Celebrating the life of the late Stanley Roy Archer
A funeral service took place in London at 10:30am (UK time) on 1 December 2022
R I P
There were far-ranging tributes from many that attended the funeral. This post is Maas Roy’s daughter Yvonne’s tribute speech.
Transcript of Yvonne's tribute to her dad
OUR PEACE OF HISTORY
Promoting Peace Through The Arts
This is a unique project that brings together youths and elders to produce exciting nuggets, adding much needed voices and colour to the body of Britain’s historic works – and by extension, works across the globe.
Archer Publishing 2009 is honoured that Life According to Maas Roy is the first production by this extraordinary, visionary project.
This book has exploded onto the world market like none other – and continues to blast holes in what you thought you knew and felt plus add a twist of sharpness and spice to the bittersweet tales it tells of the intertwined history of Britain and Jamaica.
So if you’re interested in military stories, need to understand how a Black man ended up in Cyprus, are looking for a gift that reflects Black History, wondered whether Black men make good single parents, how the underdogs of the world can achieve success and help develop their community – and more – then this is a publication that’s worthy of a spot on your bookshelf. And of course, it makes a great gift.
Co-authored by a dynamic father and daughter team,
Life According to Maas Roy marks:
- The 50th anniversary of the official end to the conflict in Cyprus
- Claudia Jones’ establishment of what was to become London’s Notting Hill Carnival
- The 20th year since Maas Roy’s return to Jamaica
- And the year that saw the first ever Black US president
From a man who only received 7 years of education, this is an exceptionally enjoyable read for all age groups and levels of literacy.
You’ll be amazed at how you’ve been moved by and between such a mind-boggling range of topics. You’ll be left with endless topics for discussion and will surely want to buy copies of Life According to Maas Roy as gifts for family and friends.
Email OurPeaceOfHistory for information on:
- upcoming events
- workshops
- readings
- collaborative opportunities for schools and universities
- ideas on how you can get involved
Listen to an excerpt from the book
Life According to Maas Roy tells that story — and much more. Young Stanley Roy Archer’s hopes don’t come to pass because the mother country has an entirely different set of plans for him. He’s drafted into National Service for Her Majesty’s Armed Forces – but of course, there is another option: go to jail!
This master griot tells how he’s sent to the conflict in Cyprus and serves along the notorious Murder Mile. He survives and on his return to Civvy Street, he falls in love, marries — and ends up being the type of strong Black father we rarely hear about, raising his daughter alone. What happens to them and how does he cope? Herein lies a valuable insight into parenting.
Eventually, he returns to his homeland – Jeffrey Town, St Mary in Jamaica – but with no plans to retire. He’s a man of the soil and can’t wait to plough the land. Here is a New World farmer who has agriculture in his blood and is driven to live off the land. And knowing that he has come to own the very land his father worked on – almost like a slave – only brings further pride and joy.
But with a gross level of poverty staring him in the face each day, the man who is to become ‘Maas Roy’ decides that he needs to work with the community in a very hands-on capacity. He shares his vision of community development with fellow villagers and is able to vastly improve on the basic facilities and infrastructure they’d been forced to endure since he was a child.
Why, in 1989, should the tiniest child still have to fetch water from the river before leaving for school? It was time to tackle the Jamaican Water Commission and any other official body that stood in the way of progress for Maas Roy’s neglected community.
Today, as he fast approaches the age of 85, Maas Roy loves to remind one and all that he’s now on borrowed time as he’s long past three score and ten. However, he still stands tall amongst his community and donates an incredible level of energy to make his and their vision of progress a reality.
Life According to Maas Roy tells that story — and much more. Young Stanley Roy Archer’s hopes don’t come to pass because the mother country has an entirely different set of plans for him. He’s drafted into National Service for Her Majesty’s Armed Forces – but of course, there is another option: go to jail!
This master griot tells how he’s sent to the conflict in Cyprus and serves along the notorious Murder Mile. He survives and on his return to Civvy Street, he falls in love, marries — and ends up being the type of strong Black father we rarely hear about, raising his daughter alone. What happens to them and how does he cope? Herein lies a valuable insight into parenting.
Eventually, he returns to his homeland – Jeffrey Town, St Mary in Jamaica – but with no plans to retire. He’s a man of the soil and can’t wait to plough the land. Here is a New World farmer who has agriculture in his blood and is driven to live off the land. And knowing that he has come to own the very land his father worked on – almost like a slave – only brings further pride and joy.
But with a gross level of poverty staring him in the face each day, the man who is to become ‘Maas Roy’ decides that he needs to work with the community in a very hands-on capacity. He shares his vision of community development with fellow villagers and is able to vastly improve on the basic facilities and infrastructure they’d been forced to endure since he was a child.
Why, in 1989, should the tiniest child still have to fetch water from the river before leaving for school? It was time to tackle the Jamaican Water Commission and any other official body that stood in the way of progress for Maas Roy’s neglected community.
Today, as he fast approaches the age of 85, Maas Roy loves to remind one and all that he’s now on borrowed time as he’s long past three score and ten. However, he still stands tall amongst his community and donates an incredible level of energy to make his and their vision of progress a reality.