West Ealing Couple Who Defied Racism Honoured

Blue plaque awarded to Jessica and Eric Huntley - pioneers of black publishing

A West Ealing couple who defied racism and death threats and became pioneers of black publishing have been honoured with a blue plaque.

Eric and Jessica Huntley, arrived in Britain from former British Guyana in the 1950s as part of the original Windrush generation.

They lived at 141 Coldershaw Road and were innovators, producing books with an African and Caribbean perspective in the UK.

(Eric Huntley pic courtesy grandson Eric Osei)

Their work has been recognised and honoured with a blue plaque in a ceremony attended by family, friends, neighbours and colleagues including Rudolph Walker, better known as Patrick from EastEnders and poet Linton Kwesi Johnson. Rupa Huq MP for Ealing Central and Mayor of Ealing Tej Dhami were also present for the unveiling.

The proceedings took place almost five years to the day that Jessica passed away and to celebrate 50 years since their Bogle L’Ouverture shop was set up.

Eric gave a reading of poetry and speakers described how the Huntleys had defied racism, death threats, and attacks on their shop front in Chignell Place, West Ealing. He is a rare example of a living person to have a plaque which was was organised by the Nubian Jak Community Trust.

Rupa commented, “It’s fitting that this plaque has been unveiled during Black History Month celebrations in Ealing where we’ve historically had a good record of multicultural education and race relations, unlike elsewhere in London like Barking where the BNP have previously been the official opposition on the council or in Tory Hillingdon where they’ve axed Black History Month from the curriculum altogether this year. I salute the Huntleys whose unique legacy and place in post-colonial is now sealed with this blue heritage plaque”.

November 6th 2018