We've updated our Privacy and Cookies Policy
We've made some important changes to our Privacy and Cookies Policy and we want you to know what this means for you and your data.
Black History: What are the Brixton station statues?
Three statues that are thought to be the first sculptures of black people in the UK are being returned to a train station in Brixton, in London.
The statues show three people that lived in Brixton in the 1980s.
In 2016, they were taken down for refurbishment - which means they were cleaned and looked after.
Now they will be coming back to Brixton station with a new extra statue - called Joy II.
Who are the Brixton statues of?
In 1986 artist Kevin Atherton was chosen to put together some art for Brixton train station.
He made statues of three people who had a connection to Brixton - Peter Lloyd, Joy Battick and Karin Heistermann.
In 2016, the statues were given a special 'listed' status from Historic England - the organisation that manages historical sites and objects in England.
When something is 'listed' by Historic England it means it has special importance to our history and is protected.
A new statue of Joy
When the statues are put back into Brixton station, they will be joined by a brand new one - called Joy II.
It's an updated statue of one of the original statue models - Joy Battick. She was 26 when the statues were first made.
Kevin wanted to show Joy reflecting on her life and looking towards her future.
"Joy is looking at her younger self, but she's also looking at herself that's yet to be."
The 'first black history statues'
The statues were listed because historians think they were the first sculptures of black people made in the UK.
This is important to people in Brixton - and black people around the UK - because of the cultural history and importance of Brixton.
After the second world war, Brixton developed as a place with a large Afro-Caribbean community.
However, in the 1980s, the area was suffering from economic problems, and there were clashes between the police and the people that lived there.
When Kevin Atherton made the statues it was during this difficult time - and by choosing regular members of the community, he wanted to show the cultural importance of Brixton.