Denis 

Denis Christopher Banton (Boxing name Denis Francis Grant)

I’m a Kingstonian. Born in Kingston, Jamaica. I came to this country in 1961. I felt privileged to be here and meet new people. We lived all over London, but my main home was in Hackney. I attended Northwold Primary school and later Brooke House Comprehensive, where I encountered boys who felt defeated because they missed out on grammar school places. I just enjoyed being in a foreign land and meeting so many different people…

I got into boxing at a young age whilst attending a basket weaving workshop in Hackney. Mr Newman and Mr Pratt the two guys who ran youth clubs for young people, saw I was bored weaving baskets and asked me if I wanted to try amateur boxing. So, I joined a boxing club. I became known as a good boxer and travelled around the UK and some parts of Europe. It’s something I am proud of and known for. I always looked to Muhammed Ali as he wasn’t just a boxer but an important voice for Black people. People on Ridley Road still call out to me ‘hey champ’ or ‘what up boxer’ and that pays me a privilege – it’s a space where I feel comfortable, and I can be myself. The road is a part of the Afro-Caribbean community.

My boxing career came to an end when I was fighting an ex -officer who was older than me. He called me nigger and I kicked him in the groin, and I was disqualified. For me the moment was important as it was around the time that there was a lot of hypocrisy in Britain. At that time Black people were not made to feel welcome and called ‘Sambo’ and told to “Go back to the tree houses you came from.” This sentiment was also reflected in politics with Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech. There were opposing voices to this by mainly Labour politicians like Michael Foot, Harold Wilson and Gaitskell. My grandad always told me to stand up for liberty and defend those who are weak.

After that I had a range of jobs which included working in the textile industry with my dad and selling encyclopaedias door to door. I looked after my baby mother and three beautiful children and worked hard for many years.

I also ended up in Wandsworth prison once for a crime and served three years – prisoners are the invisible enemy. After this my mental health deteriorated and I was also sectioned for a time. Now I have a case worker and take some medication as well as a bit of wacky backy so I can manage. I’m staying put in Hackney now as I am looked after when I am not feeling too well. People watch out for me, give me food or the odd ciggie if I need it. I like to come here and talk to people and they still shout out ‘he’s a champion’ even all these years later. That’s how they know me. Denis the boxer.