Black History Event Review

The Life and Achievements of Enrico Stennett

Mary Ann Stennett, the widow of Enrico Stennett gave a heartfelt yet informative insight into the life, work and thoughts of Enrico Stennett, from his perspective.

The talk was held as the Wolverhampton Civic & Historical Society’s (WCHS) annual BHM talks. The venue was Blakenhall Community, Dudley Road.

Mary Stennett began by reading a memorial speech she had written shortly after his death. She spoke about his early life and background through to his campaigning work in London during the early years of the Windrush era.

Towards the end of her talk Mary Stennett spoke about Enrico Stennett’s time in Wolverhampton.

The significant points raised in her talk concerned Enrico Stennett’s role in founding the first recorded Black newspaper in Britain – The African Voice. David Bennett confirmed that the African Voice was indeed a newspaper, but was also an organ of the African League. Its focus was mainly on colonialism in Africa and the Caribbean and the plight of newly arrived immigrants in London. David Bennett also stated that although the African Voice was in print at least two years before the appearance of the West Indian Gazette, it was not sold at newsstands as in the case of the Gazette.

Another significant point raised by Mary Stennett was the claim that Enrico Stennett first designed and used the symbol that became famous as the logo for the Commission for Racial Equality –a Black hand shaking a white hand. David Bennett confirmed that documentary evidence confirmed that Enrico Stennett was using the symbol during the early 1950s.

Also of note is the fact that more Black people attended the WCHS talk than previous years.