About the Ma'at Centre

A Temple of Truth Beneath the London Sky

The MA'AT Cultural Centre is a Pan-African community space dedicated to preserving, teaching, and celebrating Africa’s diverse cultures, hidden histories, and ancestral spirituality. For decades, it has stood as a sanctuary of Black knowledge—housing rare books, nurturing critical dialogue, and fueling cultural revival.

Originally built in the early 20th century, the building served as the home of the Tottenham Hebrew Congregation from 1911 to 2002. It was a place of religious and communal life for the local Jewish population, marked by its distinctive arched wooden doors and sacred architectural features.

After the synagogue closed, the space was reclaimed and reimagined by Elder Nkrumah Pepukayi, who transformed it into a Pan-African centre guided by the ancient Kemetic principle of Ma’at—truth, balance, order, justice, and reciprocity. In its new life, the Centre became a beacon for intellectual empowerment, spiritual grounding, and cultural continuity.

Today, the Centre is adorned with artifacts from the African continent and across the diaspora, creating an immersive environment that honours ancestral memory and cultural resilience. Its walls echo with the voices of great scholars, leaders, and elders who have passed through its doors—sharing wisdom, planting seeds, and contributing to a legacy of liberation and enlightenment.

A Legacy of Learning, A Future of Liberation

Tucked in the heart of Tottenham, the MA’AT Cultural Centre stands not merely as a building, but as a temple—one rooted in ancestral memory and guided by timeless principles. Beneath the shifting grey skies of London, it holds firm as a sacred space devoted to Ma’at: truth, justice, balance, order, and reciprocity.

Meet Our Board of Directors

Nkrumah Pepukayi

Nkrumah Pepukayi is a pioneering Pan-African educator, bookseller, and community organiser. Born in Jamaica in 1950, he moved to Britain in 1967 and soon became a key figure in the Black Liberation Front (BLF). As Director of BLF’s Head Start project from 1975 to 1992, he led initiatives that birthed landmark bookshops in London, Jamaica, and Brooklyn. His lifelong dedication to African-centred education and grassroots publishing lives on through Pepukayi Book Distribution Services and the founding of the MA'AT Cultural Centre. Elder Pepukayi remains a living archive of Black radical education and a tireless advocate for community sovereignty.

Elder Cecil Gutzmore is a revered community activist, historian, and former university lecturer, whose lifelong work has shaped Black civil rights discourse in the UK and the Caribbean. Born in Jamaica in 1944 and migrating to the UK in 1961, he has held a range of roles—student, factory worker, government trainer, and academic at both London universities and the University of the West Indies, Mona. His scholarship and activism combine Pan-African consciousness with class-based critique. Widely recognized for his appearances in Hidden Empire: Catch a Fire (1996), Black Power: A British Story of Resistance (2021), and Uprising (2021), Elder Cecil is a foundational voice in Black British radical thought.

Cecil Gutzmore

Phillip Murphy

Phillip Murphy is a highly respected retired public servant and former elected Councillor for Birmingham City Council, where he served for two decades. A trailblazer, he became the Council’s first—and youngest—Black Cabinet member, breaking barriers in civic leadership. With an academic background in philosophy, politics, and social sciences, Phillip has spent over fifty years deeply engaged in community development, grassroots organizing, and anti-racism activism. His commitment to justice and empowerment is matched by his love for music, football, literature, and global travel.

Our Location

Visit us at the Ma'at Cultural Centre, a vibrant hub for African history and culture in Tottenham, London.

Address

Maa Ma'at Cultural Centre 366a High St, London N17 9HT

Hours

10 AM - 6 PM