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Claudia Jones Facts & Worksheets

Black feminist and communist activist, leader, editor, journalist, and writer Claudia Jones pioneered her field.

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Black feminist and communist activist, leader, editor, journalist, and writer Claudia Jones pioneered her field. Sandra Courtman examines Jones’ life and career, emphasizing how her political activism and literary growth were intertwined.

See the fact file below for more information on Claudia Jones, or you can download our 22-page Claudia Jones worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE

  • On February 21, 1915, Claudia Vera Cumberbatch was born in Trinidad, a British Empire territory. After Trinidad’s post-war cocoa price crashed, her family left for New York City when she was eight.
  • Demanding job conditions were a contributing factor in her mother’s passing. After her mother passed away, Jones’ family was left without an essential funding source. 
  • When Jones was 17 years old, she contracted TB, which damaged her lungs permanently. Although she did well in high school, her family could not afford to travel to see her graduate.

POLITICAL ACTIVISM

  • When Jones was a young woman, she developed a strong interest in the case of the Scottsboro males. These nine African-American males faced the death penalty for the rape of two white women in Alabama.
  • Jones joined the Young Communist League USA (YCLUSA) simultaneously. She contributed articles to the Weekly Review and Daily Worker on the Scottsboro Boys case.
  • Jones held several significant posts during this time of political involvement, including secretary of the Communist Party’s Women’s Commission and the National Women’s Commission.
  • Jones participated in the Caribbean independence and unification movement, the African American Liberation Movement in the United States, the ongoing fights for women’s rights, the campaigns for world peace, and the worldwide communist movement.
  • The US government noted Jones’ political activism, uncompromising stance against exploitation and oppression, and support for, defense of, and promotion of the socialist system. In 1948, she was detained and held captive for six months. In 1955, she was detained again on “un-American activities” charges and lodged in a US federal jail.
  • Jones spent several years in the US but has not obtained US citizenship. She was returned to the United Kingdom after her release by American officials since she was born in Trinidad and Tobago, which was then a part of the British Empire.
  • Jones immigrated to the UK at a time when many Caribbean immigrants were doing so for jobs, where they frequently encountered racial prejudice in housing, education, and employment.
  • Jones became an activist for the African-Caribbean community after joining the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB). The Notting Hill Carnival was one outcome of this activism, which we will discuss later.
  • Jones discovered a neighborhood in need of active organization. She got involved in the British African-Caribbean community to organize the early struggle for equal rights and access to basic facilities.
  • Jones worked to abolish racism in housing, education, and employment with the help of her cousin Trevor Carter, her friends Nadia Cattouse, Beryl McBurnie, Pearl Prescod, Amy Ashwood Garvey, and her lifelong mentor Paul Robeson.
  • Jones founded and later served as editor of the West Indian Gazette, later known as West Indian Gazette and Afro-Asian Caribbean News (WIG), above a barbershop in Brixton in March 1958. Inspired by her experiences in the United States, she believed that “people without a voice were as lambs to the slaughter.” The publication played a significant role in the Black British community’s journey to consciousness.
  • Four months after WIG’s debut, in August 1958, the Notting Hill racial riots and earlier unrest in Robin Hood Chase, Nottingham, took place.
  • Jones realized there was a  need to “wash the taste of Notting Hill and Nottingham out of our mouths.”
  • A carnival was proposed for the black population in Britain.
  • According to Ishmahil Blagrove Jr in his article entitled “Notting Hill Carnival — the untold story,” published in the London Evening Standard, “A part of the proceeds [from the sale of this brochure] are to assist the payments of fines of colored and white youths involved in the Notting Hill events,” reads a footnote on the front cover of the original 1959 souvenir brochure.

IDEOLOGY

  • Marxist communist Claudia Jones held tight to her ideas throughout her political career. She was, however, also very interested in the connections between racial and gender issues and class battles.
  • She first saw directly as a young woman in the US how black immigrant women frequently had to work a lot of overtime for meager pay to maintain their families, frequently at the price of their health and life expectancy. She also observed how difficult it was for black women to obtain sufficient education and how few career options were available.
  • She observed how some white Communists in the UK felt uneasy about having black women in positions of authority. She, therefore, worked to increase the number of women of color in the Communist Party and other social movements.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND LEGACY

  • Jones’ activism has always focused on the intersections of racism, class, and gender. Her writings were an essential and pioneering foundation for succeeding feminist movements, particularly Third-Wave feminism.
  • The late 1980s saw the emergence of Third Wave feminism, which aimed to address some of the criticisms of the 1960s-era Second Wave feminism.
  • Jones believed socialism was the only economic system to free black women because capitalism was harming them. Jones came up with the term “super-exploitation” to characterize how black women were treated by capitalism.
  • Notting Hill Carnival, now one of the world’s biggest street celebrations and a vital part of British cultural life, is Jones’ most significant legacy. In 1959, Jones helped organize the inaugural carnival, known as the Caribbean Carnival, which showcased Caribbean cuisine, dancing, and music.
  • Jones is frequently called the “Mother of the Notting Hill Carnival” in honor of her crucial role in coordinating the Caribbean community in London.
  • Yvette Thomas and the other movement supporters founded the Claudia Jones Organisation in 1982 to help defend Afro-Caribbean women and communities.
  • Yvette Thomas and other movement supporters established the Claudia Jones Organisation in 1982 to carry on the mission of assisting and defending Afro-Caribbean women and communities.
  • Its objective is to offer Afro-Caribbean women and families needing psychological counseling and services appropriate to their cultural context.

Claudia Jones Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Claudia Jones across 22 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Claudia Jones. Black feminist and communist activist, leader, editor, journalist, and writer Claudia Jones pioneered her field.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Claudia Jones Facts
  2. Jones’ Biography
  3. Character Traits
  4. Racism
  5. Jones Quotes
  6. What if?
  7. Take a Stand
  8. Dig that Meaning
  9. Jones
  10. Equality
  11. My Advocacy

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Claudia Jones?

Claudia Jones was a Trinidadian-American political activist, journalist, and communist. She is best known for founding the Notting Hill Carnival in London and for her advocacy work on behalf of black women and immigrants.

When was Claudia Jones born?

Claudia Jones was born on February 21, 1915, in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Why did Claudia Jones move to the United States?

Claudia Jones moved to the United States with her family in 1924, when she was nine years old. Her family had hoped to find a better life there, but they faced poverty and racism. Jones became involved in socialist and communist organizations as a young adult and was eventually deported from the United States in 1955 for her political activities.

What was Claudia Jones’ role in the Notting Hill Carnival?

Claudia Jones founded the Notting Hill Carnival in London in 1959. The carnival was intended to bring together the city’s Caribbean communities and to celebrate their cultural heritage. Jones saw the carnival as a way to combat the racism and discrimination faced by black people in Britain.

What was Claudia Jones’ legacy?

Claudia Jones’ legacy includes her work as a political activist, journalist, and community organizer. She was a strong advocate for the rights of black women and immigrants, and she helped to inspire generations of activists. Her contributions to the Notting Hill Carnival have also had a lasting impact on the cultural landscape of Britain.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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