Erection date: 13/6/1998
{Plaque on front of the plinth:}
Dedicated by Bishop Wood of Croydon to the 116 children who died in Soweto on June 16th 1976, and unveiled on June 13th 1998 by His Excellency Happy Mahlangu, Deputy Commissioner for South Africa.
Supported by the Borough of Lambeth, Brixton Challenge, National Lottery and private donations. Commissioned by the 198 Gallery.
{Plaque on right side of plinth:}
"First Child", artist - Raymond Watson
This sculpture was inspired by a widely-circulated and influential news photograph taken by Sam Nzima during the Soweto uprising – see this page. To our eyes the sculptor, Raymond Watson, has transformed the three distraught people in the photo into sinewy figures expressively representing a mother and father, the father carrying their dead child.
The setting does not do this physically insubstantial artwork any favours - whatever the season it is visually lost amongst the trees.
Site: Soweto children (1 memorial)
SW9, Max Roach Park
This park was named after Max Roach (1924 – 2007) the American jazz musician who opened it himself in 1986.
