Jessica Huntley facts for kids

Jessica Elleisse Huntley (born Carroll; 23 February 1927 – 13 October 2013) was an amazing woman from Guyana and Britain. She worked hard to make things fair for everyone. Jessica was a strong voice for equal rights, especially for Black and Asian people. She was also a pioneer in publishing books by Black authors in Britain. She fought for women's rights and helped her community. In 1969, she started a publishing company called Bogle-L'Ouverture Publications in London.

Her Early Life

Jessica was born in Bagotstown, which was then called British Guiana. It is now known as Guyana. She was the youngest of four children and the only daughter of James and Hectorine Carroll.

When Jessica was only three years old, her father passed away. Her mother had a tough time making enough money to raise the children. Still, her mother taught Jessica important values. These included being independent, disciplined, fair, and loyal. These lessons shaped Jessica's whole life. She could not finish high school because her family did not have much money. Instead, she took evening classes to learn shorthand and typing. She hoped to get an office job. Jessica also worked in a clothing factory. There, she stood up for the women workers who were not being treated fairly.

In 1950, she married Eric Huntley. They had their first two children in the next two years.

Fighting for Rights

In January 1950, Jessica Huntley helped create the first national government in British Guiana. This government was chosen by many people voting. She worked with leaders like Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan, Eric Huntley, and Eusi Kwayana. They were all part of the People's Progressive Party. In May 1953, Jessica also helped start the Women's Progressive Organization. This group focused on women's rights. It was part of the People's Progressive Party's fight for independence.

Jessica was chosen as the organizing secretary for the People's Progressive Party. She also ran as a candidate in a general election, but she was not elected. In April 1958, she moved to the UK. Her husband had moved there in 1957 to find work.

Starting a Publishing Company

In 1969, Jessica and her husband Eric Huntley started a publishing company in London. It was called Bogle-L'Ouverture Publications (BLP). The company's name honored two heroes from the Caribbean who fought for freedom. These heroes were Toussaint L'Ouverture and Paul Bogle.

Helping Black Authors

Their first book was The Groundings With My Brothers. It was written by Walter Rodney, a historian and scholar from Guyana. BLP then published books by many other authors. These included Andrew Salkey, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Lemn Sissay, and Valerie Bloom.

In October 2018, a special blue plaque was put on the Huntleys' home in West Ealing. This plaque remembers their important work in starting Bogle-L'Ouverture.

Supporting Diverse Books

Jessica Huntley also played a big part in creating the International Book Fair of Radical Black and Third World Books. This fair happened every year between 1982 and 1995. She was a joint director of the fair with John La Rose until 1984.

Among her other activities, Jessica helped start a group called Greater Access to Publishing (GAP). She co-founded it with Margaret Busby and others. GAP was a volunteer group that worked to make the mainstream publishing industry more diverse. This meant having more different kinds of people and voices in publishing.

Her Family Life

Jessica first met Eric Huntley (born 1929) in 1948. At that time, Eric worked for the post office and was active in his trade union. They got married on 9 December 1950. For a while, they lived in the village of Buxton. They started a political study group that met in their rented house. They had two sons there: Karl, born in 1951, and Chauncey, born in 1952. Karl was named after Karl Marx.

Jessica Huntley passed away on 13 October 2013 at Ealing Hospital. Her husband, Eric, and their children, Chauncey and Accabre, survived her. Their son Karl had died two years earlier, also on 13 October. Hundreds of people attended her funeral at Christ the Redeemer Church in Southall. She was buried in Greenford Park Cemetery.

Remembering Her Legacy

In 2005, many important papers were given to the London Metropolitan Archives (LMA). These papers were about the business of Bogle-L'Ouverture. They also included documents about Jessica and Eric Huntley's personal lives, campaigns, and educational efforts from 1952 to 2011.

Since 2006, the Huntley Archives at LMA have inspired an annual conference. These conferences discuss different parts of the collection's content.

A blue plaque was put up in October 2018 outside Jessica and Eric Huntley's home in Ealing. This plaque was organized by the Nubian Jak Community Trust and other groups. It celebrates their work in founding Bogle-L'Ouverture.