Before the scourge of COVID-19 in 2020, Kingsley Cooper, Lennie Little-White and Carlysle Hudson met every month for lunch. The Black Brotherhood, as they called themselves, discussed politics, entertainment, and ways to improve Jamaica.

When Cooper died on June 18 in Miami at age 71, Little-White said he “lost a bredrin for all seasons”. The two had known each other for more than 50 years, and shared similar life perspectives.

“When I returned to Jamaica [in 1973] it was in the middle of the nationalistic fervour to create indigenous commercial institutions that would empower black Jamaicans. He encouraged me to go deep in film and television production while he soon deserted his law practice to develop his penchant for entertainment and fashion,” Little-White recalled.

Cooper and fellow attorney Hilary Phillips started the Pulse Model Agency in 1980 during the height of political turmoil in Jamaica. The agency was the most successful of its kind in the Caribbean, producing a number of models who excelled internationally, such as Kimberley Mais, Althea Laing, Lois Samuels, Nell Robinson, and Althea Burke.

“Kingsley was proud to create a platform at Pulse to empower young black men and women to become world-famous fashion models. His pinnacle was the creation of Caribbean Fashion Week (CFW),” said Little-White.

CFW debuted in 2001. Although it has not been held since 2019, the event attracted potential investors in the fashion industry, and helped expose the region’s models and designers.

In addition to Pulse and CFW, Cooper initiated the Reggae Superjam concert and was franchise holder for Miss Jamaica Universe. Pulse Investment Limited marked his venture into the real estate and hospitality sectors.

Little-White, best known for directing the movie Children of Babylon and creating the television soap opera Royal Palm Estate, remembers Cooper as a trailblazer and nationalist.

“My fondest memory of Kingsley was his loyalty and friendship for the half-a-century that l knew him. Honesty was his first commandment, and his generosity of spirit was infectious. At all times, he had a vision of helping Jamaica grow into a First World nation,” he said.