Rest in Power Eric Huntley His Legacy Lives On.

Born in 1929 in British Guiana (now Guyana), Eric became politically active from a young age. He helped found the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in Guyana to fight for independence. His activism led to a year in prison in 1953 when the colonial government cracked down on democracy. In 1957 Eric moved to London with his wife Jessica, determined to continue the struggle for racial justice.

In London, Eric and Jessica quickly became voices of the Black community. In 1968 they co-founded Bogle L’Ouverture Publications, one of Britain’s first radical Black publishing houses. Named after Caribbean heroes Paul Bogle and Toussaint L’Ouverture, Bogle L’Ouverture gave a platform to writers who were often ignored by the mainstream. Its first book was Walter Rodney’s The Groundings with My Brothers, published in 1969. Over the years the press released works by Linton Kwesi Johnson, Valerie Bloom, Andrew Salkey and many others. Through this publishing effort, Eric helped bring Black history and culture to many readers.

Eric’s commitment went beyond books. He and Jessica opened the Walter Rodney Bookshop in West Ealing in 1974, creating a vibrant hub for community events. They were founding members of the Caribbean Education and Community Workers Association, working to improve schools for Black children. In 1975 they helped set up the Black Parents Movement in response to the wrongful arrest of a Black schoolboy. This campaign fought unfair treatment of Black students. In 1981, after the devastating New Cross fire in London, Eric helped organise the Black People’s Day of Action – a protest of 20,000 Black people demanding justice. These efforts showed how he linked education, community and justice.

The legacy of Eric and Jessica Huntley has been honoured in many ways. In 2018 a blue plaque was unveiled on their Ealing home to mark their contributions to Black British culture. Their archive of books and papers is held at the London Metropolitan Archives, preserving a treasure trove of Black British history. But perhaps the most important tribute is how we continue their work today.

At BLAM UK we carry on that work. Our mission is to embed Black narratives throughout UK education, not just one month of the year. We run school programmes like the Grounded Project, which brings Black history workshops into classrooms across London. We also offer advice and representation at school exclusion panels for Black British students, just as the Huntleys fought for fairness in schooling. In 2023 we published Global Black Narratives for the Classroom, a series of practical lesson-plan books for primary teachers that cover Black histories from Britain to Africa and the Caribbean. These books are full of practical lesson plans, interactive worksheets and activities, making it easier than ever for teachers to bring Black history into every lesson.

Eric Huntley’s life shows us what dedication to education and justice looks like. He built bridges between continents and generations. We at BLAM UK remain determined to dismantle anti-blackness in schools and celebrate Black heritage year-round. May he rest in power, and may his work continue to inspire. Rest in power, Eric Huntley.