Anthony Abrahams, the first black television reporter for the British Broadcasting Corporation died

this morning. Years ago he sued the Gleaner and won big time. We differed ideologically but he was an intelligent man and I enjoyed more than a few conversations with him. He was a decent Jamaican - fell out with Seaga early.

http://go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=30785
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Former tourism executive, politician and pioneer broadcaster and journalist, Anthony Abrahams, died today at the age of 71.

Abrahams, who in 1965 became the first black television reporter for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London, Abrahams began Jamaica’s first current affairs breakfast radio programme, the Breakfast Club in 1992.

In 1970, he was youngest person ever to be appointed as Director of Tourism, one month short of his 30th birthday.

In 1958, the University of the West Indies student chaired the Students’ Union and led the debating society. Four years later, an Oxford Rhodes scholar, Abrahams was a rising star at Oxford, later becoming president of the prestigious debating society, the Oxford Union.
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the Privy Council - won a bag of money.
http://freespeechjamaica.com/privy-council-rules-in-favour-of-abrahams.html
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THE JUDICIAL Committee of the Privy Council, Jamaica’s final appellate court, has given its decision in the long-standing libel case between The Gleaner Company and Anthony Abrahams. The Privy Council upheld the judgment of the Court of Appeal of Jamaica in awarding to Mr. Abrahams $35 million.

On September 24, 1987 Mr. Abrahams instituted libel proceedings against the Gleaner Company arising out of the newspaper’s publication of an Associated Press (AP) wire story. The Gleaner filed a defence which was struck out by the Court of Appeal and an assessment of damages was ordered.

The hearing of assessment of damages before judge and jury commenced in the Supreme Court in May 1996. The jury gave an award of $80.7 million as compensatory damages in favour of Mr. Abrahams. The Gleaner successfully appealed to the Jamaican Court of Appeal and the award was reduced to $35 million in July 2002.

The Privy Council accepted the Jamaican Court of Appeal’s characterisation of the case as being extraordinary and exceptional. They agreed that given the evidence of financial losses and
personal injury suffered, the award of $35 million was not excessive. Stating that the circumstances of this case were special, their Lordships, in their conclusion stated that they had no reason to think that the award of so large an amount in the special circumstances of this case would inhibit responsible journalism.

before the overthrow

That was something else according to those who are talking about Tony - he shocked the British establishment with that visit.

I never made the connection!

Truth is I forgot