Claudia Jones

Who was Claudia Jones?

Claudia Jones was a key activist and journalist from the Caribbean. She lived most her life in America but was deported to Britain in the 1950s.

Why was Claudia Jones deported from America?

Claudia was imprisoned in 1955 for activism in America. Trinidad, the British colony where she was born, refused to let her return, so she was deported to Britain.

What was Britain like in the 1950s when Claudia Jones came to Britain?

When Claudia came to Britain in the 1950s, West Indian migrants faced many obstacles.

• ❖ In some areas of employment, including public transport, and building and construction, migrant workers were the first to be fired if there were job cutbacks.
• ❖ There were no job opportunities in positions that required public contact (for example, in retail).
• ❖ Black people faced racial discrimination in housing.
• ❖ Gangs of white youths targeted black men on the streets.

What did Claudia Jones do?

Claudia supported black communities to combat racism through her work on the 'West Indian Gazette', and she also set up the event that became known as the Notting Hill Carnival.

What was Claudia Jones' background?

There were a number of factors about Claudia's background that had a profound impact upon her including:

• ❖ She fell ill with tuberculosis in 1932, because of her family's poor living conditions, which were a result of her father's unemployment at the time of the Great Depression.
• ❖ She had very radical communist views, which led to her imprisonment and deportation from America.

What was Claudia Jones' role with the West Indian gazette?

Claudia founded the 'West Indian Gazette', which played a key role in the civil rights movement in Britain.

• ❖ The gazette was published monthly, and published news that would appeal to West Indian people in Britain.
• ❖ The newspaper printed news from the Caribbean and about black cultural developments: for example, the work of Cy Grant.

What was Claudia Jones' role with the Notting Hill Carnival?

Claudia was concerned by the Notting Hill Riots in 1958, and wanted to help. She got involved by:

• ❖ Working with groups of activists, she organised an event that would unite the West Indians in London, and showcase their positive contribution to Britain.
• ❖ The first carnival celebration was held in in January 1959, at St Pancras town hall.
• ❖ The event was a huge success, and was changed to a street carnival that is held in Notting Hill every August.

What was the significance of Claudia Jones?

Claudia Jones was significant due to her contribution as an activist, campaigning for the civil rights of West Indian migrants to Britain.

• ❖ Her work on the 'West Indian Gazette' helped West Indian migrants to assimilate into British society, and promoted a positive view of them to the British people.
• ❖ The Notting Hill Carnival remains, to this day, an important event that celebrates West Indian culture, and contributes to Britain's rich multicultural society.