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The Colour Red
from The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Oral History of my Route through Barking and Dagenham
by Atta Ahmed
The Colour Red
The colour red has various literal associations, such as; red is assertive, daring, determined, energetic, powerful, enthusiastic, impulsive, exciting, and aggressive. Red represents physical energy, lust, passion, and desire. It symbolizes action, confidence, and courage. The colour red is linked to the most primitive physical, emotional, and financial needs of survival and self-preservation.
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However, politically it is associated towards socialism and communism, with a rather literal meaning, the colour red so often used by left-wing parties like Labour represents ‘the blood of the angry workers’. These angry workers being the ones rising up against the bourgeoisie during the first French uprising in 1789. In fact, red as a representation of the struggle between the working and upper classes may even date back as far as the slave uprisings at the end of the Roman Empire, as revolutionaries brandished red flags as part of the rebellion.
For my proposition, this colour is representing the political mandates that Barking and Dagenham are undergoing which is creating a void between new developments and existing residential needs in the borough.
