‘She gave the young a chance’: pioneering activist’s battle for Black equality in Manchester

The Guardian UK Friday 05 June 2026, 09:00 UTC By Chris Osuh Community affairs correspondent 1 min read

Key Points

Locita Brandy, 91, has received a medal of honour to recognise her lifetime of campaigning in the cityThey both came from the Caribbean to Manchester, and they both dedicated their lives to the betterment of Black communities. Now, the legacies of two postwar pioneers, strangers to each other and from different walks of life, have been celebrated by one gesture. Locita Brandy, 91, never met the Nobel prize-winning economist W Arthur Lewis.

Locita Brandy, 91, has received a medal of honour to recognise her lifetime of campaigning in the city

They both came from the Caribbean to Manchester, and they both dedicated their lives to the betterment of Black communities. Now, the legacies of two postwar pioneers, strangers to each other and from different walks of life, have been celebrated by one gesture.

Locita Brandy, 91, never met the Nobel prize-winning economist W Arthur Lewis. She arrived in Manchester in 1956 from Nevis – via Southampton and a rough sea journey on the SS Irpinia – and spent much of her working life as a school chef.

Manchester (LOCATION) Locita Brandy (PERSON) Caribbean (LOCATION) Black communities (LOCATION) W Arthur Lewis (PERSON) Nevis (LOCATION) Southampton (LOCATION)

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