Eunice McGhie-Belgrave

This is an oral history interview with Mrs Eunice McGhie-Belgrave MBE, recorded in 2016, as part of the Collecting Birmingham Project.

Eunice was born in Jamaica, in 1934. She emigrated to England from Jamaica with her family as a young woman in her early 20s, in February 1957. She lived in Handsworth with her family until 1993 and now lives in Stechford. She worked as a nurse and later in the Probation Service, but she was also an entrepreneur, running domestic assistance, tailoring, and catering businesses. Following the ‘Handsworth Riots’ in 1985, Eunice and four other local women founded a charitable community organisation called ‘Shades of Black’, with the intention to ‘reconcile, reassure and rebuild the community’. In 2001, Eunice was awarded an MBE for her charitable work and has won numerous other awards.

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