London dedicates plaque to TT's George Padmore

The city of London on Tuesday honoured Trinidadian George Padmore, one of the most influential black political thinkers of the 20th century, by unveiling a heritage plaque at 22 Cranleigh Street, Camden, where Padmore lived from 1941 to 1957. It came 98 years after Padmore's birth.

That location was a centre for anti-colonial activists from around the world. The plaque was organised by the Nubian Jak Community Trust, in collaboration with the High Commissions of Trinidad and Tobago and Ghana, and the Camden Council.

Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo, the High Commissioner of Ghana, who attended the unveiling, said: “Ghana is privileged and honoured to be contributing to the commemoration of a true African patriot, a selfless and pioneer Pan-Africanist.”

Padmore was born Malcolm Ivan Meredith Nurse in Arouca on June 28, 1903. He worked as a journalist until 1924 when he left for university in the United States. He did not complete his degree, choosing instead to go to Moscow to serve in the Communist Party, which he had joined in 1927.

Padmore later resigned from the party and moved to London where he began his Pan Africanist acitivty working as an anti-imperialist and pro-equality journalist, writing for African, African-American and Caribbean newspapers, and publishing books and newspapers in the UK.

Padmore moved to Ghana when the country became independent in 1957 to take up the position of adviser on African affairs. He died in London on September 23, 1959, after a short illness.