John Alcindor was born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, in 1873 and was educated at St Mary’s College where he won an Island Scholarship which enabled him to pursue medical studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Following his graduation in 1899, he moved to London and worked in several hospitals. A highly respected physician who fought tirelessly to prevent the spread of tuberculosis and syphilis in Great Britain, he became senior district medical officer of the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington in 1917. He is still fondly remembered as the black doctor of Paddington who gave free medical treatment to his poorest patients. Alcindor was also an active community servant who preached a gospel of racial equality and was instrumental in the formation of the African Progress Union (APU) in 1918. He served as president of the APU from 1921 until his death in 1924. He also participated actively in the second Pan African Congress which met in 1921. He was one of the most eloquent spokesmen for the deliverance of the African and West Indian colonies from the European yoke.
ALCINDOR, John
