Brixton is a multi-ethnic community with a large number of residents with African or Caribbean descent. Its past has seen outpourings of racial tension, including the Brixton riots in the 1980's and 90's and a neo-Nazi bombing in 1999 but Brixton is also known for its vibrant atmosphere and eclectic nightlife.

Brixton has many connections with pop music. The Clash recorded 'The Guns of Brixton' in 1979 which was written by former Brixton resident, Paul Simonon. The Misfits wrote their song 'London Dungeon' after they were imprisoned in Brixton prison for fighting before a gig. Ian Hunter also recorded 'Theatre of the Absurd' about Brixton's law enforcement problem and Eddy Grant wrote a smash hit called 'Electric Avenue' named after a main street the area. Pink Floyd referred to Brixton Town Hall in 'Waiting for the Worms' and Marilyn Monroe played a character from Brixton in 'The Prince and the Showgirl'. Brixton also has many nightclubs including the Brixton Academy, The Fridge and Mass at St Matthew's Church.

200 years ago, Brixton was very different, as the surviving windmill from that period testifies. Sir Walter Raleigh was believed to have had a house in Brixton which Queen Elizabeth I visited by barge. Brixton developed as a Victorian suburb of the city between 1860 and 1890, linked to London by the railways. Many large residences were built and the first street to receive electricity is still called Electric Avenue. At the end of the 19th century the houses had been turned into flats and boarding houses to accommodate the working classes. As the area expanded, Brixton was known for having the largest shopping centre in South London with three large department stores. 'Morleys of Brixton' still trades today on Brixton Road. Brixton also had its own market, cinema, pubs and theatre.

The blitz of WW2 devastated the area leading to housing shortages and urban decay. Houses were quickly erected and were populated by Portuguese and West Indian immigrants. Many Jamaicans arrived on board the 'Empire Windrush' when the British nationality Act 1948 gave members of the British Commonwealth full British citizenship. Many Jamaicans only intended to seek work short-term in England, but never returned home. These new citizens were known as the 'Windrush Generation' and were the beginning of British multicultural society. Windrush Square was named in 1998 to mark the 50th anniversary of this event.

The first riots in Brixton were in 1981, when local ethnic minorities objected to new police policies to stop and search residents without any reason. Further riots erupted in 1985 when Dorothy 'Cherry' Groce was shot in her home by police looking for her son. Murals were funded by the council to try to promote racial peace and harmony in the area but protests continued through the 1980's and 90's when deaths of black suspects while in police custody inflamed residents. The final straw was the death of Wayne Douglas, a black man being held by police in 1995, and violent riots erupted in the area. At this time it was considered one of the most crime-ridden areas in England with 3 shootings per week. The police 'Operation Trident' was launched to combat this appalling gun crime rate.

The stabbing to death of Black teenager Stephen Laurence outside his school and the inability of the police to charge suspects led to the 1999 Macpherson report, which concluded that the police were institutionally racist. Later in 1999, neo-Nazi David Copeland detonated a nail bomb injuring 50 people in Brixton. Copeland also bombed Brick Lane, the heart of East London's Bangladeshi and Asian community, and the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho, London, frequented predominantly by the gay community. He was sentenced to six life sentences.

Brixton's symbolic role as the "soul of Black Britain" led to a 1996 visit by Nelson Mandela. This included a brief visit to Mandela Street, part of a modern housing development constructed in the mid 80s and named after the former South African president.

Famous Brixton residents have included singer David Bowie, Mick Jones from 'The Clash' , Sharon Osbourne, wife of Ozzy, former London Mayor Ken Livingstone and former Prime Minister John Major.