Lorna Richmond: The Backbone of Africa's Liberation Struggle in London
Lorna Richmond, who has passed away at the age of 96, dedicated her career to the Africa Bureau in London, an independent organization that collaborated with liberation movements to dismantle colonial rule across the African continent. Her full-time employment spanned from the 1950s to the mid-1960s, a period widely regarded as the bureau's most active and impactful era.
Key Role in Supporting Independence Movements
As assistant to the bureau's director, the Rev Michael Scott, Lorna ensured the smooth operation of the organization from its London base. Scott, an Anglican priest known for his passive resistance demonstrations that often led to arrests and imprisonment in various countries, relied heavily on Lorna's administrative prowess. While Scott traveled to Africa to assess demands for independence in regions like Kenya, the Gold Coast (now Ghana), and South West Africa (now Namibia), Lorna and her team in London were instrumental in organizing fundraising events, meeting with delegations from African nations, and keeping politicians and journalists informed.
Early Life and Career Path
Born in Stratford, east London, Lorna was the daughter of George Richmond, a staff engineer at the Gas Light and Coke company, and his wife, Mary. After completing her secondary education at a boarding school near Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, she attended secretarial college. She then spent three years in Canada with family, working as a secretary, before returning to the United Kingdom.
While undertaking secretarial temp work in London, Lorna enrolled in a course on international relations. This led her to join the Africa Bureau full-time, an organization originally established by David Astor, the then editor of the Observer, in 1952. She served there for the majority of Scott's 16-year tenure as director, until a funding crisis forced her departure, along with other staff, to reduce costs.
Continued Dedication to Activism
After Scott stepped down from the bureau's leadership in 1968, Lorna continued to manage his affairs and involvement in other organizations, including the Africa Publications Trust, the Africa Educational Trust, and the Minority Rights Group. Scott, who rarely had a permanent residence, often stayed with friends or in budget accommodations when in London. In 1970, Lorna offered him a spare room in her flat in Primrose Hill, north London, an arrangement that lasted until his death in 1983.
Following Scott's passing, Lorna moved into her elderly mother's home in the village of Kingston, near Lewes, East Sussex. She maintained her commitment to activism by regularly traveling to London to attend meetings of the Friends of Namibia. In 1992, she welcomed Archbishop Desmond Tutu to St Pancras, a small church in Kingston, where she had arranged for Scott's ashes to be interred. Tutu unveiled a new stained-glass window dedicated to Scott's memory during the ceremony.
Personal Legacy and Surviving Family
Lorna's friendship with the author deepened during the research for the book The Troublemaker: Michael Scott and His Lonely Struggle Against Injustice (2006), co-written with Anne Yates, where she served as a primary source of information. Her younger brother, Marcus, predeceased her. She is survived by her niece, Vanessa.
