Black Plaque Project
8
Val
Mccalla Entrepreneur
1943 — 2002
Plaque
Category

Entrepreneur

Location

Blue Star House, 234-244 Stockwell Rd, London

Visit Plaque

THE ENTREPRENEUR WHO GAVE THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY A VOICE

Val McCalla was a Jamaican accountant and media entrepreneur, who studied accountancy at Kingston College in Jamaica. Moving to England when he was 15 years old, McCalla wanted to be a pilot for the Royal Air Force, but because of a perforated eardrum, he went on to be a bookkeeper instead.

After volunteering to work on a community newspaper, McCalla launched The Voice in 1982, an influential British weekly newspaper focusing on the Black issues and interests in Britain. The paper explored racism in all its forms at a time of racial unrest in the country. The paper went on to launch the careers of TV interviewers, TV producers, novelists, publishers and broadsheet journalists.

McCalla spent his last years living on the Sussex coast in a modest house, having to exchange his Mercedes for a Volvo after being repeatedly stopped by the police.

Historic Locations
30
Frank
Arthur Bailey
Firefigther
1925 — 2015
29
Earl
Cameron
Actor
1917 — 2020
28
Mona
Baptiste
Entertainer
1928 — 1993
1
Robert
Wedder­burn
Politicial Activist and Abolitionist
1762 — 1835
2
Ladipo
Solanke
Activist
1886 — 1958
3
Sarah
Baartman
 
1789 — 1815
5
Dyke
Dryden & Wade
Entrepreneurs
6
Ethel
Scott
Athlete
1907 — 1984
7
Errol
Brown
Musician
1943 — 2015
8
Val
Mccalla
Entrepreneur
1943 — 2002
9
George
Bridge­tower
Violinist
1778 — 1860
11
Phil
Lynott
Rock Star
1949 — 1986
12
Fela
Kuti
Entertainer and Activist
1938 — 1997
13
John
Lagey
Musician and Wrestler
1920 — 1994
14
Kathleen
Wrasama
Community Activist
1917 — UNKNOWN
15
Adelaide
Hall
Entertainer
1901 — 1993
16
William
Brown
Armed Forces
1789 — 1835
17
Ken
'Snakehips' Johnson
Entertainer
1914 — 1941
19
Winifred
Atwell
Pianist
1914 — 1983
21
Kenny
Lynch
Pop Star
1938 — 2019
22
J.SCelestine
Edwards
Academic and Activist
1858 — 1894
23
Lilian
Bader
Armed Forces
1918 — 2015
26
Alice
Kinloch
Activist
1852 — 1915
27
Fanny
Eaton
Artist's Model
1835 — 1924
More unsung heros View all