Roy Hackett awarded honorary doctorate at funeral
He was bestowed the honour by the University of Bristol
The University of Bristol have given the late Roy Hackett an honorary doctorate, and the news was announced at his funeral last week.
A cortege passed through Bristol, starting at James Street on Friday - a service was held in his memory at Elim/E5 Church, before he was taken to his final resting place at South Bristol Cemetery.
The award was given posthumously to his family by the deputy vice-chancellor Prof Judith Squires, who said it was ‘with great sadness’ that they weren't able to give him it sooner at a graduation ceremony before he died due to delays because of coronavirus.
His family were aware of the honour before the ceremony, meaning that they were able to inscribe 'Dr' onto his coffin, which also bore the flag of his native Jamaica.
Roy, who died in August at the age of 93, helped organise a successful campaign to overturn the bar to employment of Black and Asian bus drivers and conductors by the Bristol Omnibus Company.
In 1963, people from across the city refused to use the company's services - the boycott lasted for four months until the firm eventually backed down.
With the support of then-local MP and cabinet minister Tony Benn, the campaign paved the way for the Race Relations Act of 1965.
There were tributes from across the city on his death, including LaToyah McAllister-Jones, Chief Executive of St Pauls Carnival, which Roy Hackett helped found, and MP Thangham Debonnaire
In 2020, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the Bristol bus boycott, which led to historic change across the UK, "should be taught in every school".
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