The passing of Earl Cameron, the first black actor to break through the colour barrier and star in a British film, has been widely reported in the media. He died peacefully at his home in Kenilworth on 3 July 2020 at the age of 102.

The above picture was taken at a party organised by Bahá’í friends of Earl—who was himself a member of the Bahá’í community—to celebrate his 100th birthday. It was attended by forty guests of many different nationalities, and was hosted by Gerald and Margaret Knight at their home in Marsh, near Aylesbury.

Gerald Knight (top left in the photograph) said “I first met Earl in 1973, when he was Chairman of the UK Committee of the Black Arts Festival, which my company had been asked to promote. Earl was an impressive man of great warmth and dignity who quickly won my respect, admiration and affection. Our first meeting was the start of a friendship that lasted almost 50 years.”

Following his breakthrough role in the 1951 film Pool of London, Earl enjoyed a long and distinguished movie and tv career. Among many other roles, he played James Bond’s assistant in Thunderball, with Sean Connery, a fictional African dictator in The Interpreter, starring Nicole Kidman, and a cameo role with Helen Mirren in The Queen.