Hello everyone,
Black History Month is well underway and if you’ve been following me on social media, you will have seen my daily spotlights. I undertook this initiative to highlight the accomplishments of impactful Black individuals that might not normally get attention, and I tried my best to pick people from various walks of life and who have impacted different sectors. Here are a couple:
Claudia Jones
Born in Trinidad and raised in the United States, Claudia Jones started writing for newspapers and campaigning against racism as a young adult. Due to her activism and ties to communist groups, she was arrested several times and served a couple of sentences. She was subsequently deported to England where she continued her activism. In 1958 she founded The West Indian Gazette, Britain’s first Black newspaper, and a year later launched “Claudia’s Caribbean Festival”, which would influence the birth of the Notting Hill Carnival. Claudia Jones devoted her life to advocating for anti-racism and intersectional feminism (be sure to read her article “An End to the Neglect of the Problems of the Negro Woman!”) and will forever be remembered as the revolutionary that she was.
Lord David Pitt
Born and raised in Grenada, David Pitt won a scholarship to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh, where he discovered his passion for politics. After practicing as a doctor and being a politician in Trinidad and Tobago, he returned to the UK and ran to be the first Black Parliamentarian in 1959, but lost. However, he continued in politics and was appointed to the House of Lords in 1975. In 1985 he was appointed to be President of the British Medical Association (of which he was most proud). Throughout his life he accomplished many things, including co-founding the Campaign Against Racial Discrimination (CARD) and pushing forward the Race Relations Act of 1976. His contributions to the fight for anti-racism are invaluable.
There are so many other people who have done great things for the Black community in this country. However, the month of October shouldn’t be the only month that we hear about them. If you’re reading this post, I encourage you to actively search for non-white leaders/experts in a given area (Lord knows I do) and not just settle for a single perspective that is given to you. Go look for that diversity, which will ultimately help you to see the bigger picture.
That’s all for now,
One love