E. R. Braithwaite
E. R. Braithwaite was a Guyanese-born educator and author known primarily for his influential 1959 novel, *To Sir with Love*, which recounts his experiences as a young black teacher in a challenging London school. The book's themes of resilience and mentorship resonated with readers, leading to its adaptation into a beloved 1967 film featuring Sidney Poitier. Born into a family that valued education, Braithwaite pursued his studies at prestigious institutions, including Queen's College in Guyana and Cambridge University, where he earned an MA in physics. Despite his academic achievements and service as a Royal Air Force pilot during WWII, he faced significant racial discrimination when seeking employment in 1950s Britain. His transition to teaching, prompted by a chance encounter, proved transformative as he developed a passion for education. Throughout his career, Braithwaite wrote several other notable works addressing themes of race and identity, and he held various prestigious roles, including ambassador for Guyana and educational consultant for UNESCO. Honored with multiple awards and degrees, he continued to impact education until his passing in 2016 at the age of 104.
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E. R. Braithwaite
- Born: June 27, 1922
- Birthplace: Georgetown, British Guyana (now Guyana)
- Died: December 12, 2016
- Place of death: Rockville, Maryland
Biography
E. R. Braithwaite’s 1959 novel, To Sir with Love, was the autobiographical tale of a young black teacher’s first year working in a rough school in London’s East end. It quickly became a classic of young-adult literature, and its status as a beloved book was only amplified by its adaptation into a popular 1967 film starring Sidney Poitier. E. R. Braithwaite was born in the then-British colony of Guyana to a family that prized education; both his parents held degrees from British universities. Braithwaite himself attended Queen’s College in Guyana and City College of New York. He served as a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II and subsequently earned am MA in physics from Cambridge University (1949).
Despite his military record and education, Braithwaite struggled to find a job in his field, and he suffered the effects of racial discrimination as a black man in 1950s Britain. In To Sir with Love, he recounts that a stranger he encountered on a park bench recommend that he pursue a career in teaching, as the acute shortage of teachers in London at the time would likely preclude the sort of discrimination he was encountering elsewhere. Braithwaite accepted the challenge, and though at first he approached his job as little more than a compromise to pay the bills, To Sir with Love recounts how, in the space of one academic year, he was transformed from a reluctant novice to a beloved mentor. Education became a passion for Braithwaite, and he built a decades-long career as a teacher and educational consultant on the acclaim he earned as the author of To Sir with Love. At the same time, he continued to write, including such books as Paid Servant (1962), which serves as an account of his time as a welfare officer; A Kind of Homecoming (1962), which offers insight into his pilgrimage to African countries such as Ghana, Guinea, and Liberia and his comparison of his life in the United Kingdom to life in those countries; the novel Choice of Straws (1965); and the works Reluctant Neighbors (1972) and Honorary White (1975), both of which explore experiences of bigotry and racism. Braithwaite was honored with honorary doctorates from Oxford University and the Sorbonne. He served as Guyana’s ambassador to both Venezuela and the United Nations and also worked as an educational consultant for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Having also taught at New York University and Florida State University, he taught and served as writer in residence at Howard University in Washington, DC, for several years.
Braithwaite, having received his home country of Guyana's highest honor, the Cacique's Crown of Honour, during a visit in 2012, died on December 12, 2016, in Rockville, Maryland, at the age of 104.
Bibliography
Chan, Sewell. "E. R. Braithwaite, Author of To Sir, with Love, Dies at 104." The New York Times, 13 Dec. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/books/e-r-braithwaite-author-of-to-sir-with-love-dies-at-104.html. Accessed 21 Nov. 2017.
"E. R. Braithwaite." British Library, www.bl.uk/people/e-r-braithwaite. Accessed 21 Nov. 2017.
"ER Braithwaite, Author of To Sir, with Love—Obituary." The Telegraph, 14 Dec. 2016, www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/12/14/er-braithwaite-author-sir-love-obituary/. Accessed 21 Nov. 2017.
Keane, Danuta. "To Sir, with Love author ER Braithwaite Dies Aged 104." The Guardian, 14 Dec. 2016, www.theguardian.com/books/2016/dec/14/to-sir-with-love-author-er-braithwaite-dies-aged-104. Accessed 21 Nov. 2017.
Reece, Maggie. "E. R. Braithwaite, Author of To Sir, with Love." Guyana Graphic, 11 Nov. 2013, www.guyanagraphic.com/guyana/history/ww-i-and-ii-service-members/e-r-braithwaite-author-sir-love. Accessed 21 Nov. 2017.