A Gentle Giant for Human Rights: My Tribute to Sir Geoff Palmer
Sir Godfrey Henry Oliver Palmer “Geoff” Palmer (1940 – 2025)
Photograph courtesy of Jane Barlow / PA
Sir Godfrey Henry Oliver Palmer “Geoff” Palmer, Chancellor of Herriot – Watt University. Born: 9 April 1940 in Jamaica. Died: 12 June 2025, aged 85
The soft, sweet, and always smiling voice on the other end of the telephone was reaching out to help me whilst he was undergoing treatments for the disease that would eventually claim his life. He was another father who like me wanted to be sure that his work on behalf of civil and human rights would be embraced with the same spirit by future generations.
I had e – mailed him to thank him for a recent speech he had given for the Edinburgh Interfaith Association and asked him, when his precious time permitted, to ring me to discuss a matter that would benefit from his wise counsel. He rang me from the Western General Hospital whilst he was undergoing exhausting chemo therapy treatments.
He answered my question of how to encourage the next generation to continue our campaigns for justice and equality with his own question to me.
“Joe, how do we know they will not find their own way to campaign for causes that are important to them? Our job is just to keep setting an example and hope that others will follow.” And following this sage advice, he excused himself to continue his treatments.
Sir Geoff Palmer was part of the Windrush generation and he immigrated in 1955 from Jamaica to the United Kingdom. Thousands of his fellow citizens had heard his brave, courageous, and dramatic life story by the time he agreed to speak to the Edinburgh Interfaith Association. During his speech to religious leaders and others he reminded us that faith is an ability we must all nurture not only within ourselves but also help to cultivate in one another. Faith, he said, helps us move forward together to achieve a better society for ourselves and future generations.
One example of his belief of faith in action was his campaigning for a plaque to tell the full story of the Dundas memorial in St Andrews Square. The City of Edinburgh Council agreed to replace the original historic plaque with one that told the full story of the complex leader whose statue is the tallest in our city.
A few months after the plaque had been officially dedicated, opposing vandals removed it. Geoff insisted that it be replaced as soon as possible and indeed it was. I joined him and Irene Mosota, independent chair of the Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review Implementation Group to rededicate a replacement plaque.
The heavens opened up above us and huddling together under umbrellas we remembered and celebrated why this plaque, this action, and our faith in a better city was so very important to all of us. In the centre of our group was our moral compass, Sir Geoff Palmer. He stood there gently shivering in the cold rain and as usual, smiling into the future.
Many years ago I invited a beautiful woman named Jewel who helped raise my sister and myself to attend the State Fair of Texas. When she was in her late teens she worked for my parents as our cleaning lady and child minder and one day she asked mama and papa if she could take my sister and I to the largest fair in the United States.
The one and only day she was welcome at the fair was on 16 June, which is officially annually known in the USA as Juneteenth. This date celebrates the day President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing millions of African American slaves. Jewel’s ancestors were among those slaves.
When we visited the fair together as adults for only the second time since my childhood, Jewel was now a senior citizen and I was middle aged. I had scheduled an interview with the chief officer of the fair to learn about their segregation policies in the 1950’s to use in an upcoming textbook I was authoring.
The chief officer of the fair, a woman who was slightly younger than Jewel frowned, furrowed her brow and told us matter – of – factly, “We never ever practiced segregation! Blacks were welcome all the time.”
When we left her office I turned to Jewel and asked for her memories of that time. She lowered her head, rolled her huge brown eyes to the heavens and recalled “That is her memory. I remember only being allowed to use the “coloured only” toilets and water fountains. I also remember not being able to have my money accepted for food and drink and if I sat down, I was swatted by security and told to move on.”
She then paused and said “Memory is funny thing. Sometimes we try to forget the bad stuff and then we are forced to remember by others who try to change our story.”
During Sir Geoff’s long life, over and over again many people including historians tried to change the story of the suffering of millions of people. Geoff articulately, eloquently, and inspiringly reminded us over and over again that we must remember the lived experience of individuals whose courage and perseverance have greatly contributed to our society.
His persistence, intellectual curiosity, and generosity of spirit propelled him from a life separated from his mother in Jamaica to a distinguished academic career as Scotland’s first Black Professor culminating as Professor Emeritus in the School of Life Sciences at Heriot – Watt University. The University later appointed him as their Chancellor in 2021.
Many tens of thousands of lives all over the world have been greatly enriched by the Scottish gentleman from Jamaica who throughout his entire life quietly, firmly, and through his actions, set an example that he hoped that others might follow.
Perhaps that is the greatest potential legacy memorial that may be created to honour this great man. Whilst a iconic statue would be a logical and well deserved tribute to him, I believe an even greater and more enduring honour for his indomitable spirit would be to designate one day each year, perhaps upon his birthday (9 April), as a day of voluntary civic action. Annually , on this day we should encourage volunteering in the spirit of Sir Geoff Palmer so that together we may fulfil his hope of creating a better city and kinder world.
Professor Joe Goldblatt is Emeritus Professor of Planned Events at Queen Margaret University, Co – chair of the Edinburgh Interfaith Association, and Chair of Volunteer Edinburgh. His views are his own.