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.

Early life

O'Connor was born in

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

in 1921 or 1922. He joined the

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

in 1943, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, achieving the rank of flight sergeant and moving to the United Kingdom.

Career

After the war, O'Connor took a teaching diploma at the

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingha ...

, then worked as a teacher, serving at two schools in Smethwick, including three years as deputy head at Albion School. He specialised in the Nuffield method of teaching mathematics, and trained other teachers in its use. In September 1967, he was appointed head teacher at Bearwood Road Junior and Infants School in Smethwick, a town which had recently experienced racial tensions. He is widely held to have been the first black person to be a head teacher in the United Kingdom. He was reported as saying that he did not care if he was the "first, second, third or 250th West Indian headmaster". In December 1967, days after his appointment became public, racist slogans, high, and swastikas were painted on the walls of the school, and threats were made against him.

Personal life

At the time of his Bearwood appointment, O'Connor was living at

Hall Green Hall Green is an area in southeast Birmingham, England, synonymous with the B28 postcode. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. Historically it lay within the county of Worcestershire. Politics Hall Green i ...

, Birmingham. His wife Marjorie was also a teacher. They had two daughters. Because of the racist threats directed at him, their daughters had to stay with relatives. He retired in 1983.

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 The University of Roehampton, London, formerly Roehampton Institute of Higher Education, is a public university in the United Kingdom, situated on three major sites in Roehampton, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. Roehampton was formerly an e ...

, commemorating black head teachers. Among O'Connor's pupils at Smethwick was Doreen Foster, subsequently director of

Warwick Arts Centre Warwick Arts Centre is a multi-venue arts complex at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England. It attracts around 300,000 visitors a year to over 3,000 individual events embracing all types of theatre and performance, contemporary and cl ...

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

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:OConnor, Tony Possibly living people 1920s births Year of birth uncertain Heads of schools in England Emigrants from British Jamaica to the United Kingdom Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Alumni of the University of Birmingham Schoolteachers from the West Midlands Royal Air Force airmen Black British military personnel