Jocelyn Barrow facts for kids

Dame Jocelyn Anita Barrow (born April 15, 1929 – died April 9, 2020) was an important British educator, community leader, and politician. She was the first black woman to become a governor of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). She also helped start and was a leader of the Broadcasting Standards Council.

Early Life and Important Work

Jocelyn Barrow was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Her father was from Barbados and her mother was from Trinidad. When she was young, she was active in politics there, joining the People's National Movement. She trained to be a teacher. In 1959, she moved to Britain to study English at the University of London.

Fighting for Equality

Jocelyn Barrow was a founding member and leader of the Campaign Against Racial Discrimination (CARD). This group worked from 1964 to 1967 to get laws passed against racism. Their efforts led to the Race Relations Act of 1968. This law made it illegal to discriminate against people because of their race.

Barrow once said about CARD: "It was a very effective organisation." She explained that leaders like her, Lord David Pitt, and Anthony Lester led the group. She noted that many people facing racism were too busy trying to survive to join.

Barrow was also a key member of the North London West Indian Association (NLWIA). This group was formed in 1965. It was part of the West Indian Standing Conference, which started in 1958 after the Notting Hill riots. These groups spoke up for West Indian people. The NLWIA also worked to fight unfair treatment against black children in schools.

Working in Education and Media

From 1968 to 1972, Jocelyn Barrow was a member of the Community Relations Commission. She also served as vice-president of the National Union of Townswomen's Guilds.

As a senior teacher and later a teacher-trainer in the 1960s, she started new ways of teaching. She introduced multi-cultural education. This meant teaching about the needs and cultures of different ethnic groups in the UK. In 1984, she co-founded Arawidi Publications. This company published children's books in different language styles, including Caribbean dialects.

Between 1981 and 1988, Barrow was a governor of the BBC. She was the first black woman to hold this important position. Later, she also helped create and lead the Broadcasting Standards Council from 1989 to 1995. This council was a first step towards Ofcom, which now regulates broadcasting in the UK.

Promoting Heritage and Culture

In 2005, she chaired the Mayor's Commission on African and Asian Heritage (MCAAH). This group created a report called Delivering Shared Heritage. Barrow said this report set out "values for delivering inclusive and healthy heritage management practice for everyone."

She also played a big part in setting up the North Atlantic Slavery Gallery and the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool. She was a trustee for the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside. She was also a governor of the British Film Institute. She was the first patron of the Black Cultural Archives. This group honored her, saying she recognized the need for a national place like BCA to teach future generations.

Personal Life

In 1970, Jocelyn Barrow married Henderson Downer, a lawyer. They lived in London. She passed away on April 9, 2020, at the age of 90.

Honours and Awards

In 1972, Jocelyn Barrow received the OBE award. This was for her work in education and community relations. In 1992, she was given an even higher honor, the DBE. This made her a "Dame," and she was the first black woman to receive this title. This award recognized her work in broadcasting and her contributions to the European Union.

She was also named one of the "100 Great Black Britons" in a campaign started in 2003. She received special honorary doctorates from the University of Greenwich in 1993 and the University of York in 2007.

Other Important Roles

• Governor of the Commonwealth Institute (for eight years)
• Council Member of Goldsmiths, University of London
• Vice-president of the United Nations Association in the UK
• National vice-president of the Townswomen's Guild
• Patron of the Black Cultural Archives