John Alcindor
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John Alcindor (8 or 9 July 1873 – 25 October 1924) was a physician and activist from
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 ...
who settled in London. He is known for his role in the African Progress Union, of which he became president in 1921.


Life and career

Alcindor was born in
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, where he was educated at Saint Mary's College; after winning one of the four Island Scholarships he went to study medicine at
Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the town council under the authority of a royal charter from King James VI in 1582 and offi ...
, Scotland, graduating from there with a medical degree in 1899. He then worked in London hospitals, in Plaistow,
Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...
and
Camberwell Camberwell ( ) is an List of areas of London, area of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of Charing Cross. Camberwell was first a village associated with the church of St Giles' Church, Camberwell, St Giles ...
, going into practice on his own around 1907. At this period he played cricket, as a
wicket keeper In cricket, the wicket-keeper is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket, ready to stop deliveries that pass the batsman, and take a catch, stump the batsman out, or run out a batsman when occasion arises. The wicket-ke ...
for London teams. In 1911 he married Minnie Martin, a white British woman. Refused a place in the
Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was a specialist corps in the British Army which provided medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. On 15 November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army De ...
, Alcindor was awarded a Red Cross medal for his work with the wounded at London rail stations during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Alcindor served as senior district medical officer of the London borough of
Paddington Paddington is an area in the City of Westminster, in central London, England. A medieval parish then a metropolitan borough of the County of London, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Paddington station, designed b ...
from 1921 until his death. As a medical officer he worked under the
Poor Law In English and British history, poor relief refers to government and ecclesiastical action to relieve poverty. Over the centuries, various authorities have needed to decide whose poverty deserves relief and also who should bear the cost of hel ...
which meant that he could offer free treatment for poor people in their homes. Alcindor was also the secretary of the Poor Law Medical Officers Association. He is the great-uncle of
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...
(born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr.).


Research

Alcindor published articles on his research on
influenza Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...
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 ...
. He also wrote about the correlation between cancer and poverty, examining the effects of unhealthy surroundings and poor diet.


Activism

Alcindor associated in the late 1890s with the group around
Henry Sylvester Williams Henry Sylvester-Williams (24 March 1867 or 15 February 186926 March 1911) was a Trinidadian lawyer, activist, councillor and writer who was among the founders of the Pan-African movement. As a young man, Williams travelled to the United States ...
and his
African Association The Association for Promoting the Discovery of the Interior Parts of Africa (commonly known as the African Association), founded in London on 9 June 1788, was a British club dedicated to the exploration of West Africa, with the mission of discov ...
. They were behind the
First Pan-African Conference The First Pan-African Conference was held in London, England, from 23 to 25 July 1900 (just prior to the Paris Exhibition of 1900 "in order to allow tourists of African descent to attend both events").Ramla Bandele"Pan-African Conference in 190 ...
in 1900, which he attended in London, as a delegate from the Afro-West Indian Society. At the conference he met composer Samuel Coleridge‐Taylor and
W. E. B. Du Bois William Edward Burghardt Du Bois ( ; February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was an American sociologist, socialist, historian, and Pan-Africanist civil rights activist. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a relativel ...
with whom he later developed friendships. Alcindor became the second president of the African Progress Union in 1921, succeeding John Archer. Alcindor presided on the first day of the 2nd Pan-African Congress in 1921, with Rev. W. H. Jernagin. He spoke at the 3rd Pan-African Congress in 1923.


Legacy

In July 2014 a blue heritage plaque in Alcindor's honour, organised by the
Nubian Jak Community Trust Nubian Jak Community Trust (NJCT) is a commemorative plaque and sculpture scheme founded by Jak Beula that highlights the historic contributions of Black and minority ethnic people in Britain. The first NJCT heritage plaque, honouring Bob Marle ...
, was unveiled at the site of Alcindor's surgery, which is now the Medical Centre in Harrow Road, Paddington."John Alcindor: the famous black doctor of Paddington and WWI local hero"
British Red Cross.


References


Further reading


''Black History in Westminster'' (PDF)
, pp. 18–19. {{DEFAULTSORT:Alcindor, John 1873 births 1924 deaths 20th-century British medical doctors Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to the United Kingdom People from Port of Spain Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Medical School Black British activists Black British health professionals 20th-century Trinidad and Tobago physicians People educated at Saint Mary's College, Trinidad and Tobago