100 signatures reached
To: Mayor of London's office
BAME / BLM London statue nomination for Pauline Henriques OBE
Put up a statue of Pauline Henriques (Crabbe) OBE in London to reflect the diversity and achievements of our BAME community.
Why is this important?
Pauline was the first black actress on British TV, the first black woman on the BBC world service radio and the first black female justice of the peace. She was also awarded an OBE in 1969 for her extensive work with the National Council for the Unmarried mother and her child, then later with the Brook Advisory Centres.
Emigrating from Jamacia with her family in 1919 she lived in the UK until her death in 1998.
She was my great grandmother and she was strong in all the right ways. She lived and died with dignity, intelligence and with an undeniable presence for anyone who met her.
When I think of Granny Paul (who died when I was 13) I think of a woman who commanded respect, she knew who she was, she knew what she'd been through but didn't let that stop her breaking barriers.
The lessons I carry from my Jamaican heritage are to act with intelligence, don't be afraid to change authority and the status quo, and to be a positive member of your community. I am incredibly proud to have a mixed heritage, it reminds me that I am a citizen of the world and that this is represented by the diversity here in Britain.
