Dad and Stokely

No post today but another little snippet of family history

Dad and Kwame/Stokely. We spent some time in London over the winter holidays digging around in old photos. My dad sternly instructed me - about 56 times - that he does NOT want any publicity, I only have permission to share this if it’s for my own satisfaction only. Which it is.

When I was growing up, my parents were very active in radical politics. My dad used to organise locally in Newham, East London. He was involved in building the Newham Defence campaign, which defended immigrant communities from violent far-right attacks.

His politics was also staunchly internationalist. In 1985, he was invited to the UN on behalf of the Pan African Congress, to workshop strategies for post-Apartheid South Africa. Here he is with Kwame Ture, otherwise known as the legendary Black Panther Stokely Carmichael.

A little snippet in the papers

My dad was in his forties at the time, around my age now, with young kids at home. I find this inspiring; it gives me hope that I can still do things out in the world even now that I’ve got my little daughter, Essie.

Of course, I’m aware that it was my mum that was home watching me and my big bro while my dad got to jet off to the Big Apple and do bragging-worthy stuff. Still, my dad was away for a week for this mission, and it’s the only time I remember him ever spending a night away from home.

I remember he brought me back a stuffed rabbit dressed as a pilot. A few years later, we went on a family trip to New York and he got to show us round the UN. My favourite memory: eating a hot lunch in the canteen. Always the best part of any institutional taskforce.