Information about Alex Pascall

Alex is a major African Caribbean Commuinicator. Born in the spice island of Grenada, he has been a voice for the Caribbean community ever since he was invited to present Black Londoners, the first daily Black radio programme in British history in 1974.

His notable achievements include:

• Chairmanship of the Notting Hill Carnival Arts Committee that rose like a phoenix out of the tragic racial attacks of the 1950s.

• National coordinator of Caribbean Focus 1986 for the Commonwealth Institute and the Governments of the West Indies. Involving fifty-five committees across Britain, he led the first cultural exhibition train in British history, running educational workshops and travelling to 18 cities in 21 days.

His efforts attracted European interest in Caribbean cultural development. Alex helped found The Foundation for European Carnival Cities in 1985, and with fellow carnivalists he launched a new European culture train to the Viareggio Carnival in Northern Italy.

The roots of his Caribbean childhood were nurtured when, still advancing his innovative work, he linked European carnival cities and the Caribbean in 1987, taking a delegation of ninety European carnival dignitaries to the Islands.

Today Alex is a leading Carnival arts educator. In addition, he is currently Chair of the Black Members' Council of the National Union of Journalists, a member of the Commonwealth Institute Education Advisory Committee, a Trustee of the Tabernacle Arts and Community Centre in Notting Hill, and National Representative for the Foundation for European Carnival Cities.

Alex is available for activities by local bodies and aid agencies supporting equality and development.

For details on how Alex can bring some Caribbean warmth and humour into your community and educational activities

contact:
Chronicle enquiry
01633 267 367 (Telephone/Fax)

Food for Thought

Sometimes it's good to take time off to take stock. It's amazing how much food for thought these moments yield.

For Caribbeans who came to Britain as immigrants this is an appropriate time to look back, analyse and map the way ahead as a beacon for our future generations.

I was one of the many who came in the late fifties with a set goal - to spend five years studying modern communication and African rhythms and then to return to assist the development of my country, Grenada. There were thousands of others who arrived before and after me. We were young - women and men - full of drive, hope and aspirations. Britain was then called the "Mother Country". We were all subjects with British passports.

Fifty years on
After five decades it is important that we now act as curators in gathering carefully historical documentation of the areas we came from, what we left behind, the objectives we each had, so our offspring and history will have a vivid picture beyond what others may write. This is particularly timely as the excitement of the new Millennium mounts.

There is so much we can tell of life previous to our departure, the routing of the voyage, the arrival, existence and changes in Britain. What we each achieved may not be analysed by others in the same vein.

The obstacles which confronted us and the ladders we climbed need careful scrutiny. First-hand experiences must be documented for succeeding generations and for those who even today cannot evaluate the contributions we made and the prices we paid in reshaping Britain from its war-torn situation to the flourishing economy it now enjoys.

The smog is gone. What or who has replaced the fearsome Teddy Boy? Seldom do you hear the name "West Indies". Today we are a Caribbean nation - no more people from "the colonies". We have managed to achieve independent status as individual countries. Our West Indies Cricket against England and the rest of the world placed our sporting stars into international fame and gave tourism a new look for better or worse.

Just imagine! Race became an industry! How is that for economic advancement? Think of the places we now own that we can call home; new businesses we have developed, our struggle to change the British education system which was, to us, an inferior one for our children but sold previously as the education with deep superiority.

What 'Multicultural'?
To those from the Caribbean reading this, as your mind yields more and more food for thought, ask yourself whether you are part and parcel of this British 'multicultural society'; or has Britain been forced to change because of the many challenges we posed?

How was the first Christmas you spent here, the first winter, the first time you went to church? How did we meet each other as folk from different lands but all labelled together from the same 'Caribbean'? What is it that we have given, for which no recognition has been highlighted? What was your first wage packet? That will be funny, looking at the buying power of the wages of today.

Then, just for now, could you recall sitting to write the first letter home?

To stimulate your thinking even more, here is a poem I have written, recalling a few of the things many of us chose to write home about.

The Letter
by Alex Pascal

Me De'ar Grace
Me reach ah England, me live ah London.
Me get ah work, cleaning muck.
De Bank funny, but me save little money.
Me goin' buy a house, without cat or mouse,
Me go ah night school, as a golden rule,
To learn 'bout the nation and colonisation.
The cold ah bite, from me left to me right.
The place full ah darkness, and plenty fastness.
Me miss the sun and all the fun.
Me miss you cooking and Knockabouting,
You sweet embrace, gosh! ah miss you Grace;
the fresh tittiri and lambi stew,
with chive and thyme, yes du, du.
The calypso and the Julie mango,
the moonlight walk and de ole talk.
In a year or two, me goin' send for you
Grace du, du, darling whatever you do -
Never forget, I love you
Tell everybody me send how-de-do,
Sweet sugar plum, may God Bless you,
Yours forever and ever and ever,
Please drop me a line to say all is fine.

Your Love
Devine

It is these questioning thoughts that have been the formation of my creative and cultural outlook as I pioneered avenues in British broadcasting and communication, bringing oral history and African Caribbean folk arts into today's education arena nation-wide.

My postman, on delivering letters to me addressed to "Alex Pascall OBE", questions whether my title on the envelope is a joke, This provides me with further food for thought.

Those who know me, and my work, give a wry smile as they think of an alternative: "Order for Black Excellence".