'She inherited my fire': Arthur France MBE 'broken' by daughter's death - as he pays touching tribute
Leeds community leader Arthur France MBE has paid a heartfelt tribute to his daughter, Mahalia France-Mir, following her death in January.
The Moortown councillor, known in her community for her compassion and commitment to residents, was 49 years old.
Speaking from his home in Lovell Park, France said her loss had “broken” him, but he wanted people to remember the impact she made on the city she served.
“She was very loving,” he told the Yorkshire Evening Post. “Very giving. She brought something to the table wherever she went.”
Mahalia earned recognition as a rising political voice in Leeds. Her dedication to her community exemplified the values she was brought up with, Arthur said.
As the founder of the Leeds West Indian Carnival, France raised his children in a home shaped by activism, culture, and a deep sense of responsibility.
“I tried to bring my children up the way I was brought up,” he says. “With discipline, with purpose.”
He pauses when he speaks about her. “She had so much going,” he says quietly. “She was well equipped. She inherited a lot of my genes.”
Her funeral was held at Leeds Grand Mosque, reflecting her Muslim faith. A memorial service will take place at Leeds Civic Hall next month, and France has been putting the programme together himself.
“Her death broke me. I still haven’t come to terms with it,” he adds.
France’s reflections on his daughter are intertwined with the story of his own life - a journey from Mount Lily in Nevis to Leeds in 1957, and a lifetime spent fighting for equality and opportunity.
He founded the Leeds West Indian Carnival in 1967, the first of its kind in Europe, and later set up a computer learning school that sent dozens of Black children to university.
Mahalia grew up watching that work - the community meetings, the cultural organising, the battles with institutions that France believed were failing Black children.
“People used to laugh when I was young”, he said. “They said I was like Malcolm X. Now they say I’m more like Martin Luther King.” Mahalia, he says, carried both the fire and the compassion.
Her death has prompted him to think deeply about legacy - not just his own, but hers. “She would want people to remember what she did,” he added. “She was very loving. Very giving.”
As he looks ahead to the memorial service, France says the outpouring of support has shown just how many lives she touched.
“She inherited my fire,” he said. “And she used it well.”