As indicated in our recent post, during the course of Claudia Jones – Journalist, Activist Black History Month, we will be taking the time to talk about notable black figures.
Today, we’re choosing Claudia Jones. Claudia Jones – Journalist, Activist was a Trinidad and Tobago-born journalist. She was a Communist political activist, feminist and black nationalist. Due to the persecution of Communists in the US, she was deported in 1995 and subsequently lived in the UK.
She joined the Communist Party of Great Britain upon her arrival here – and remained a member until she passed.
She campaigned for access to basic facilities and equal rights for minorities. She fought against racism in housing, education, and employment. She also founded Britain’s first major black newspaper, West Indian Gazette in 1958. The newspaper went on to become a catalyst within the Black British community.
Following the Notting Hill riots, Jones played a pivotal role in founding Notting Hill Carnival, the second largest carnival in the world.
Jones was found in her apartment on Christmas Eve after a heart attack.
We’re taking the time to remember her legacy as a key figure in fighting racial inequality in the UK and bringing Caribbean culture to the forefront in Britain.
