Tony O'Connor (teacher)

Tony O'Connor (born 1921 or 1922) was a Jamaican teacher. His 1967 appointment as a headteacher in Smethwick England—he was the first black person to hold such a post—caused a racist backlash.

Tony O'Connor
Born17 February 1918  (age 102)
Jamaica 
Alma mater
OccupationSchool teacher, head teacher (1967–1983) 
BranchRoyal Air Force 

Early life

O'Connor was born in Jamaica in 1921 or 1922[lower-alpha 1].[2] He joined the RAF in 1943, during World War II, achieving the rank of flight sergeant and moving to the United Kingdom.[2][3][4]

Career

After the war, O'Connor took a teaching diploma at the University of Birmingham, then worked as a teacher, serving at two schools in Smethwick, including three years as deputy head at Albion School.[3] He specialised in the Nuffield method of teaching mathematics, and trained other teachers in its use.[3]

In September 1967, he was appointed head teacher at Bearwood Junior and Infants School[lower-alpha 2] in Smethwick,[2][4] a town which had recently experienced racial tensions.[5][6] He is widely held to have been the first black person to be a head teacher in the United Kingdom.[2][4][7] He was reported as saying that he did not care if he was the "first, second, third or 250th West Indian headmaster".[2] In December 1967, days after his appointment became public, racist slogans and swastikas were painted on the walls of the school, and threats were made against him.[2][4]

Personal life

At the time of his Bearwood appointment, O'Connor was living at Hall Green, Birmingham.[3] His wife Marjorie was also a teacher.[3] They had two daughters.[3] Because of the racist threats directed at him, their daughters had to stay with relatives.[4]

He retired in 1983.[2]

Legacy

A quote by O'Connor featured in a calligraphic artwork by the artist Linett Kamala, which was included in her 2018-2019 "Excellence – A Celebration of Pioneering Headteachers" exhibition at the University of Roehampton, commemorating black head teachers.[8]

Among O'Connor's pupils at Smethwick was Doreen Foster, subsequently director of Warwick Arts Centre.[9]

Papers relating to O'Connor's headmastership are held by Sandwell Archives.

Notes
  1. One source says 1918.[1]
  2. Now Bearwood Primary School; some sources refer to it as such; Bearwood is the southern part of Smethwick, in Sandwell, West Midlands, but in 1967 was part of the County Borough of Warley, in Worcestershire.

References
  1. "Black History Month Virtual Discussion Panel". RAF Museum. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  2. "Campaign launched to chart life of 'first black headmaster'". Express and Star. 27 December 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  3. "Just My Job - Britain's First Coloured Headmaster". Birmingham Evening Mail.
  4. "England's pioneering black head teachers". BBC News. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  5. Arnot, Chris (3 March 1993). "Malcolm X in the Black Country: Chris Arnot revisits Smethwick, where the Black Power leader claimed coloured people were being treated "like the Jews under Hitler"". The Independent. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  6. Jeffries, Stuart (15 October 2014). "Britain's most racist election: the story of Smethwick, 50 years on". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  7. "Beyond Windrush: Britain's first black headmaster". Windrush70. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  8. Kamala, Linett. "Latest News". Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  9. "Interview with Doreen Foster". Times Higher Education. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
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