Claudia Vera Jones (; 21 February 1915 – 24 December 1964) was a
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...
-born journalist and activist. As a child, she migrated with her family to the United States, where she became a
Communist
Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
political activist,
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
and
Black nationalist, adopting the name Jones as "self-protective disinformation". Due to the political
persecution of Communists in the US, she was deported in 1955 and subsequently lived in the United Kingdom. Upon arriving in the UK, she immediately joined the
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was the largest communist organisation in Britain and was founded in 1920 through a merger of several smaller Marxist groups. Many miners joined the CPGB in the 1926 general strike. In 1930, the CPGB ...
and would remain a member for the rest of her life. She then founded Britain's first major Black newspaper, the ''
West Indian Gazette'', in 1958, and organised a series of indoor Caribbean carnivals from 1959 which have been cited as an influence on what became the
Notting Hill Carnival
The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual Caribbean Carnival event that has taken place in London since 1966 , the second-largest annual carnival in the world.
Early life
Claudia Vera Cumberbatch was born in
Belmont,
Port of Spain
Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...
in
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...
, which was then a colony of the British Empire, on 21 February 1915.
When she was eight years old, her family emigrated to New York City following the post-war
cocoa price crash in Trinidad.
Her mother died five years later, and her father eventually found work to support the family. Jones won the
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
Award for Good Citizenship at her
junior high school
Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school.
Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, middle school includes ...
. In 1932, due to poor living conditions in Harlem, she was struck with
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
at the age of 17. The disease caused irreparable damage to her lungs leading to lengthy stays in hospitals throughout her life.
She graduated from high school, but her family could not afford the expenses to attend her graduation ceremony.
United States career
Despite being academically bright, being classed as an immigrant woman severely limited Jones's career choices. Instead of going to college, she began working in a laundry, and subsequently found other retail work in
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
. During this time she joined a drama group, and began to write a weekly column called "Claudia Comments" for a Black nationalist newspaper in Harlem, with a circulation of about 4,000-5,000 readers.
She discovered that the editor had passed her writing off as his own, and became "critical of the newspaper and its leadership."
In 1936, after hearing the Communist Party's defence of the
Scottsboro Boys and witnessing the American Communist movement's opposition to the Italian
invasion
An invasion is a Offensive (military), military offensive of combatants of one geopolitics, geopolitical Legal entity, entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory (country subdivision), territory controlled by another similar entity, ...
of Ethiopia, she joined the
Young Communist League USA (YCL).
She went on to work on the YCL newspaper, the ''Weekly Review''—first as a writer, and then as an associate editor, editor, and ultimately editor-in-chief.
One of her earliest articles at the ''Weekly Review'' was a review of
Richard Wright's ''
Native Son''.
Frequent article topics included prominent Black figures including athletes, and calls to end Jim Crow.
She wrote multiple weekly columns, including "Quiz"—answering frequently asked questions—and "The Political Score," covering current political events.
Her writing during these years is described as aligning closely with official party positions, in contrast with her more individually developed stances later in her life.
It has also been described as taking a Black nationalist angle and emphasizing racial issues.
She also later became state education director and chairperson for the YCL. She represented the YCL at the
Second World Youth Congress at
Vassar College
Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college be ...
.
After the
Young Communist League USA became
American Youth for Democracy during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Jones became editor of its monthly journal, ''Spotlight''. After the war, Jones became executive secretary of the Women's National Commission
and secretary for the Women's Commission of the
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA (CPUSA), officially the Communist Party of the United States of America, also referred to as the American Communist Party mainly during the 20th century, is a communist party in the United States. It was established ...
(CPUSA). Her work in the CPUSA Women's Commission included giving lectures and organizing women's chapters of the party.
In 1952, she took the same position at the
National Peace Council. In 1953, she took over the editorship of ''Negro Affairs''.
Black feminist leader in the Communist Party
As a member of the
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA (CPUSA), officially the Communist Party of the United States of America, also referred to as the American Communist Party mainly during the 20th century, is a communist party in the United States. It was established ...
and a Black nationalist and feminist, Jones made her main focus the creation of "an anti-imperialist coalition, managed by working-class leadership, fueled by the involvement of women."
[
Jones focused on growing the party's support for Black and white women. Not only did she work towards getting Black women equal respect within the party. Jones also worked for getting Black women, specifically, respect in being a mother, worker, and woman. She campaigned for job training programs, equal pay for equal work, government controls on food prices, and funding for wartime childcare programs. Jones supported a subcommittee to address the "women's question". She insisted on the development in the party of theoretical training of women comrades, the organisation of women into mass organisations, daytime classes for women, and "babysitter" funds to allow for women's activism.]
"An End to the Neglect of the Problems of the Negro Woman!" (1949)
Jones's best-known work, "An End to the Neglect of the Problems of the Negro Woman!", published in 1949 in the magazine '' Political Affairs'', exhibits her development of what later came to be termed "intersectional" analysis within a Marxist framework. In this article, Jones addresses the layered oppression that Black women face due to race, gender, and economic status, calling for collective advocacy to secure equal respect and treatment for Black women as a pathway to broader social justice.
Building on Marx's theory of labour exploitation, where workers are forced to sell their labour for less than the value of their output, Jones introduces the concept of "super-exploitation" of women, particularly within the Black community. She states that Black women were systematically pushed out of industries and confined to the lowest-paying jobs, mainly domestic work, where they received far less pay for equal work compared to both white women and men—a disparity rooted in systemic racism. Jones highlights the stark income disparity between Black and white families in three major Northern industrial cities, where the median income for white families is nearly 60 per cent higher than that of Black families. Such low wages deepened the economic burdens on Black women, who struggled to lift their families out of poverty and poor living conditions. Coupled with other capitalist's exploitative practices like high housing rents, these conditions undermined Black families’ well-being, contributing to higher maternal and infant mortality rates.
Jones also examines the societal subjugation of Black women under capitalism, revealing how discriminatory laws and social attitudes undermine their autonomy. After the Civil War, for instance, state laws barred newly emancipated Black individuals from remaining in the state, compelling Black women and their children to "re-enslave" themselves to male relatives who held authority over the family. The case of Rosa Lee Ingram, a widowed Black woman, mother of fourteen children, who was imprisoned for defending herself against the assault from a white man, further illustrates the compounded racial and gender-based violence Black women face. Through such examples, Jones underscores the urgent need to address and dismantle these intersecting oppressions.
Jones continues to argue that Black women often undertake primary responsibility in caring for the economic and social life of their families, frequently becoming the main "breadwinners". In the article, she writes:
Jones also references historical testimonies from early historians of the slave trade, noting that the love and sacrifice Black women showed for their children was unparalleled across other communities globally.
However, Jones highlights that white chauvinism often exacerbates the marginalisation of Black women. Bourgeois ideologues have intensified stereotypes of Black women as "inferior" and relegated to roles confined to "kitchen, church, and children". As a result, Black women are frequently overlooked for leadership positions, undervalued for their social contributions, and excluded from social affairs by the white ruling class. Jones illustrates this with the example of how Black and white children of progressives were allowed to play together but were separated as teenagers when boy-girl relationships formed. This practice, Jones notes, reveals that while some white communists advocate for Black people's political and economic rights, they still distance themselves from deeper social integration with the Black community.
In calling for collective support for Black women's struggles for justice, Jones urges white progressives to integrate Black women into leadership roles and to recognise their unique struggles. She states: Only to the extent that we fight all chauvinist expressions and actions as regards the Negro people and fight for the full equality of the Negro people, can women as a whole advance their struggle for equal rights.
Jones underscores that the fight for Black women's rights and liberation is essential to dismantling capitalist exploitation and achieving broader social justice for all women, which is in everyone's interest.
Deportation
An elected member of the National Committee of the Communist Party USA, Jones also organised and spoke at events. As a result of her membership of CPUSA and various associated activities, in 1948 she was arrested and sentenced to the first of four spells in prison. Incarcerated on Ellis Island
Ellis Island is an island in New York Harbor, within the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. Owned by the U.S. government, Ellis Island was once the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United State ...
, she was threatened with deportation to Trinidad.
Following a hearing by the Immigration and Naturalization Service
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was a United States federal government agency under the United States Department of Labor from 1933 to 1940 and under the United States Department of Justice from 1940 to 2003.
Refe ...
, she was found in violation of the McCarran Act for being an alien (non-US citizen) who had joined the Communist Party. Several witnesses testified to her role in party activities, and she had identified herself as a party member since 1936 when completing her Alien Registration on 24 December 1940, in conformity with the Alien Registration Act. She was ordered to be deported on 21 December 1950.
In 1951, aged 36 and in prison, she suffered her first heart attack.[ That same year, she was tried and convicted with 11 others, including her friend Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, of "un-American activities" under the ]Smith Act
The Alien Registration Act, popularly known as the Smith Act, 76th United States Congress, 3rd session, ch. 439, , is a United States federal statute that was enacted on June 28, 1940. It set criminal penalties for advocating the overthrow of ...
,[ specifically activities against the United States government.] The charges against Jones related to an article she had written for the magazine ''Political Affairs'' under the title "Women in the Struggle for Peace and Security". The Supreme Court
In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
refused to hear their appeal. In 1955, Jones began her sentence of a year and a day at the Federal Reformatory for Women at Alderson, West Virginia.[ She was released on 23 October 1955.
She was refused entry to ]Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...
, in part because the colonial governor Major General Sir Hubert Elvin Rance was of the opinion that "she may prove troublesome".[ She was eventually offered residency in the United Kingdom on humanitarian grounds, and federal authorities agreed to allow it when she agreed to cease contesting her deportation. On 7 December 1955, at Harlem's Hotel Theresa, 350 people gathered to see her off.]
United Kingdom activism
Jones arrived in London two weeks later, at a time when the British African-Caribbean community was expanding. Upon her arrival, the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) sent several Caribbean communists to greet her. These communist activists included Billy Strachan, Winston Pinder, and Jones's cousin Trevor Carter. However, on engaging the political community in the UK, she was disappointed to find that many British communists were hostile to a Black woman. She immediately joined the CPGB upon her arrival in Britain and remained a member until her death.
Activism
Jones found a community that needed active organisation. She became involved in the British African-Caribbean community to organise both access to basic facilities, as well as the early movement for equal rights.[; unavailable 1 February 2023]
Supported by her cousin Trevor Carter, and her friends Nadia Cattouse, Amy Ashwood Garvey, Beryl McBurnie, Pearl Prescod and her lifelong mentor Paul Robeson
Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for h ...
, Jones campaigned against racism in housing, education and employment. She addressed peace rallies and the Trade Union Congress, and visited Japan, Russia, and China, where she met with Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
.
In the early 1960s, her health failing, Jones helped organise campaigns against the Commonwealth Immigrants Bill (passed in April 1962), which would make it harder for non-whites to migrate to Britain. To this end, she founded the Conference of Afro-Asian-Caribbean Organisations (CAACO). She also campaigned for the release of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
, and spoke out against racism in the workplace.[
]
''West Indian Gazette and Afro-Asian Caribbean News'', 1958
From her experiences in the United States, Jones believed that "people without a voice were as lambs to the slaughter."[ In March 1958 above a ]barber
A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a barbershop or the barber's. Barbershops have been noted places of social interaction and public discourse ...
's shop in Brixton
Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century ...
,[ she founded and thereafter edited the '' West Indian Gazette'', its full title subsequently displayed on its masthead as ''West Indian Gazette and Afro-Asian Caribbean News'' (''WIG'').] The paper became a key contributor to the rise of consciousness within the Black British
Black British people or Black Britons"Black Briton, N." ''Oxford English Dictionary''. Oxford UP. December 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/1136579918. are a multi-ethnic group of British people of List of ethnic groups of Africa, Sub-Saharan ...
community.[
Jones wrote in her last published essay, "The Caribbean Community in Britain", in '' Freedomways'' (Summer 1964):][Jones, Claudia, "The Caribbean Community in Britain", ''Freedomways'' V. 4 (Summer 1964), 341–57. Quoted in McClendon III, John H.]
"Jones, Claudia (1915–1964)"
Blackpast.org.
Always strapped for cash, ''WIG'' folded eight months and four editions after Jones's death in December 1964.[
]
Notting Hill riots and "Caribbean Carnival", 1959
In August 1958, four months after the launch of ''WIG'', the Notting Hill race riots occurred, as well as similar earlier disturbances in Robin Hood Chase, Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
.[ In view of the racially driven analysis of these events by the existing daily ]newspaper
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
s, Jones began receiving visits from members of the Black British community and also from various national leaders responding to the concern of their citizens, including Cheddi Jagan of British Guiana
British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies. It was located on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana.
The first known Europeans to encounter Guia ...
, Norman Manley of Jamaica
Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
, Eric Williams
Eric Eustace Williams (25 September 1911 – 29 March 1981) was a Trinidad and Tobago politician. He has been dubbed as the " Father of the Nation", having led the then-British Colony of Trinidad and Tobago to majority rule on 28 October 1956, ...
of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Phyllis Shand Allfrey
Phyllis Byam Shand Allfrey (24 October 1908 – 4 February 1986) was a West Indian writer, socialist activist, newspaper editor and politician of the island of Dominica in the Caribbean. She is best known for her first novel, '' The Orchid Hous ...
and Carl La Corbinière of the West Indies Federation
The West Indies Federation, also known as the West Indies, the Federation of the West Indies or the West Indian Federation, was a short-lived political union that existed from 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962. Various islands in the Caribbean th ...
.[
As a result, Claudia identified the need to "wash the taste of Notting Hill and Nottingham out of our mouths".][ It was suggested that the British Black community should have a carnival; it was December 1958, so the next question was: "In the winter?" Jones used her connections to gain use of St Pancras Town Hall in January 1959 for the first Mardi-Gras-based carnival, directed by Edric Connor] (who in 1951 had arranged for the Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra to appear at the Festival of Britain) and with the Boscoe Holder Dance Troupe, jazz guitarist Fitzroy Coleman and singer Cleo Laine
Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth (born Clementine Dinah Hitching; 28 October 1927) is an English singer and actress known for her scat singing. She is the widow of jazz composer and musician Sir John Dankworth and the mother of bassist Alec D ...
headlining;[ the event was televised nationally by the ]BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
. These early celebrations were epitomised by the slogan: "A people's art is the genesis of their freedom."
A footnote on the front cover of the original 1959 souvenir brochure states: "A part of the proceeds rom the saleof this brochure are to assist the payments of fines of coloured and white youths involved in the Notting Hill events." Jones and the ''West Indian Gazette'' also organised five other annual indoor Caribbean Carnival cabarets at such London venues as Seymour Hall, Porchester Hall and the Lyceum Ballroom, which events are seen as precursors of the celebration of Caribbean Carnival that culminated in the outdoor Notting Hill Carnival
The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual Caribbean Carnival event that has taken place in London since 1966 that began on the streets in the mid-1960s.[
]
Death
Jones died in London on Christmas Eve 1964, aged 49, and was found on Christmas Day at her flat. A post-mortem declared that she had suffered a massive heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
, due to heart disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...
and tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
.[
Her funeral on 9 January 1965 was a large and political ceremony, with her burial plot selected to be that located to the left of the ]tomb
A tomb ( ''tumbos'') or sepulchre () is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called '' immurement'', alth ...
of her hero, Karl Marx
Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...
, in Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in North London, England, designed by architect Stephen Geary. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East sides. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for so ...
, North London. A message from Paul Robeson was read out:[
]
Works
From 1950 to 1953, Jones contributed to the '' Daily Worker'' newspaper a regular column called "Half of the World", a title she used to assert the importance of women's rights, given their proportional numbers in the world.
;Articles
* "Discussion Article", ''Political Affairs'' (August 1943)
* "For New Approaches to Our Work among Women", '' Political Affairs'' (August 1948)
* "Women Crusade for Peace," ''The Worker Magazine'' (1950)
* "100 Women's Delegates Back World Peace Plea", ''Daily Worker'' (1950)
* "International Women's Day and the Struggle for Peace", ''Political Affairs'' (March 1950)
* "Claudia Jones Writes from Ellis Island", ''Daily Worker'' (8 November 1950)
* "For the Unity of Women in the Case of Peace", ''Political Affairs'' (1951)
* "Warmakers Fear America's Women," ''Daily Worker'' (1951)
* "For the Unity of Women in the Cause of Peace!", ''Political Affairs'' (February 1951)
* "Foster's Political and Theoretical Guidance to Our Work among Women", ''Political Affairs'' (March 1951)
* "Call Negro Women to Sojourn for Justice", ''Daily Worker'' (20 September 1951)
* "Sojourners for Truth and Justice", ''The Worker Magazine'' (1952)
* "The Struggle for Peace in the United States", ''Political Affairs'' (1952))
* "Her Words Rang Out beyond the Walls of the Courthouse", ''Daily Worker'' (21 November 1952)
* "American Imperialism and the British West Indies", ''Political Affairs'' (April 1958)
* "The Caribbean Community in Britain", '' Freedomways'' (1964)
* "First Lady of the World: I Talk with Mme Sun Yat–Sen", ''West Indian Gazette and Afro-Asian Caribbean News'' (November 1964)
* "An End to the Neglect of the Problems of Negro Women, June 1949", ''Political Affairs'' (March 1974)
; Book chapters
* "Claudia Jones," ''Communists Speak to the Court'' (1953)
;Books
* ''Autobiographical History'' (6 December 1955 – unpublished)
* ''Claudia Jones: Beyond Containment: Autobiographical Reflections, Essays, and Poems'' (2011)
Legacy and influence
Impact on Journalism
The National Union of Journalists
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is a trade union supporting journalists in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The NUJ was founded in 1907 and has 20,693 members. It is a member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Trades ...
' Black Members' Council holds a prestigious annual Claudia Jones Memorial Lecture every October, during Black History Month
Black History Month is an annually observed commemorative month originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the Af ...
, to honour Jones and celebrate her contribution to Black-British journalism.
Many British communists have argued that her participation in the British communist movement has been both obscured and denied by organisations keen to use her image.
Cultural and Community Initiatives
The Claudia Jones Organization was founded in London in 1982 by Yvette Thomas and others to support and empower women and families of African-Caribbean heritage.
Feminist and Anti-Imperialist Legacy
In May 2008, Caribbean-American academic Carole Boyce Davies published ''Left of Karl Marx: The Political Life of Claudia Jones'', detailing Jones' radical political organising, writing, and enduring legacy as Black feminist Marxist. The name of Davies' book is also a nod to the resting place of Jones, in London's Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in North London, England, designed by architect Stephen Geary. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East sides. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for so ...
, where she is buried to the left of Karl Marx
Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...
's grave.
Jones is named on the list of '' 100 Great Black Britons'' (2003 and 2020) and in the 2020 book.
Recognition and Memorials
Theatrical and Film Portrayals
Winsome Pinnock's 1989 play ''A Rock in Water'' was inspired by the life of Claudia Jones.
Jones is the subject of a documentary film by Z. Nia Reynolds, ''Looking for Claudia Jones'' (2010).
Jones appeared as a prominent character in Yasmin Joseph
Yasmin Joseph is a British African-Caribbean people, British-Caribbean playwright and screenwriter. She is best known for her debut play ''J'Ouvert'', which premiered at the fringe venue Theatre503 in 2019, before moving to the Harold Pinter Theatr ...
's 2019 play ''J'Ouvert'', which premiered at Theatre 503 before transferring to the Harold Pinter Theatre in 2021.
Commemorative art and honours
In August 2008, a blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...
was unveiled on the corner of Tavistock Road and Portobello Road
is a street in the Notting Hill district of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London. It runs almost the length of Notting Hill from South to North, roughly parallel with Ladbroke Grove. On Saturdays it is home to Portobello ...
commemorating Claudia Jones as the "Mother of Caribbean Carnival in Britain".
In October 2008, Britain's Royal Mail
Royal Mail Group Limited, trading as Royal Mail, is a British postal service and courier company. It is owned by International Distribution Services. It operates the brands Royal Mail (letters and parcels) and Parcelforce Worldwide (parcels) ...
commemorated Jones with a special postage stamp.
On 14 October 2020, Jones was honoured with a Google Doodle.
A sculpture of Claudia Jones by artist Favour Jonathan, created as part of the 2021 Sky Arts series ''Landmark,'' is on display at Black Cultural Archives in Brixton.
In January 2023, English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...
announced that a blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...
would be unveiled later that year on a house in Vauxhall
Vauxhall ( , ) is an area of South London, within the London Borough of Lambeth. Named after a medieval manor called Fox Hall, it became well known for the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.
From the Victorian period until the mid-20th century, Va ...
that Jones shared for almost four years.
Public Acknowledgment
In 2018 Jones was named by the ''Evening Standard
The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
'' on a list of 14 "Inspirational Black British women throughout history" (alongside Phillis Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley Peters, also spelled Phyllis and Wheatly ( – December 5, 1784), was an American writer who is considered the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. Gates Jr., Henry Louis, ''Trials of Phillis Wheatley: ...
, Mary Seacole
Mary Jane Seacole (;Anionwu, E. N. (2012), "Mary Seacole: nursing care in many lands". ''British Journal of Healthcare Assistants'' 6(5), pp. 244–248. 23 November 1805 – 14 May 1881) was a British Nursing, nurse and Women in business ...
, Adelaide Hall
Adelaide Louise Hall (20 October 1901 – 7 November 1993) was an American-born UK-based jazz singer and entertainer. Her career spanned more than 70 years from 1921 until her death. Early in her career, she was a major figure in the Harlem Ren ...
, Margaret Busby, Olive Morris, Connie Mark, Joan Armatrading, Tessa Sanderson
Theresa Ione Sanderson (born 14 March 1956) is a British former javelin thrower. She appeared in every Summer Olympic Games, Summer Olympics from 1976 to 1996, winning the gold medal in the Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Women's ja ...
, Doreen Lawrence
Doreen Delceita Lawrence, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, (; born 1952 in Jamaica), is a British Jamaican campaigner and the mother of Stephen Lawrence, a black British teenager who was murdered in a racist attack in South East London in 1993. ...
, Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Sharon White, Malorie Blackman, Diane Abbott and Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith (born Sadie; 25 October 1975) is an English novelist, essayist, and short-story writer. Her debut novel, ''White Teeth'' (2000), immediately became a best-seller and won a number of awards. She became a tenured professor in the ...
).
''Bustle
A bustle is a padded undergarment or wire frame used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skir ...
'' magazine included Jones on a list of "7 Black British Women Throughout History That Deserve To Be Household Names In 2019", together with Mary Prince, Evelyn Dove
Evelyn Mary Dove (11 January 1902 – 7 March 1987) was a British singer and actress, who early in her career drew comparisons with Josephine Baker. Of Sierra Leone Creole and English parentage, Dove is recognized as a "trailblazing performer": ...
, Olive Morris, Margaret Busby, Olivette Otele, and Shirley Thompson.
In June 2023, Jones was listed as one of the Windrush generation who struggled for civil rights in the UK.
Commemoration of the 100th anniversary of her birth
Beginning in June 2014, various events celebrated Claudia Jones's centenary. Community Support led extensive research into her life, uncovering new details beyond the three existing biographies and films.
They organised A Claudia Jones 100 Day on 21 February 2015 at Kennington Park Estate Community Centre, including a guided tour of her two main London residences and the former ''West Indian Gazette'' office nearby.
There was also a celebration at The Cloth, in Belmont, Port of Spain
Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...
, Trinidad and Tobago, near to her birthplace, on the same day.
The day was preceded by a film screening of ''Looking for Claudia Jones'' by Z. Nia Reynolds at the Claudia Jones Organization in Hackney.
See also
* Trevor Carter
* Billy Strachan
* Len Johnson
* Dorothy Kuya
* Paul Robeson
Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for h ...
* Buzz Johnson
* Cleston Taylor
* Winston Pinder
* Communist Party of the USA
References
Sources
* Claudia Jones
"We Seek Full Equality for Women (1949)"
''Viewpoint Magazine'', 21 February 2015.
* Buzz Johnson, ''"I Think of My Mother": Notes on the Life and Times of Claudia Jones'', London: Karia Press, 1985. .
* Marika Sherwood, ''Claudia Jones: A Life in Exile: A Biography'', Lawrence & Wishart, 1999. .
* "Claudia Jones", Special issue: ''BASA Newsletter'' #44, January 2006
* Carole Boyce Davies, ''Left of Karl Marx: The Political Life of Black Communist Claudia Jones'', Duke University Press
Duke University Press is an academic publisher and university press affiliated with Duke University. It was founded in 1921 by William T. Laprade as The Trinity College Press. (Duke University was initially called Trinity College). In 1926 ...
, 2008. .
* Carole Boyce Davies, ''Claudia Jones: Beyond Containment'', Ayebia Clarke Publishing, 2011. .
Further reading
*Boyce Davies, Carole (2023). "A Right to Be Radical: Claudia Jones (1915–1964) and the 'Super-Exploitation of the Black Woman. In: de Haan, F. (eds), ''The Palgrave Handbook of Communist Women Activists around the World''. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13127-1_4
*
*
* Gore, Dayo. ''Radicalism at the Crossroads: African American Women Activists in the Cold War''. NYU Press, 2011.
*
* Guy-Sheftall, Beverly, ''Words of Fire: an Anthology of African-American Feminist Thought''. The New Press
The New Press is an independent non-profit public-interest book publisher established in 1992 by André SchiffrinReid, Calvin (December 2, 2013)"New Press Founder André Schiffrin Dead at 78" ''Publishers Weekly''. Accessed August 1, 2014. (Chev ...
, 1995.
* Howard, Walter T. ''We Shall Be Free!: Black Communist Protests in Seven Voices''. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press
Temple University Press is a university press founded in 1969 that is part of Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). It is one of thirteen publishers to participate in the Knowledge Unlatched pilot, a global library consortium approach ...
, 2013.
* Marable, Manning, & Leith Mullings, ''Let Nobody Turn Us Around: Voices of Resistance, Reform, and Renewal''. Rowman & Littlefield
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an American independent academic publishing company founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns ...
, 2009.
* Washington, Mary Helen, "Alice Childress, Lorraine Hansberry and Claudia Jones: Black Women Write the Popular Front", in Bill V. Mullin and James Smethurst (eds), ''Left of the Color Line: Race, Radicalism and 20th Century United States Literature''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press
The University of North Carolina Press (or UNC Press), founded in 1922, is a not-for-profit university press associated with the University of North Carolina. It was the first university press founded in the southern United States. It is a mem ...
, 2003.
External links
Claudia Jones Archive
at marxists.org
List of 100 Great Black Britons
"Claudia Jones"
Exploring 20th Century London.
biodata for Claudia Cumberbatch Jones, Fox Carnival Band.
* Ian Thomson
"Here To Stay"
''The Guardian'', 29 August 2009 – article on Donald Hinds, referencing Claudia Jones.
"Claudia Jones The Black Woman that created London Carnival"
''blackhistorywalks'', 27 March 2009. YouTube video.
* Anna Clarke
"Remembering Claudia Jones, pioneer of the Notting Hill Carnival"
''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'', 26 September 2018.
Subversives: Stories from the Red Scare.
Lesson by Ursula Wolfe-Rocca (Claudia Jones is featured in this lesson).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Claudia
1915 births
1964 deaths
20th-century deaths from tuberculosis
20th-century journalists
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American emigrants to England
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Burials at Highgate Cemetery
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