Funeral Details Below | Tributes | What The Papers Say | Obituary by Oilfields Workers' Trade Union | Chronicleworld | John La Rose: Respect for those who have gone before

John La Rose has died

Black History Month is saddened to hear of the death of John La Rose an erudite and charming man, who has made a significant contribution to all our lives. His work will continue to live on through the New Beacon Book shop and the George Padmore Centre.

It falls to me to have to inform you of the sad news of the death of a lion of our community, John La Rose. He died quietly in hospital this morning the last day of February, the 28th 2006.

He will be sadly missed.

Founder of New Beacon Books, founding member of the Caribbean Artists' Movement, Chair of the organising committee of the Radical Black Bookfair and prominent member of any number of seminal campaigns, he was indeed a beacon that lit the way in our struggles in the UK, but he was also a man of immense international stature. He was renowned in the African diaspora as a man of radical politics, culture and learning. His deep knowledge of our histories and struggles was always at the service of the community. He always sought productive alliances with other progressive forces who were in concert with his principles.

An extremely charming and erudite man, his presence will be missed but his spirit and example will always be with us.

I will endeavour to circulate further news as I receive it. Mia.

Also monitor, http://www.chronicleworld.org for further information.

Also see feature on John La Rose

Update:
Funeral Service of John La Rose - Mon 13 March 2006 at 11am - Church Service at New Testament Church of God, Arcadian Gardens, High Road, Wood Green, London, N22. Tube: Wood Green (Piccadilly Line). BR: Bowes Park
Station. Buses: 29, 121, 329

Followed by the Burial at Islington & St.Pancras Cemetery, High Road, East Finchley, London N2. Tube: East Finchley or Finchley Central (Northern Line). Buses: 82, 125, 263, 460

2pm Reception at Chestnut Community Centre, St. Ann's Road, Haringey, London, N15. Tube: Turnpike Lane or Manor House (Piccadilly Line), Seven Sisters (Victoria Line). BR: Harringay or Harringay Stadium. Buses: 67, 259,
279, 341

The family welcome either flowers or a donation to the George Padmore Institute (address below). Please put your name and address on anything sent so that we respond to you. Sharmilla Beezmohun is co-ordinating info for obituaries and can be contacted on: email: [email protected] or [email protected]. Info can also be obtained from: [email protected] or www.georgepadmoreinstitute.org

Address of George Padmore Institute, 76 Stroud Green Road, Finsbury Park, London N4 3EN UK

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Tributes

I wish to associate myself with all those expressing condolences to his family. John was a towering presence in our community for many decades. You highlighted a few of his achievements and I am sure, in time, his historic contribution to the Black struggle in Britain and world-wide will be properly documented, preserved and disseminated.

I am not sure what would be a fitting lasting tribute but I am confident that one is merited. We have a duty to ensure that our children and their children know of our contemporary heroes - and most assuredly he was one.

I remember visiting his Bookshop in Finsbury Park travelling all the way from Lewisham in South London in 1971 to purchase books to set up a Black Library and getting advice from him on the most appropriate choices.

We were all very much richer for his dedication, indefatigable spirit, so as he is mourned we also celebrate his life's contribution.

Trevor Sinclair

Dear Michael La Rose, Jacob Sam La Rose and the La Rose Family,

I am writing to Show my Respects to a British-Caribbean (Trinidad) political and cultural activist who died in February 2006.

John La Rose, the Chairman Institute of Race Relations [IRR] in the early 1970s, he founded the New Beacon Books Shop, and many more initiatives to improve the status of the The Caribbean and the British-Black and Minority Ethnic Community. I Merrick Hart, Give-Thanks to his Toil to improve my life journey!

John La Rose 1927-2006
By Jenny Bourne
1 March 2006, 11:00am

A stalwart of Black struggle in Britain, John La Rose, has died. As a writer, publisher and political organiser, his contribution to the development of Black cultural expression in the UK cannot be rivalled. It is with great sadness that the staff of the Institute of Race Relations heard the news of John's death on 28 February..... http://www.irr.org.uk/2006/march/ha000006.html and also see http://www.georgepadmoreinstitute.org/news.asp#59 for more inspired works of this very important man!

As a fellow London Borough of Haringey Racial Justice and Cultural Activist, My thoughts and prayers are on The Family at this time.

My Yah-god, Continue to bless the legacy of John La Rose.

See you soon

Merrick Hart, British-Caribbean Past-Story Researcher
PurehArt, British-Caribbean Heritage Education Services
Director/trustee - Hackney Caribbean Elderly Organisation (HCEO, Charity)

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John La Rose, who was for Nu-Beyond one of our foremost activists and a true humanitarian, whose contribution to our collective cultural and political development was priceless.

Our love, strength, thoughts and condolences go out to his family at this time.

One blessed love
Hotep

Dr Lez Henry

This is indeed a great loss for us all. john was a great friend and mentor to me and i know also to countless others across our worlds. this is a deeply sad day.

Harry Goulbourne, Professor of Sociology

Dear Friends

I join with you all in paying my tributes to one of the community' greatest leaders. We worked together for many years on a number of community and educational issues. John will be greatly missed.

Winston Best, Educationalist and Campaigner

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To share the loss of a great community activist, someone who has spent a lifetime being involved in the black community. I remember as a young man going to John and Sarah's home, where the bookshop was first located, and
finding myself confronted with some of the great works of our history and politics. I also shared great moments with John at the Student Centre. He was always inspirational, to the extent of publishing one of my juvenile poems in the
early 1970s. But he was encouraging and along with Andrew Salkey had a tremendous influence on me.
To Sarah, the children and all fellow activists I extend my deepest condolences.

Hal Austin, Journalist

The news of John's passing does not come as a surprise since I knew of his heart condition - not, of course, necessarily the cause of death.

His was an influential, productive and even revolutionary life. I shall remember this and his wonderfully open, approachable, even sweet personal disposition. Everything must be done to pass on his memory. I am glad the book in tribute to him and on the Bookfair both appeared before he entered the world of the ancestors.

Regards,
Cecil Gutzmore

What an immeasurable loss and let us not ever forget the immense contributions he made to the struggle and to each of us as individuals. John is of that generation of the Caribbean Diaspora that had lived more years in the UK than in his country of birth. That is a significant milestone that has many consequences for all of us. I am privileged to have known him during the major struggles of our community and to have drawn inspiration from his wisdom, intellect and leadership. Like Peter Moses, Olive Morris, Andrew Salkey, Len Garrison and Gary Burton, we have lost another seminal light that guided us on our journeys.

Ansel Wong

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Let me add my own appreciation to his sterling leadership, commitment and endearing guidance to us as young students descending to London each vacation and gravitating to the "centre of our universe" - The West Indian Student Centre in Earls Court. He together with Andrew Salkey, Eddie Braithwaite, Errol Lloyd, CLR and many others were our mentors at the WI Students Centre and CAM.

I am currently engaged with others in putting a project in stone which will in due time record the historic contributions and achievements that Brother John brought to the Black struggle in Britain.

His achievements will be collected, documented and preserved along with those of Len Garrison, Courtney Lawes, Rudy Narayan, Joe Hunte, Sisters Afrika Bantu, Olive Morris, Pearl Connor, I can go on and on about our fallen warriors but will not. I digressed from my main point which was that in due time there will be a Black Cultural Archives in what is presently a derelict building called Raleigh Hall. In front of RH is another cultural creation called Windrush Square. It has always been my long term view that W.S & R.H would together make a relevant statement to people in the future regarding the African Caribbean contribution to the history of Brixton/Lambeth/England. As for Brother John, I remember back in the 80s when I had just published my first and only publication called A Musical Journey For Littleys, the first of its kind in England for the Black under fives and John gave me space to display and sell my revolutionary educational pack at any exibition of which he was the overseer. Albeit that I only had one title for the whole stand, he recognised where I was coming from and backed my enthusiasm which in the end came up trumps.

Praises and Blessings be upon the Soul of the Man now Passed.

Brother Elder Joe Benjamin

I was able to benefit from interaction with John on many occasions over the years - at the West Indian Students Center in Earls Court (where I bought my first book on Garvey from him in 1968 - C.L.R. James was reporting that night on a visit to Cuba), at his bookstore, by reading such New Beacon publications as Froudacity, at his Black and Radical Book Fairs in London and San Fernando and elsewhere. My last conversation with him was in 2003 when he called me (in Trinidad) from London to express support for me in the face of disinvitation adventure. For this gesture on his part I will be eternally grateful.

Please feel free to include me in any effort to memorialise John in some tangible way.

All the best. Professor Tony Martin

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What The Papers Say

Obituary: John La Rose by Linton Kwesi Johnson (The Guardian 4/3/2006)

Activist La Rose dies at the age of 78 (New Nation 6/3/2006)

John La Rose 1927-2006 (IRR 1/3/2006)

Tributes flow as British Civil Rights activist John La Rose is laid to rest (Black Britain 13/3/2006)

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THE OILFIELDS WORKERS’ TRADE UNION REGRETS TO ANNOUNCE THE DEATH OF OUR EUROPEAN REPRESENTATIVE, JOHN LA ROSE.

Political and cultural activist, poet, essayist, publisher Dr John Anthony La Rose died at Whittington Hospital, London, England on Tuesday 28th February, 2006 at 7.20am local time. It is impossible to capture the lifework of John La Rose in an announcement such as this, he being one of the most important people in the political and cultural life of the Caribbean in the latter half of the 20th Century.

John was an Honorary Member of and the European Representative for the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) and the holder of our highest award, the Labour Star.

John La Rose was born in Arima on 27th December 1927. He was a past pupil of Arima Boy’s R.C. and St. Mary’s College and worked with the late Cyril Duprey in the very early days of Colonial Life Insurance Company. He was an active member of the cultural and literary life of Arima and Trinidad, being involved with an Arima Literary group which included Neville and Undine Giuseppi and Arnold Thomasos. It was Neville Giuseppi who John said "introduced me to Marxism and modern English poetry". La Rose co-authored with the Kaisonian Raymond Quevedo (Atilla the Hun) the work "Kaiso a Review" later published as "Atilla’s Kaiso".

John was an Executive Member of the Federated Workers’ Trade Union (FWTU), led by Quintin O’Connor. He was a founding member of the Marxist group the Workers’ Freedom Movement (WFM) which had as forefront members Christina King and Jim Barrette, two of the leaders of the Negro Welfare Cultural and Social Association which had played a central role in the organizing of the June 1937 strike and ant-colonial revolt. In 1952 the WFM joined with John Rojas, President General of the OWTU and Qunitin O’Connor of the FWTU to form the West Indian Independence Party (WIIP). La Rose was the General Secretary and Lennox Pierre its Chairman. John and Lennox were friends and comrades until the latter’s death in 1993. George Weekes was a member of the WFM and the WIIP and the personal and political relationship between Weekes and La Rose saw the latter being friend and adviser to the OWTU from 1962, when George was first elected President General and continuing with the Presidency of Errol K. McLeod to the present.

John moved to London in 1961 after living and working for a time in Venezuela. By 1966 he founded New Beacon Books together with his partner Sarah White. “New Beacon Books” is both a bookshop and publishing house and was so named in the tradition of the pioneering publishers in Trinidad in the late 1920’s and early 30’s - the Beacon group - which had notables such as CLR James, Albert Gomes and Alfred Mendes. Also in 1966 John was an integral member of the group which included Edward Kamau Brathwaite, Andrew Salkey and Aubrey Williams that founded the Caribbean Artists’ Movement (CAM) and was involved in the publishing of CAM’s journal - “Savacou”. CAM paralleled another process - this one underway in the region itself - the New World Group. John’s multi-faceted talent saw him being a film producer, the most important being "The Mangrove Nine". The vital contribution made by CAM to the artistic and cultural work of its members and to both Caribbean and British society has been chronicled in the book by the same name by Anne Walmsley.

John La Rose was for a period very involved with the Nottinghill Carnival as well as the fight against racism in Britain. John founded the Caribbean Education and Community Workers’ Association in 1969 and the Black Parents’ Movement in 1975. It was through this work that John led the New Cross Massacre Action Committee which protested the murder by arson of 13 young people at a house party in 1981. The Committee organized the largest ever protest demonstration by blacks in the UK - the Black Peoples Day of Action.

John was the leading light and Director of the International Bookfair of Radical Black and Third World Books and the associated Bookfair festivals. Beginning in 1982 and continuing annually until 1991 and then biennially until 1995 the Bookfair and Bookfair Festival provided not only the opportunity to see and purchase a rich and unique variety of books and other information about black radical and third world struggles taking place in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas (including the Caribbean) it also facilitated the meeting of cultural and political activists from all the continents.

It was John who encouraged the OWTU to organize the Caribbean Peoples International Bookfair and Bookfair Festival, which when it was first held in 1987 to coincide with the Union’s 50th Anniversary was a pioneering effort in this country. Two other Bookfairs and Festivals were held and all brought together people from several continents as well as from throughout the region. It was also at the First Bookfair that John proposed the idea of a regional assembly of workers and people, which proposal became a reality in 1994 with the Assembly of Caribbean People - a process that predated by several years the very powerful World Social Forum, which is patterned along similar lines to the ACP.

The exchanges (the modern word would be networking) which John fashioned through the Bookfair were as significant as the 1945 Manchester Pan-African Congress organised by another Trinidadian - George Padmore.

It was John’s recognition of the importance of sharing of information, facilitating exchanges of experiences, reacquainting people with their history and ensuring the accuracy of the historical record that led to John founding the George Padmore Institute (GPI) in London in 1991. Since then, the GPI has organized a series of Talks by leading blacks in Britian. These talks have been published as "Changing the face of Britannia" and chronicle the role by black people in changing the face of British political, artistic, religious, social life as well as sport. The GPI is also involved in the development of a major archive of the works by and struggles of blacks in the UK.

Significantly, the GPI is only one of two institutions in the world (the other being in Accra, Ghana) to honour the outstanding Pan-African, George Padmore. It is also significant that New Beacon Books published many important works by Caribbean writers - from the books by John Jacob Thomas (“Froudacity” first published in 1889 and “the Theory and Practice of Creole Grammar” first published in 1869), to CLR James’ first novel “Minty Alley” to poetry by Mervyn Morris, to socio-historical pieces by Rhoda Reddock and Susan Craig. The range and number of books published by New Beacon Books underscore the crucial role played by John and Sarah in sustaining the spread of ideas and information

We end this announcement with some words spoken by him at the Opening of the First Caribbean Peoples Bookfair and which sum up who John la Rose is: "But a new mode of production… establishes itself over long historical periods amidst many hopes and horrors. The transition to socialism and building socialist societies can be no different. There have been advances and difficulties, zig-zags, victories and defeats. But the human spirit will triumph against all obstacles. And poets, novelists, sculptors and painters and other artists will chronicle the inwardness of their perceptions which cover the surface outwardness of our concealment. The Caribbean has been the cockpit of the modern world and we strive to consolidate its unique identity and historical movement. And we with our books, our ideas, and our actions are committed to change".

John La Rose was a tremendous human being - always generous with his time, willing to share what he knew with others and encouraging of the efforts of all with whom he came in contact. He was a friend and comrade of many, but is especially remembered as the:

Darling husband of Dr Sarah White
Beloved Father of Michael, Keith and Wole’ La Rose
Brother of Teresa, Lelia, Oswyn, Maura dec’d
Left to mourn dear sister Xysta La Rose
Beloved Friend to Irma La Rose, Janice Durham & Sally Tucker
Grandfather of Chantelle, Ramona, Lorenzo, Leon, Renaldo and Leighman
Great Grandfather of Aamira, Chaniya, Micha and Jenne’
Uncle of Norman Titus, Anne-Marie McKenzie, Louis, Ian & Oswyn La Rose, Honor Samms
Great Uncle of Oscar, Jean-Marie & Anushka McKenzie, Danielle & Anthony Titus and others
Relative of the La Rose, Jennings and Ferreira families
Friend of Dr Lennox Jordan, Andre Cox, and many more
Comrade of Errol McLeod, David Abdulah and others

The Funeral of John Anthony La Rose will be held in London. The details of the Funeral will be noted in a later press release. There will be a Memorial for John La Rose in Trinidad and the information pertaining to the Memorial will be published.

Errol K. McLeod
President General

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Loss of scholar-activist, John La Rose,
A challenge for Black British public intellectuals

By Thomas L Blair, www.chronicleworld.org

There is one extraordinary effect of the recent death in London of John La Rose, poet, publisher and activist, which so far seems to have attracted little attention. It signals the decline of political activism fuelled by Black public intellectuals in Britain.

Unlike, every other racialised minority in Britain - Muslims, South East Asians, Chinese, even Jews and Poles - it is solely Afro-Brits who show a serious lack of continuity with their cultural, creative and ideological antecedents.

Hence, without self-definition they are overrun by false experts, posers, political hacks, think-tankers and craven media personalities who could care less about our future.

Educated Blacks, too, are part of this sad saga. Many work in the government and race relations industry. Self-advancement and self-enrichment, and just keeping their heads below the parapet of controversy, is all they know.

As a result, low status, low-wage and under-esteemed Black communities seldom get a reasoned expression of their needs and demands in an increasingly hostile urban environment.

Furthermore, their youth face a torrent of messages dumbing down the mind and spirit to the level of dancing, sporting, blinging, fashioning, shucking and jiving. Enthralled to trash consumerism, they never look up to scale the heights of Black thought and action for advancement and equality.

Fortunately, in the past, we've had a measure of Black public intellectuals who searched for truth on public issues.

They were social critics, of some education, who were independent in spirit and could take on all-comers on social issues

Olaudah Equiano and Ignatio Sancho were leading spokesmen during the 1770s era of the slave trade. Their letters, journals and autobiographies and printed books chronicled a deep desire for liberty and freedom in Britain and their homelands.

The formidable minds of Learie Constantine, CLR James and Claudia Jones, and other critics and social theorists, challenged race-class bias in post-World War II Britain.

With the death of these noble persons, honoured legends, there was an ominous intellectual pause.

Then along came John La Rose leading a small band of writers, artists and partisans against the racialised politics of Britain. They joined with grassroots activists to tackle impoverishment in schooling, housing and labour markets and the danger of race-haters in the streets.

Trinidad-born La Rose (1928-2006) explained to Black communities that they were more than mere actors on the stage of someone else's play.

This quintessential "West Indian gentleman" inspired other migrant intellectuals, and then young Blacks born in Britain, to study, to learn, and to excel in developing their minds.

One of these, Devon Thomas of Brixton, London, a multi-racial district considered the spiritual home of post-war West Indian settlers, has this to say in tribute:

"John La Rose, Founder of New Beacon Books, founding member of the Caribbean Artists' Movement, Chair of the organising committee of the Radical Black Book fair and prominent member of any number of seminal campaigns, was indeed a beacon that lit the way in our struggles in the UK.

"He was also a man of immense international stature. He was renowned in the African Diaspora as a man of radical politics, culture and learning. His deep knowledge of our histories and struggles was always at the service of the community. He always sought productive alliances with other progressive forces who were in concert with his principles."

Uniquely, for his time, La Rose epitomised the Black British public intellectual. He defined "a radical history of anti-colonial struggle, working class politics and politically committed intellectual and artistic endeavours that span the Atlantic world system," according to one biographer, Brian W Alleyne, a Trinidad-born sociologist at Goldsmiths College, London.

Now, that La Rose has passed, there will be pretenders to the mantle. But I suspect they will fall far short because they lack the scope, vision and commitment worthy of a dedicated scholar-activist.

So, what will happen to the historic legacy of Black public intellectuals such as John La Rose and his forebears?

Who now will challenge the abusive stereotypes of Blacks and their aspirations? Who will demolish the questionable policy research gathered by insensitive administrators? And, who will denounce the "afrophobia" of hostile media journalists?

Who, indeed, is to speak with us, and for us, from the mountain top of ideas and liberating action?

Against all odds, a new generation of Black public intellectuals will have to be reared to carry on the quest for social justice and equality.

Thomas L Blair is editor and publisher of The Chronicleworld.org, a public service Internet news magazine. Further perspectives on John La Rose and Black public intellectuals can be found at www.chronicleworld.org, in Books, Books 12, and scroll for "Partisans, writers and artists".

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John La Rose: Respect for those who have gone before.

by Simon Woolley OBV

I never really knew John La Rose. I wish I had. I knew his name and the institutions he belonged to but apart from a nod across a crowded room, or a passing, ‘How are you sir? I never seized the opportunity to learn from one of the most important Black figures in modern British history.

I have felt for a long time that one of the shortcomings of the Black British struggle has been an effective and sustained convergence of Black academics and Black activists. A convergence that John La Rose epitomised. For all his adult life he campaigned for social justice: whether it be as an executive member of the Federated Workers Trade Union back in his home land of Trinidad, or for Caribbean children here in who were being branded in the 1970’s as sub-normal by the British Education system. He also spear headed the New Cross Action Committee, that brought together 20,000 Black people and their supporters on the streets to protest against the police handling of the New Cross massacre of 13 Black youths. But much more than a front line activist/campaigner, La Rose was also an intellectual who clearly who saw the two genre-activism and academia-as being inseparable. The setting up of New Beacon Books was in many respects a way of not just rewriting Caribbean history, but also articulating an authentic Black Caribbean voice. As Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Mario Vargas Lllosa, spoke in a more indigenous Latin American voice that challenged Western hegemony, La Rose’s New Beacon Books would offer a space for Caribbean writers such as CLR James, Mervyn Morris, Rhoda Reddock and Susan Craig, ‘to validate ones culture, history, politics and ones self’.

In viewing La Rose’s life long work we also see his mutual passion for politics and arts/culture. The stewardship of the Institute of Race Relations in the early seventies, Towards Racial Justice, and the George Padmore Institute-which he chaired up until his death, exemplifies the use of campaigning and politics to effect change. He came from tradition of revolutionary social change that was able to blacken a Marxist discourse for global Black agenda. But music and poetry -often combined- were never far away from La Rose. His book Allita’s Kaiso’, co authored with Raymond Quevedo, examines the art form Calypso born through struggle. In his essay, ‘Unemployment, Leisure and the Birth of creativity’, he argues, ‘ It was the unemployed from behind the Bridge in Port of Spain, Trinidad who created -Calypso-the language, the music, the dance, the instruments…they worked for hours and hours at their art form and produced brilliant episodes of invention. With his love for poetry and politics it is not surprising that he had father figure like influence on one of the greatest living poets these shores have ever seen: Linton Kwesi Johnson. In an obituary full of power and emotion Kwesi Johnson explained, ‘He was a man of great erudition whose generosity of spirit and clarity of vision and sincerity inspired people like me. John was not only my mentor, friend, comrade, he was like a father figure to me. He as the most remarkable human being I have ever known’.

Having read Kwesi Johnson’s obituary for La Rose I felt moved enough to attend his funeral. The educationalist and great friend of La Rose, Gus John orchestrated events at a north London Church which saw writers, activists, friends and family numbering many hundreds seeking, like me, to pay their last respects to a very great man.

It would be impossible to emulate such a figure such as John La Rose. As one observer put it, ‘there will be pretenders to - La Rose’s - mantle. But I suspect they will fall far short because they lack the scope, vision and commitment worthy of a dedicated scholar-activist.’ There is no doubt that his true, but if we are to aspire to La Rose’s level activist such as myself and others must have the wisdom and humility to learn from those who have gone before.