of the West Midlands Police Authority from 1987 to 1992. In 1998 he would be awarded an OBE for his service as chairman of the Handsworth College Group, but the latest honour stands as an attempt to memorialize one of the city’s most respected political figures.

This sentiment was reflected by Maxine Tomlinson who said:

“We are pleased to have finally arrived at this point where my uncle, Uncle Carless, is being recognised by Birmingham as the first person of African-Caribbean descent to have served as Councillor and Alderman of the city. “Cllr Carless served tirelessly within his Ward representing all, and he has a strong and lasting legacy in championing equalities as well as serving on a number of committees across the city.”

You may have seen a lot of reference to Birmingham City Council through the Operation Black Vote social media channels recently. This is because of the Civic leadership programme which was running during the second half of the year. It featured contributions from several Council members including Birmingham City Council's Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, Councillor Waseem Zaffar. He also gave his thoughts on a man who took 'great strides'.

“The Council had been looking for ways to honour Bert for some time, and my Cabinet colleagues and I were engaging with local community leaders like Dr Desmond Jaddoo on the most appropriate way to do this. However, when I was told that the Residential Scheme had an unnamed road not covered by the street naming competition it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Bert Carless was an inspirational, respected figure who made great strides in achieving more equality and diversity in our city. Therefore, to have Bert Carless Way in amongst Equality Road, Diversity Grove, and Inspire Avenue is an appropriate and fitting tribute.”

If you’re looking for an insightful breakdown into the legacy of the man, I'd strongly recommend this piece which offers perspective on how his time in politics and the importance of his work setting up the college community council.

Birmingham City Council states that homes using the new street name will be ready for occupation in 2023.

This has been a year which has seen significant debate afforded to who, how and why we choose to mark the historical figures that we do. However, where Bert Carless is concerned, his role in the community and legacy as an inspirational figure for councillors to follow will make this is a distinction carrying significant backing.

What are your thoughts on the news? Is it a fitting tribute or are there other ways of marking Bert Carless' legacy? Let us know by commenting on any of our Social media channels.

Mayowa Ayodele

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