Toronto, Canada, March 24, 2011 – The marginalized and downtrodden of Canada, especially the Black community, have lost a stalwart, Dudley Laws. Dudley, who was a dedicated fighter for social justice and equality, and a Garveyite to the bone, was born in Jamaica in the Parish of St. Thomas on May 7, 1934.

He immigrated to Britain in 1955 and joined the movement in defense of the West Indian and African communities against the racist attacks of the Teddy Boys (European KKK). Dudley migrated to Canada in the 1960s and joined the Universal African Improvement Association (UIAA).

He was a member of the Jamaican Canadian Association but was best-known as the Executive Director of the Black Action Defence Committee (BAD-C), whose members and supporters included Grenadian nationals.

BAD-C was formed in 1988 at the height of a series of police shooting deaths of African Canadians. Almost every week, there was a demonstration and a media war involving Dudley, BAD-C, columnist Christie Blatchford, and the Toronto Sun. In the midst of the battle were weekly community newspapers such as “Share’’ and “Contrast.’’

Dudley was propelled into further national prominence after he was charged by the cops in what his lawyers claimed was police entrapment.

But Dudley had to fight battles from within. Many non-Jamaican, from the Caribbean and Africa, said he embarrassed them because he couldn’t talk “good.’’ Those who were the one or two blacks in workplaces dominated by whites were vex that Dudley was making things “bad’’ for them. African Canadian who were born in the country, and who had roots going back decades, were upset that this feisty Jamaican wanted to speak for “all’’ Black people in Canada.

But Dudley and BAD-C were more than just police shootings. They also spoke out against racist immigration policies and the plight of refugees and immigrants. 

Dudley Laws – dead at 76.