ACTIVE CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN OF YESTERYEAR

New York, August 5, 2009 -- Francis Redhead, Grenada's first Consul General in New York, and who also held the post of Ambassador, died on August 1, 2009 in Trinidad & Tobago. Close friends of Redhead estimate he was between 93 to 96 years or even older.

For decades, especially the 1950s – 1970s, Redhead was very active in New York’s Caribbean community. He founded Caribbean House, an organization to help immigrants get healthcare, green cards, higher education and provided scholarships to students in the region. He was also active in promoting Caribbean art and culture in the U.S.

Even before Caribbean colonies were granted independence, Redhead was employed at the United Nations headquarters. He remained at the UN until he retired.

A dear friend of Grenada’s former leader Eric Gairy, he was appointed Consul General and ambassador by Prime Minister Gairy after the island attained independence from Britain on February 7, 1974. The tension, strikes and pessimism that greeted Grenada on February 7, 1974 also translated into a divided Grenadian community abroad especially in New York where there were no independence events. However, Redhead organized a symbolic independence reception at Rockefeller Center. Outside, opponents of Gairy staged a protest rally.

Redhead strongly felt that he played an important role in the establishment of St. George’s University. “One of my greatest achievements was helping to establish the medical school. Gairy and I overcame many barriers … Gairy had me working day and night to ensure the transaction did not fail,” Redhead told EVERYBODY’S Magazine in 2007. According to Redhead, the founders of the school promised to name a room or building in his honor, a promise that was not kept.

Redhead functioned as consul general until March 13, 1979 when Gairy was overthrown by a group led by Maurice Bishop.

After 1979, Redhead went into the travel industry by establishing Caribbean Travel in Brooklyn.

In 2007, Redhead and his wife left New York to live permanently in Trinidad & Tobago.

Dr. Lamuel  Stanislaus provides this synopsis of Redhead’s Grenadian life: “He went to primary school in St. David and was influenced by headmaster Cyril St. Bernard Sylvester; he attended Teacher’s Training College in Trinidad; returned to Grenada where he became an assistant to headmaster J.W. Fletcher; he returned to Trinidad where he was employed at one of the media houses; by the late 1940s or early 1950s, Redhead settled in New York.”

Redhead is survived by his wife Marilyn and a daughter, Sandra.