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Regional secretary with the National Education Union
Claudia Jones led the way
ROGER McKENZIE salutes the life and work of the famous journalist and communist, arguing that the West Indian Gazette, Britain's first black newspaper, should be remembered alongside her founding of the Notting Hill Carnival
Claudia Jones

THERE are a number of writers and journalists I really admire. Sometimes it’s for the quality of their writing. Sometimes it’s for what they have to say. Sometimes, though much more rarely, it’s both.

Two writers immediately come to mind who fit the double category. James Baldwin is one of them. I think both his non-fiction and fictional works are rarely surpassed by anyone, with the possible exception of Toni Morrison.

The other one is Claudia Jones. As I write this, on February 21 2022, I celebrate her birthday. She shares her birthday with the publication of the Communist Manifesto and the day the legendary Malcolm X was gunned down in New York City in 1965.

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