Enrico Stennett (9th October 1926- 7th July 2011) was born in a village in Jamaica named Maroon Town. Enrico Stennett arrived in the UK in 1947, at the age of 19, where within months he became a member of the League of Coloured People.

The African Voice 1954

How We Produced a Monthly Newspaper titled 'The African Voice' in London 1954

It was resolved we would print a monthly newspaper titled 'The African Voice'. Mr Richard Keene who was a professional Lino Type Setter and Operator for the leading daily newspaper in Trinidad, had been in England for sometime, seeking employment in his trade, unfortunately for Mr Keene the Printers Trade Union in Fleet Street London would not accept any members who were black, if you were not a member of the Print Union you would remain unemployed as no established employer could employ you.

The 'Fourth International' led by Mr Jerry Healy had a Printing Press in Clapham Common, South London and they wanted a Lino Type Operator. They were glad to employ the late Mr Richard Keene and at the same time help the African League to produce the 'African Voice Newspaper' and later the 'Somali Voice' Newspaper. The 'African Voice' was a monthly Newspaper and consisted of 8 pages with free adverts, which was sold on the street corner in London in 1954.

I sold the Newspaper at Marble Arch outside the Cumberland Hotel where I would stand for hours some days approaching Caribbean people who just passed me by with no interest. Many of them thought I was a mad man, "what do you expect to achieve in this racist country they would ask?" to be quite honest some could not afford the sixpence the cost of the paper, if they were interested I would give it away to them.

If we did not have the backing of the Fourth International the Newspaper would not have survived the length of time it did. Some of the Caribbean people who passed me during that time could not read.

The theme of the editorial was 'Unity is Strength' myself Mr Enrico Stennett was the editor of the Newspaper. The Somali Voice Newspapers were shipped to Somalia who were at the time struggling for their Independence against Ethiopia under the reign of Hali Selassie. Our Newspaper continued as best we could and only stopped when Claudia Jones arrived on the scene from the United States and started her Newspaper the 'West Indian World.'

by Enrico A Stennett

Click here for other articles by Enrico Stennett
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More water at No6
Trains that Lead to Nowhere
The Pen is Mightier Than The Sword
I Was Forced to Sleep in Bombed Houses
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British Empire
Voice from the Dead
Black Youth in the U.K Today
Are the Spirits of Adolph Hitler, Mussolini, and Oswald Moseley still with us Today?
The Birth of Fear in Jamaica
Will There Ever be a World Where We are Colour Blind?
How Britain and America Helped to Destroy the Island of Jamaica
How The Conservative Party Destroyed Britain