Our girls learned all about Claudia Jones, journalist and political activist, and how she positively responded to the Nottinghill riots in 1958, with the first carnival, known as Claudia’s Caribbean Carnival.
In response to racist violence and riots that swept through Britain in the summer of 1958 – and in particular Notting Hill and Nottingham – Trinidad-born activist and West Indian Gazette founder Claudia Jones started an annual indoor Caribbean carnival. The first event was held in January 1959 and televised by the BBC, subtitled ‘A people’s art is the genesis of their freedom’.
The celebrations brought together artists, activists, writers and community leaders. The programme for the 1960 carnival included calypso from Lord Kitchener, a turn by actor and television star Cy Grant and a beauty pageant. The judges of the Carnival Queen Contest included the novelists Samuel Selvon and George Lamming.
Take a look at some of the amazing Carnival headdresses with positive messages created by the girls in the gallery below. Please click on the thumbnails for a larger view.
