# Buzz Johnson

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{{Short description|Tobago-born poet and activist (1951–2014)}}
{{for|the American ice hockey player|Buzz Johnson (ice hockey)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{use British English|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Buzz Johnson
| image         = 
| alt           = 
| caption       = 
| birth_name    = Norris Chrisleventon Johnson
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1951|11|02|df=y}}
| birth_place   = Buccoo, [Tobago](/source/Tobago)
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|2014|02|11|1951|11|02|df=y}}
| death_place   = [London](/source/London), England, UK
| other_names   = 
| occupation    = Publisher and community activist
| education     = [Middlesex Polytechnic](/source/Middlesex_University);<br> [City of London Polytechnic](/source/City_of_London_Polytechnic);<br>[London School of Printing](/source/London_College_of_Communication)
| years_active  = 
| known_for     = Founder of Karia Press
| notable_works = 
}}
'''Norris Chrisleventon "Buzz" Johnson''' (2 November 1951 – 11 February 2014), generally known as '''Buzz Johnson''', was a [Tobago](/source/Trinidad_and_Tobago)-born publisher and activist who in the 1970s relocated to England, UK. There he set up a small publishing company called '''Karia Press''', based in [east London](/source/east_London), producing books relevant to community and race relations, and making available and better known the work of many key writers, including [Claudia Jones](/source/Claudia_Jones), whom he is credited with having "rediscovered".<ref name=Voice />

Johnson was involved with such organisations as [Caribbean Labour Solidarity](/source/Caribbean_Labour_Solidarity) (CLS), [Liberation](/source/Liberation_(organisation)) and the [Institute of Race Relations](/source/Institute_of_Race_Relations_(United_Kingdom)), and helped set up community support centres, such as the Claudia Jones Organisation, and supplementary schools.<ref>Emma Bartholomew, [http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/radical_black_publisher_and_pioneering_social_activist_buzz_johnson_leaves_lasting_legacy_1_3477558 "Radical black publisher and pioneering social activist, Buzz Johnson, leaves lasting legacy"], ''[Hackney Gazette](/source/Hackney_Gazette)'', 24 March 2014.</ref> His other campaigning work included support for the [anti-apartheid movement](/source/Anti-Apartheid_Movement) and for progressive politics in [Grenada](/source/Grenada) and [Saint Vincent](/source/Saint_Vincent_and_the_Grenadines).<ref name=Martin>Godfrey J. Martin, [http://www.claudiajones.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Eulogy-Remembering-Buzz-Johnson.pdf "Eulogy: Remembering "Norris Buzz Johnson"], 1 March 2014.</ref><ref name=CLS />

==Early years and move to England==
Norris Johnson  was born in the small fishing village of Buccoo on the island of [Tobago](/source/Tobago) in 1951. At a young age, along with his two sisters, and their parents, Adwina (née Phillips) and Cornelius Arthur Johnson,<ref name=Martin /> he moved to [Fyzabad](/source/Fyzabad) in the south-west of Tobago's sister island, [Trinidad](/source/Trinidad), where his father worked in the oilfields and, "having been politicised by the trade unionist legacy of powerful local labour leaders such as [Tubal Uriah 'Buzz' Butler](/source/Tubal_Uriah_Butler), bestowed on his son the name by which everyone came to know him."<ref name="Guardian">[Margaret Busby](/source/Margaret_Busby) and Nia Reynolds, [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/05/buzz-johnson "Buzz Johnson obituary"], ''[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)'', 5 March 2014.</ref>

Johnson was educated in Trinidad, attending [San Fernando Government Secondary School](/source/San_Fernando_Government_Secondary_School) and then technical college in [Point Fortin](/source/Point_Fortin).<ref name=Searle>Chris Searle, [http://www.irr.org.uk/news/we-are-our-own-educators-buzz-johnson-peoples-publisher/ "'We are our own educators!': Buzz Johnson, People's Publisher"], [Institute of Race Relations](/source/Institute_of_Race_Relations_(United_Kingdom)), 13 March 2014.</ref> He subsequently worked with [Alcoa](/source/Alcoa) in north Trinidad and with the [Neal and Massey](/source/Chevrolet) group, which manufactured cars.<ref name=Martin />

He won a scholarship to continue his studies as a mechanical engineer in Britain, where he migrated in 1971,<ref name=Guardian /><ref name=Searle /> living in London variously in [Stoke Newington](/source/Stoke_Newington), [Clapton](/source/Lower_Clapton) and [Homerton](/source/Homerton).<ref name=Nye>Philip Nye, [http://hackneycitizen.co.uk/2014/04/03/buzz-johnson-obituary/ "Buzz Johnson obituary"], ''Hackney Citizen'', 3 April 2014.</ref> He studied at Middlesex Polytechnic (now [Middlesex University](/source/Middlesex_University)) and gained a master's degree at [City of London Polytechnic](/source/City_of_London_Polytechnic), subsequently becoming a student at the [London School of Printing](/source/London_College_of_Communication).<ref name="Searle" />

===Karia Press===
Having learned about publishing and printing, Johnson set up the small venture Karia Press as an outlet for black and progressive writers.<ref name=Guardian /> Among his early publications was the one for which he is particularly noted, ''"I Think of My Mother": Notes on the Life and Times of Claudia Jones'' (1984; {{ISBN|978-0946918027}}), which Johnson himself compiled — the first book on journalist and activist [Claudia Jones](/source/Claudia_Jones), who had been largely forgotten at the time.<ref>Jenny Bourne, [http://www.irr.org.uk/news/buzz-johnson-1951-2014/ "Buzz Johnson: 1951 – 2014"], Institute of Race Relations, 13 February 2014.</ref>

Though operating with meagre resources, Johnson managed to command respect for his publishing imprint. ''[The Voice](/source/The_Voice_(British_newspaper))'' newspaper noted: 
<blockquote>"Fiercely independent and fearless, his Karia Press, which he ran virtually single-handed, was an autonomous voice challenging neo-colonialism, injustice and all forms of discrimination, as well as promoting self-awareness, culture and the arts.

With very little money, the publisher managed to box above its weight, publishing more than 50 books during a period when so-called 'Third World' publishing enjoyed its heyday of speaking truth to 'First World' power; demanding international human rights, an end to [Apartheid](/source/Apartheid), social justice.

Karia managed to more than hold its own alongside [John la Rose](/source/John_La_Rose)'s [New Beacon Books](/source/New_Beacon_Books), Eric and Jessica Huntley’s [Bogle L'Ouverture](/source/Bogle-L'Ouverture_Publications), [Allison and Busby](/source/Allison_and_Busby), and [Karnak House](/source/Karnak_House), the other pioneering black publishers."<ref name=Voice>Nia Reynolds, [http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/obituary-norris-%E2%80%98buzz%E2%80%99-johnson-1951-2014 "Obituary: Norris ‘Buzz’ Johnson 1951 – 2014"], ''The Voice'', 4 March 2014.</ref></blockquote>

The press published influential titles dealing with community relations in the UK, including [Lord Gifford](/source/Anthony_Gifford%2C_6th_Baron_Gifford)'s independent report into the [Broadwater Farm uprising](/source/Broadwater_Farm_uprising), ''The Broadwater Farm Inquiry'' (1986), followed by ''Broadwater Farm Revisited'' (1989). Names on Karia's international list include [Chris Searle](/source/Chris_Searle), [Merle Collins](/source/Merle_Collins), [Elean Thomas](/source/Elean_Thomas), [Richard Hart](/source/Richard_Hart_(Jamaican_historian_and_politician)), [George Lamming](/source/George_Lamming), [Bernard Coard](/source/Bernard_Coard), [Ralph Gonsalves](/source/Ralph_Gonsalves), [Amos Ford](/source/Amos_Ford), [Brother Resistance](/source/Brother_Resistance), [Hollis Liverpool](/source/Hollis_Liverpool), [Sekai Nzenza](/source/Sekai_Nzenza), [Eintou Pearl Springer](/source/Eintou_Pearl_Springer), [Jacob Ross](/source/Jacob_Ross) and [Marika Sherwood](/source/Marika_Sherwood).<ref name="Guardian" /> 

===Activism===
Johnson continued his concern with the struggles of Black people in Britain and elsewhere, as [Chris Searle](/source/Chris_Searle) has written: <blockquote>"I first met him when we were both involved in the campaign to free the trade union militant and organiser of the unemployed, Desmond Trotter of [Dominica](/source/Dominica), who had been framed on a murder charge and condemned to hang by the neocolonial government of [Patrick John](/source/Patrick_John), much dominated by the [Geest](/source/Geest_(brand)) and [Cadbury/Schweppes](/source/Cadbury-Schweppes_plc) monopolies which owned most of the island's banana, cocoa and citrus plantations. We worked closely with Liberation (formerly the [Movement for Colonial Freedom](/source/Movement_for_Colonial_Freedom)) and frequently met at its north London office in [Caledonian Road](/source/Caledonian_Road%2C_London).... Trotter was eventually reprieved and released, largely through intense international pressure, in April 1976."<ref name=Searle /></blockquote>

Johnson worked closely with such organisations as [Caribbean Labour Solidarity](/source/Caribbean_Labour_Solidarity) (CLS),<ref name=CLS>Dennis Bartholomew, [https://community-languages.org.uk/cls/pdf/Buzz.pdf "BUZZ JOHNSON, 1951 to 2014 — A Tribute"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011043227/http://www.cls-uk.org.uk/pdf/Buzz.pdf |date=11 October 2016 }}, CLS.</ref> [Liberation](/source/Liberation_(organisation)), and the [Institute of Race Relations](/source/Institute_of_Race_Relations_(United_Kingdom))<ref name=Searle /> and was involved with the setting up of the Claudia Jones Organisation of [Stoke Newington](/source/Stoke_Newington) (founded in 1982 to provide support for women and families of African-Caribbean heritage), Hackney Black People's Association, supplementary schools and community advice centres.<ref name=Guardian />

Johnson was also an original member of the award-winning Ebony Steel Band in London.<ref name=Voice />

==Death==
Johnson died on 11 February 2014, survived by three children, including journalist Amandla Thomas-Johnson.<ref name="Guardian" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blackagendareport.com/bar-book-forum-amandla-thomas-johnsons-becoming-kwame-ture|title=BAR Book Forum: Amandla Thomas-Johnson's 'Becoming Kwame Ture|first=Roberto |last=Sirvent|website=Black Agenda Report|date=7 April 2021|access-date=26 March 2026}}</ref> A memorial service was held in London on 1 March 2014 at [All Saints Church](/source/All_Saints_Church%2C_Haggerston), Haggerston Road, Hackney,<ref name=CLS /> followed by a reception at the West Indian Cultural Centre in [Haringey](/source/Haringey), and his funeral took place in Tobago on 11 March 2014.<ref name=Nye /><ref>Hollis Clifton, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV8RfehbVFo "The final rites of Norris "Buzz" Johnson in Tobago - March 11. 2014"], YouTube, 14 March 2014.</ref>

==Awards==
In September 2014, Buzz Johnson was posthumously given the Adiaha Antigha Lifetime Achievement Award by [Hackney Council](/source/Hackney_Council) for Voluntary Service (Hackney CVS) in tribute to his work as a "community champion".<ref>Ella Jessel, [http://hackneycitizen.co.uk/2014/09/25/adiaha-antigha-gary-francis-community-achievement-awards-hackney-cvs/ "Community champions honoured at Hackney CVS achievement awards"], ''Hackney Citizen'', 25 September 2014.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Buzz}}
Category:1951 births
Category:2014 deaths
Category:20th-century British businesspeople
Category:Alumni of the London College of Printing
Category:Alumni of London Metropolitan University
Category:Alumni of Middlesex University
Category:Black British activists
Category:British book publishing company founders
Category:British community activists
Category:British publishers (people)
Category:People from Siparia region
Category:People from Tobago
Category:Trinidad and Tobago human rights activists

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Buzz Johnson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzz_Johnson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzz_Johnson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.