Locita Brandy, a 91-year-old Windrush pioneer and lifelong activist, has been awarded a medal of honour from the University of Manchester in recognition of her tireless work for Black equality and community development in the city. The medal bears the image of Sir W. Arthur Lewis, the Nobel prize-winning economist and fellow Caribbean migrant who shared Brandy's dedication to education and community empowerment.
A Shared Legacy of Service
Brandy arrived in Manchester in 1956 from the island of Nevis, after a difficult sea journey on the SS Irpinia. She worked for much of her life as a school chef, while Lewis, the UK's first Black full professor, left Manchester in 1957 to advise Ghana's first post-independence leader, Kwame Nkrumah. Despite their different paths, both believed deeply in the power of education, self-help, and community to overcome colonial legacies.
Grassroots Activism
Brandy's activism began in 1960 when she became the first Black woman to join her local Mothers' Union branch. In the 1970s, she campaigned for Black children who were wrongly labelled 'educationally subnormal' due to systemic racism and removed from mainstream schools. She volunteered in classrooms, teaching Black and Caribbean history that official curricula ignored, fostering a strong sense of identity and belonging among young people.
She also founded the Normanby Street project, a volunteer-run holiday club that started with her own six children and grew to provide trips to the seaside, farms, and stately homes for generations of Moss Side children, who affectionately called her Auntie Locita.
Community Leadership
Brandy co-founded the Moss Side Residents' Association, campaigning on road safety, youth education, and anti-poverty initiatives. She served as a Labour city councillor for Moss Side from 2003 to 2007. As a founding member and chair of the Manchester Alexandra Park Association and an active member of the Leeward Islands People's Association, she played a key role in Manchester's Caribbean carnival, bridging traditional and contemporary cultures.
Her son, Keithly Brandy, noted: 'In the late 70s there was a stigma between old and new carnival traditions, and my mum gave the young a chance. She kept an open door for anyone who wanted to be listened to.'
Archival Legacy
Brandy's personal archive donations form the foundation of the carnival collection at the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Centre. Items from her collection featured in the 2024 'We Have Always Been Here' exhibition at the John Rylands Library. She still lives in the house her husband bought in Moss Side in 1958.
Reflecting on her work, Brandy said: 'I'm still saying to the children, your generation must continue. I want them to sit in that boardroom. That is where you're going to make the changes.' She added: 'I haven't won anything. I will say I win before I die if they say they're sorry and give back what they took from the people.'
The West Indian Sports and Social Club (WISSC), co-founded by Lewis in 1953, celebrated Brandy's achievement, highlighting the enduring impact of both pioneers on Manchester's Black community.
