Joseph J. Thomas, a trailblazing retail executive, has died at the age of 85 at NYU Langone Hospital.

A viewing and funeral mass took place on Tuesday, April 23 starting at 9:00 a.m. at Cathedral Basilica of St. James (250 Cathedral Place, Brooklyn). In lieu of flowers a donation can be made to the J.J. Thomas Memorial Scholarship Fund, High School of Fashion, 225 W. 24th St. NYC 10011.

Mr. Thomas worked for Bloomingdale’s for 43 years. He was a buyer,  before rising to become the store’s operating vice president for diversity and community service.
Mr. Thomas was Bloomingdale’s first Black buyer and the company’s first Black corporate, operating vice president.

He supported the careers of numerous Black professionals at Bloomingdale’s, in the industry at large and as a board member and president of the Black Retail Action Group (BRAG), the oldest active retail and fashion organization devoted to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) equity and inclusion

This year, the High School of Fashion Industries in New York, renamed its annual career fair the JJ Thomas Career Day in recognition of his impact and devotion to the school. The Black Retail Action Group named an award after him: The JJ Thomas Innovators Award for new businesses.

Born April 26, 1938 in Opelousas, Louisiana, Mr. Thomas served in the Army before joining Bloomingdale’s in 1965 at the height of the Civil Rights Movement.

Five years later, he joined BRAG and was appointed to the board of directors in 1974. He became president and served until 1995. During his tenure, the organization raised thousands of dollars from retailers, and awarded college scholarships to hundreds of Black students from around the country.                                                                                 

In 2005, he wed Halcyone Bullen.

Mr. Thomas remained with Bloomingdale’s until his retirement in 2008 and retired from the BRAG board two years later, moving to the advisory board.

He was never without his camera. With it, he captured a lot of the history and memories of diversity groundbreakers in the industry. Many of his photographs date back to the ‘70s—a time when African Americans were just starting to be included in the industry at management and executive levels.

Mr. Thomas lived in Brooklyn Heights, New York. He is survived by his wife, stepson Jamal Lanham, sister Elizabeth Lazard, and a host of nieces and nephews.

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Masjid Malcolm Slabazz held their Annual “Jail Ain’t No Good” parade in Harlem. Members of the Masjid, community leaders, and friends all gather to show support for unity in the community through the theme “Respect for Yourself and Your Family.” Newly elected Councilmember Yusef Salaam spoke at the rally. Iesha Sekou Street Corner Resources was in attendance.

Bill Moore photos

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There were two interesting developments in the past week related to efforts by Caribbean governments to make former European slave-trading nations pay for their atrocities, in the form of a British church apologizing for its role and the descendants of indentured East Indians in Suriname demanding an apology from the Netherlands.

The not-so-well-known United Reformed Church in the United Kingdom formally apologized to Jamaica and the region for in role in the Transatlantic slave trade from 1501 to 1867, accepting that it had indeed benefitted from slavery through generous donations from the plantocracy in the region, among other avenues.

“We, the general assembly of the United Reformed Church, mindful of our own history and that of our antecedent bodies, apologize for our role in transatlantic slavery and the scars that continue to blight our society, our church, and the lives of Black people in our midst and around the globe today. We have heard the pain of sisters and brothers who have been hurt and are still being hurt by these legacies, including the continuing scourge of racism,” said Rev. Tessa Robinson. 

“We recognise our failure to honor the efforts of our abolitionist forebears by permitting the legacies of transatlantic slavery to continue shaping our world. We offer our apology to God and to our sisters and brothers in Africa, the Caribbean, and their descendants for all that has created and still perpetuates such deep hurt which originated from the horror of slavery. We repent of the hurt we have caused, our reluctance to face up to the sins of the past, and our silence in the face of racism and injustice today,” she added.

The apology came just days after a number of Indo representative groups and leaders in Suriname demanded an apology from the Dutch for their role in bringing Indian peasants from India to replace Africans after emancipation in the 1830s.

The groups argued that the conditions under which the Indians worked were horrible, brutal, and inhuman, and have already dispatched a formal demand letter to King Willem-Alexander, complaining of “deep indignation” for indentureship, saying that they “were made coolies” — unskilled laborers working for less than peppercorn wages under conditions in what was clearly a new form of slavery in this part of the world. 

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“It is high time for a just recognition and apology towards the Hindustani descendants of those who were made coolies. This action should come directly from you as a symbol of sincere regret and recognition of the immense harm done under the supervision and responsibility of your ancestors to countless individuals and generations. This dark passage from Dutch history can no longer be ignored.”

The Dutch have twice apologized for the African slave trade through then Prime Minister Mark Rutte back in late 2022 and through the King last year. Indians want the apology on or before the first anniversary of the arrival of indentured labor to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nation in June. So far, there have been no demands for financial reparations but the Dutch have said that they are willing to talk about payments for slavery by way of the umbrella Caribbean Reparations Commission that was established by governments nearly a decade ago. Demand letters for payments have already been sent to various European capitals with a request for a summit on the issue as well.

In the meantime, local pastor Bruce Fletcher, who also serves as the chief executive officer of Operation Save Jamaica and convener of the Churches Reparations Action Forum (CRAF), is of the view that the region needs to be more militant on racial and ethnic issues. There is also need for repair given the centuries of hurt and the lingering effects of slavery to this day.

“I am reminded that the Scriptures speak to the fact that judgment must begin in the house of the Lord. We also bear in mind that the Church is called to be salt and light in the Earth. It is interesting to note that the two accounts given in the book of Acts where the leaders of the Church came together to address matters in the Church, had to do with racial and ethnic issues. One is found in Acts 6 and the other in Acts chapter 15. Therefore, we, in the 21st century, must do no less,” he said, according to a report in the newspaper the Jamaica Gleaner.

The protestant church is basically a union of the Presbyterian Church of England and the Congregational Church in England and Wales.

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