Our comrade, Horace, passed October 14th 2023, at the age of 94. Horace, you were a communist, and the light of so many lives. Words cannot express the grief we feel at your loss. You were striving for a new world, a world that would not know the meaning of exploitation, racism, nationalism and sexism, a communist world.
Horace was born in Trinidad and Tobago on June 9th 1929 during the Great Depression. He became interested in world affairs at the age of nine, as World War II loomed. At 15 he joined the Negro Welfare Cultural Association (NWCA), which was organized by the international communist movement. He started reading the works of Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx. He married in 1955 to his lifelong partner, Cynthia, and they had three children, two boys and a girl.
After WWII Horace participated in the struggles of workers in Trinidad against the inhumane harsh economic conditions suffered under the racist British colonial system. He became the secretary of the Federation Workers Trade Union, organizing bus drivers and conductors. There he joined many workers on a march to the U.S. military base in Trinidad, to protest against the racist conditions. In 1970, the working class rebelled in an insurrection against the capitalist-run government. Horace’s committee united Indian and African workers marching through the streets of Trinidad. Unfortunately, the insurrection was put down by the government. Many workers were arrested and sent to prison. Horace lost his job. His family was forced to bag up peanuts which Horace would sell for 6 cents a bag to put food on the table.
In the early 1970’s, he moved to New York City. He got a job at Montefiore, a hospital where workers were represented by 1199 SEIU. In time he received a scholarship allowing him to become an x-ray tech and was able to bring his family to Brooklyn.
At the hospital he came in contact with a PLP member. PLP’s newspaper, CHALLENGE, resonated with his militant anti-capitalist experiences in Trinidad. His journey began on the long struggle for communism. He participated in many May Day marches in Washington, D.C., always bringing a busload of workers from his building. He organized many social events among family and friends. He was a great chef. Using tropical ingredients: peppers and chilies , coconuts, plantains, sweet potatoes and spices, he gave us a taste of the Caribbean. On behalf of our entire Party, our class, our women and youth, dear Comrade, Farewell.
