Plaque memorial fundraising launched for Wolverhampton man who died in police custody
Campaigners calling for a permanent memorial in honour of a Wolverhampton man who died after being held down by police officers have launched an online fundraising project.
The online collection was set up to co-incide with Clinton McCurbin's birthday on September 23. He would have been aged 61.
He died from asphyxia when the officers tried to arrest him inside the glass-fronted former Next store in Dudley Street on February 20, 1987 - after unproven allegations that a credit card had been stolen - in scenes reminiscent to the death of George Floyd in the United States in May 2020.
The Clinton McCurbin Memorial Committee was officially launched on September 16 at a Wolverhampton conference attended by West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster and now the organisers have opened an appeal for donations towards the installation of a blue plaque to both remember his name and as a sign of healing over the incident which was followed by both peaceful demonstrations and unrest in the the city centre.
His mother Esther McCurbin said: “For nearly four decades my son’s death has been overlooked, unacknowledged and buried. This fundraising campaign is so important not just for justice, but for the memory and legacy of Clinton. His life mattered.
"His story must be remembered and this memorial will help make sure that future generations understand what was lost.”
Professor Patrick Vernon, of the original McCurbin Defence Campaign, added. “Clinton McCurbin’s death was a defining moment in the struggle for racial justice in Britain. That’s why we are calling for a blue plaque — not only to honour Clinton’s name, but to begin a wider process of truth, recognition, and collective healing.”
To donate to the fund visit webpage .gofundme.com/f/remembering-clinton-mccurbin-a-call-for-justice
