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While writing his book about the school, Braithwaite turned to [[social work]] and it became his job to find [[foster home]]s for non-white children for the [[London County Council]]. His experiences resulted in ''Paid Servant: A Report About Welfare Work in London'' published in the UK in 1962.<ref name="Chan"/> Braithwaite's numerous writings have primarily dealt with the difficulties of being an educated black man, a black social worker, a black teacher, and simply a human being in inhumane circumstances.
While writing his book about the school, Braithwaite turned to [[social work]] and it became his job to find [[foster home]]s for non-white children for the [[London County Council]]. His experiences resulted in ''Paid Servant: A Report About Welfare Work in London'' published in the UK in 1962.<ref name="Chan"/> Braithwaite's numerous writings have primarily dealt with the difficulties of being an educated black man, a black social worker, a black teacher, and simply a human being in inhumane circumstances.


In 1973, the South African ban on Braithwaite's books was lifted and he reluctantly applied to visit the country. He was granted a visa and the status "[[Honorary whites|honorary white]]" which gave him significantly more privileges than the indigenous black population, but less than the whites. He recorded the experiences and horror he witnessed during the six weeks he spent in South Africa in his book ''Honorary White'' (London: The Bodley Head, 1975).
In 1973, the South African ban on Braithwaite's books was lifted and he reluctantly applied to visit the country. He was granted a visa and the status "[[Honorary whites|honorary white]]" which gave him significantly more privileges than the indigenous black population, but less than the whites. He recorded the experiences and horror he witnessed during the six weeks he spent in South Africa in his book ''Honorary White'' (London: The Bodley Head, 1975).<ref name="To Sir, With Love author ER Braithwaite dies aged 104 ">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/dec/14/to-sir-with-love-author-er-braithwaite-dies-aged-104 |title=To Sir, With Love author ER Braithwaite dies aged 104 |last=Kean |first=Danuta |date=December 14, 2016 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>


Braithwaite continued to write novels and short stories throughout his long international career as an educational consultant and lecturer for [[UNESCO]], the first permanent Guyana representative to the [[United Nations]] (1967–69), and later Guyana's ambassador to [[Venezuela]].<ref name="Chan"/> He taught [[English studies]] at [[New York University]]; in 2002, was [[writer-in-residence]] at [[Howard University]], Washington, D.C.; associated himself with [[Manchester Community College (Connecticut)]], during the 2005–06 [[academic year]] as visiting professor, also serving as [[Commencement speech|commencement speaker]] and receiving an honorary degree.<ref>Manchester, CT, Community College News Archive, February 3, 2006.</ref>
Braithwaite continued to write novels and short stories throughout his long international career as an educational consultant and lecturer for [[UNESCO]], the first permanent Guyana representative to the [[United Nations]] (1967–69), and later Guyana's ambassador to [[Venezuela]].<ref name="Chan"/> He taught [[English studies]] at [[New York University]]; in 2002, was [[writer-in-residence]] at [[Howard University]], Washington, D.C.; associated himself with [[Manchester Community College (Connecticut)]], during the 2005–06 [[academic year]] as visiting professor, also serving as [[Commencement speech|commencement speaker]] and receiving an honorary degree.<ref>Manchester, CT, Community College News Archive, February 3, 2006.</ref>

Revision as of 22:30, 14 December 2016

E. R. Braithwaite
E. R. Braithwaite photo taken by Carl Van Vechten, 1962
E. R. Braithwaite photo taken by Carl Van Vechten, 1962
BornEdward Ricardo Braithwaite
June 27, 1912
Georgetown, British Guyana
DiedDecember 12, 2016(2016-12-12) (aged 104)
Rockville, Maryland, United States
OccupationNovelist, writer, diplomat, teacher
GenreFiction, literature

Edward Ricardo Braithwaite (June 27, 1912 – December 12, 2016), publishing as E. R. Braithwaite, was a Guyanese-born British-American novelist, writer, teacher, and diplomat, best known for his stories of social conditions and racial discrimination against black people. He was the author of the 1959 autobiographical novel To Sir, With Love, which was made into a 1967 British drama film of the same title, starring Sidney Poitier and Lulu.

Life

Braithwaite was born in Georgetown, Guyana, on June 27, 1912.[1][2] He had a privileged beginning in life; both of his parents went to Oxford University and he describes growing up with education, achievement, and parental pride surrounding him. His father was a gold and diamond miner and his mother was a homemaker.[3] He attended Queen's College, Guyana, a high school, and then City College of New York (1940).[4] During World War II, he joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot – he would later describe this experience as one where he had felt no discrimination based on his skin colour or ethnicity. He went on to attend the University of Cambridge (1949), from which he earned a bachelor's degree and a doctorate in physics.[5]

After the war, despite his extensive training, Braithwaite could not find work in his field and, disillusioned, reluctantly took up a job as a schoolteacher in the East End of London. The book To Sir, With Love (1959) was based on his experiences there.[5][6] It won an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award.[7] To Sir with Love was adapted into a film version, starring Sidney Poitier. Although the film was a box-office success, critical opinion and Baithwaite himself considered it too sentimental and he also objected to his mixed-race romance being given lower prominence.[8]

While writing his book about the school, Braithwaite turned to social work and it became his job to find foster homes for non-white children for the London County Council. His experiences resulted in Paid Servant: A Report About Welfare Work in London published in the UK in 1962.[4] Braithwaite's numerous writings have primarily dealt with the difficulties of being an educated black man, a black social worker, a black teacher, and simply a human being in inhumane circumstances.

In 1973, the South African ban on Braithwaite's books was lifted and he reluctantly applied to visit the country. He was granted a visa and the status "honorary white" which gave him significantly more privileges than the indigenous black population, but less than the whites. He recorded the experiences and horror he witnessed during the six weeks he spent in South Africa in his book Honorary White (London: The Bodley Head, 1975).[9]

Braithwaite continued to write novels and short stories throughout his long international career as an educational consultant and lecturer for UNESCO, the first permanent Guyana representative to the United Nations (1967–69), and later Guyana's ambassador to Venezuela.[4] He taught English studies at New York University; in 2002, was writer-in-residence at Howard University, Washington, D.C.; associated himself with Manchester Community College (Connecticut), during the 2005–06 academic year as visiting professor, also serving as commencement speaker and receiving an honorary degree.[10]

He turned 100 in 2012, and on a visit to Guyana in his capacity as the patron of the Inter-Guiana Cultural festival he was conferred on August 23 that year with a national award, the Cacique Crown of Honour, by then-President Donald Ramotar.[11] Braithwaite lived in Washington, D.C..[12] He died at the Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville, Maryland, on December 12, 2016, at the age of 104.[8][13]

Bibliography

  • To Sir, With Love (1959)
  • Paid Servant (1962)
  • A Kind of Homecoming (1962)
  • Solid Lubricants And Surfaces (1964)
  • Choice of Straws (1965)
  • Lubrication And Lubricants (1967)
  • Reluctant Neighbors (1972)
  • Honorary White (1975)
  • Molybdenum, Vol. 19 (1994)
  • Hurricane Hits England (Preface – 2000)
  • Billingsly: The Bear With The Crinkled Ear (2008)

See also

References

  1. ^ Manchester, Connecticut, Community College News Archive, February 3, 2006
  2. ^ May, Hal; Trosky, Susan M. (1989). Linda Metzger (ed.). Black Writers: A Selection of Sketches from Contemporary Authors. Gale Research Inc. p. 65. ISBN 0-8103-2772-4.
  3. ^ Michael Jordan (August 26, 2012). "'To Sir with Love Author' E.R Braithwaite is a Special Person". Kaieteur News. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Chan, Sewell (December 13, 2016). "E. R. Braithwaite, Author of 'To Sir, With Love,' Dies at 104". The New York Times. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Modern English, 1980, vol. 1, p. 115.
  6. ^ Onyekachi Wambu, 1998, p. 4.
  7. ^ "E.R. Braithwaite | To Sir, With Love", Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards.
  8. ^ a b Italie, Hillel (December 13, 2016). "'To Sir, With Love' author E.R. Braithwaite dies at 104". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  9. ^ Kean, Danuta (December 14, 2016). "To Sir, With Love author ER Braithwaite dies aged 104". The Guardian.
  10. ^ Manchester, CT, Community College News Archive, February 3, 2006.
  11. ^ Staff (August 24, 2012). "National award bestowed on author E.R Braithwaite". Stabroek News. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  12. ^ Debra Eve (July 1, 2016). "The Late-Blooming Author of "To Sir, With Love" Just Turned 104". laterbloomer.com. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  13. ^ Denis Chabrol, "Guyanese author, educator and diplomat- E.R. Braithwaite dies", Demerara Waves, December 13, 2016.
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