Dawn to Dusk - A Biography of Bernie Grant MP

By Judith Lockhart

Eric Grant’s biography of his son, Bernie Grant is on one level a concise history of Black British politics over four decades.  It captures the mood, passion and struggles of Black grassroots political and social activity, interspersed with that often uncomfortable shift from grassroots to the political mainstream of local and central government.  Bernie Grant was a prominent Black activist who made that shift, carrying with him the vision, passion and hope of his community. His was a politics grounded in the needs of his constituents. His life as eloquently portrayed in Dawn to Dusk was one of commitment to a belief in the power of Black political representation, at all levels in society, to bring about change, equal rights and social justice.  And Bernie was determined to lead the way.   

The biography also reveals much about the depth and breadth of Bernie’s political involvement, in particular his connection with international issues and relationship with Black leaders in the US, Caribbean and Africa.  

On a more personal level, we learn about the important influences in Bernie’s early life in Guyana, especially his strong relationship with, Lily, his mother.  Eric Grant’s pride in his son’s achievements is unconcealed, as he helps us to understand how an African-Caribbean man, born in Guyana, fearless, outspoken and visionary came, not only to be the first Black Leader of a Council in Britain and Europe, but also the first Black person to be elected to the British Parliament since 1922.  Bernie Grant died of a heart attack in April 2000.

Sadly, Eric Grant passed away in August 2006, before publication of Dawn to Dusk.  But we should be glad that he was able to leave us this gem of a book about his son Bernie Grant.  It’s a wonderful legacy for future generations to build on, and an important piece of  literature on Black people’s contribution to British society.