Rosa Lemberg

Rosa Lemberg was a teacher, singer, actress and choir director who played an important role in Finnish-American labour movements in the early 20th century.

Born in 1875 in Omaruru, a small town in what is now Namibia, she was the daughter of British merchant Charles William Clay and a Bantu woman, Feroza Sabina Hasara.

Lemberg's early life is entwined with colonialism and missionary activities.

When Rosa was a small child, she was taken from her mother and placed with her father's consent in a missionary school in Owambo run by a Finnish couple, Karl and Ida Weikkolin.

She was baptised in 1881, and was known as Rosa Clay. Later, in 1888, the Weikkolins decided to return to Finland, bringing Rosa with them.

Rosa was expected to do housework for the Weikkolins, and in her later memoirs, makes it clear that the couple were not the benefactors they painted themselves to be.

For a few years, the family toured Finland at religious events and concerts. Rosa was forced to sing songs and carols, and collected money from audiences. As a young Black woman, she was unique in Finnish society, and treated as an 'exotic' attraction.

In 1890, the family travelled back to Namibia, but Karl Weikkolin died shortly afterwards so again the family returned to Finland.

Rosa attended school there for a few years, and aged 19, began studying at a teacher training seminary in Karelia. Rosa's first job as a teacher several years later was in a small rural town, where she was treated with prejudice and bullied. She moved to Tampere, a bigger city and, while holidaying, met her fiancé, a Russian doctor. Sadly their engagement ended in tragedy when her fiancé died, after having tested a new medicine.

Grief-stricken, Rosa decided to move to the United States in 1904.

There, she became very involved in Finnish-American organisations and societies.

She performed, directed theatre plays, and led choirs. Initially Rosa lived in New York and, following her marriage to Finnish-American playwright Lauri Lemberg, lived in Michigan, Washington, Oregon and Illinois.

As a teacher and campaigner, Rosa was involved in Finnish-American socialist organisations and trade unions. She remained an important influential figure in the cultural activities of the Finnish-American labour movement into her 70s.

Rosa Lemberg died in Covington, Michigan in 1959, aged 84.

In 1942, Rosa's memoir Rosalia was published, which is how we know today about her childhood in Africa and Finland. The book was published in Finnish in the United States, authored by Arvo Lindewall.

Of mixed-race heritage, today Rosa Lemberg is often remembered as 'the first Black Finn' - an important figure showing that the history of Black people in Finland is not simply recent. While this status cannot easily be confirmed historically, the story of Rosa's life illustrates the prejudicial and discriminatory experiences of Black people in Finland as well as being a celebration of her achievements and talents.