Roberto "Bobby" Reid in winners circle with Henry "Takeaway" White, his trainer. The obviously happy man with the wide hat is none other than "Takeaway" White.

The wonderful photo above is property of the no less legendary former jockey, Roberto “Bobby” Reid.

by Lydia M. Reid

When the history of Panamanian horse racing has been completed, the preponderant figure of the late Henry “Takeaway” White will figure largely in the annals of the Sport of Kings on the Isthmus.  Although he was just one of the legendary Westindians who strongly influenced the activity of horse racing in Panama, he remains its most unforgettable proponent.

Henry White was originally from Jamaica and, according to the magazine “50 Years of Horse Racing” came to the isthmus on May 6, 1913.  Aside from being an extraordinary trainer of race horses, he was also an excellent jockey noted for being a good starter during the era of the “Huincha.” This recalls the time when racetracks did not have automatic starting gates. On some tracks riders would wait in order behind the “Huincha”- a starting tape or ribbon- for their signal to take off. At the start, the Huincha was released and it fell to the ground, prompting the horses to start the race.

White was also a notable blacksmith who originally came to outfit horses with horseshoes, a rather exacting skill particularly crucial in the highly competitive sport of equestrian racing.  He later passed this valuable knowledge on to his son Leonardo White.

Henry “Takeaway” White was also Panama’s first veterinarian and he not only took care of the animals entrusted to him but he also performed as a surgeon and operated on other horses that required his wisdom and services.  This is why the first veterinary hospital bore his name.  Trainer Eric Hugh Gittens, one of his disciples and a recognized veteran in the field, has said that, for him, Takeaway White “was the best…he knew about everything and that was why everybody went to him, especially some of the top trainers and jockeys, like “Sam” Jiménez, who never left his stable.”

During his more than 50 year career in horse riding, Henry White was one of the most important and prolific figures coaching and winning over 1000 races.  Although the leading records officers of the Panamanian Stud Book, which was founded in 1948, recognize only 866 triumphs of 5,713 races, he was recognized as bringing in total revenues of $580,499.04. In addition, he was credited with 22 classic victories and only one draw not including, of course, his successes in the Clásico Presidente de la República (an annual tradition) of 1927 and 1928 with Queen Mora, successor to the great Copiapo, and in 1947 with Okinori, as well as many more that occurred between the 1920s and mid-forties.

As for his charismatic personality, Gittens admits that Henry White was a nice person and “good people” and he always counseled him to keep the horses in good condition, treat them well and never use prohibited drugs or medications on them.

For Henry White the English steed, Main Road, was the best horse of all time who brought him two significant victories in El Presidente de la República of 1952 and 1954 respectively, although he acknowledged the quality of Copiapo, property of Don Raul Espinosa, another of the great pioneers of this activity who is considered the father of the Panamanian Horse Racing.

In so far as the national horses are concerned, White gave a lot of credit to the legendary Ivan, an animal with an excellent track record, and we must also not forgot, Royal Eagle, a native born race horse and property of Don Arturo Delvalle.

Henry “Takeaway” White along with Luis “Flaco” Rodríguez , Isaac “Sam” Jiménez and Luis Humberto “El Mago” Farrugia, have all been included in Panama’s Horse Racing Hall of Fame, and deservedly so since without their skill, patience and wisdom, particularly in the case of Henry White,  Panama would not be the “cradle of the best Jockeys” or one of the most exciting and noted racing venues in all the world.

Credit for background data for the preceding article goes to Amett Pérez K. of the Crítica Libre.

This is a screen shot of the World Monuments Fund's landing page. Please visit it and browse through their 2010 Watch List.

We just had to break the wonderful news to all our readers and descendants of the Silver People who have been following our progress!

Our “Silver” Cemeteries here in Panama- Mount Hope as well as Corozal Cemeteries, the resting places of our historic Silver ancestors who built the Panama Railroad and the Panama Canal- have been included on the World Monuments Fund’s prestigious “100 Most Endangered Sites” for 2010.

Now, what does inclusion on this list mean?

The World Monuments Fund, a “leading independent organization devoted to saving the world’s most treasured places” announced the publishing of their “Watch List” world-wide on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. in their New York City offices.  Through their signature advocacy tool, The World Monuments Watch, it issues lists every other year that become a powerful call to global action on behalf of sites needing immediate help.”  They help the people working with these sites by:

1.  Providing an international focus on endangered patrimony through media communiqués and links to the many charitable and philanthropic organizations that work closely with them to channel financial help to these sites.

2.  Highly skilled technical and professional assistance to architectural and heritage sites at risk of disappearing through neglect, lack of monetary resources, urban and other human encroachment, and many other causes.

3.  Financial assistance in providing education and awareness to the local and international communities in order to elevate consciousness as to the importance of preserving these priceless sites.

In its own words, “World Monuments Fund takes a multilayered approach to education.  We promote the exchange of information among professionals, educate the public, and train craftspeople in both lost arts and modern standards.  Through site interpretation, international symposia, and field schools such as the ones we held in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we ensure that heritage preservation remains a vibrant field.”

We’ve included links to their Watch Page and to the individual cemetery site descriptions below.  We are extremely and especially happy that they have also included on the Watch List Historic Colon Center, which is really important to the restoration and preservation of the City of Colon.  Please note that for 2010’s Watch List these three sites are the only items included for the Republic of Panama.

Thank you all for your support and please keep praying and thanking God along with us for this great victory.

World Monuments Fund “Watch Page

Historic Colon Center

Mount Hope Cemetery

Corozal Cemetery

The thrill and power of horse racing.

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Colon

The City of Colon, naturally, was not excluded from the fascination of this sport and during the same period of time, around 1913, Colon’s streets became the venue for races involving two, and up to seven horses per race. The jockeys, especially in the case of Colon, normally traveled in anonymously from Kingston, Jamaica,  arriving first in Bocas del Toro on the United Fruit Company boats and later transferred to Colon on cargo boats. This highlights another fact that many of the first imported race horses seemed to have been brought into Panama in the same way.

For this complex activity we may credit one of the famed precursors, Mr. Henry “Takeaway” White who arrived in Panama, it is said, on May 6, 1913 and who was responsible for the importation of race horses as well as for the introduction, training and breaking in of the first professional jockeys.

White, a former jockey himself, was also the first individual to establish equestrian veterinary in Panama before the establishment of this specialty in the Republic.  But, more about “Takeaway” White in another post.

Another import from Jamaica which merits a worthy mention is the characteristic and flamboyant style of dress of the Jamaican jockeys whose gorgeous, brightly colored silk shirts were sewn by Jamaican seamstresses who lived in Colon.

Bocas del Toro

According to Panamanian Historian, Professor Ernesto Enrique Argote, by 1913 there existed in Guabito, Bocas del Toro, a racetrack known as Blair Park, the construction of which had been funded by the owners of The United Fruit  Company.  J.J. Harrison, Sr., originally from Jamaica, and the Surgean family, a leading family from Jamaica living in the area were also enthusiastic co-organizers of this endeavor and exercised great influence in developing the sport in Bocas.

Through this activity, in particular, Bocas lived its Golden Age for many years becoming a cultural and entertainment center attracting people to its beautiful shores from all over the world.

The “Señores”

We would be remiss in relating this history if we didn’t mention the names of the notable citizens of Panama who were instrumental in promoting their passion turned professional sport.  Among the initiators of horseracing in Panama we must highlight the names of Enrique de la Guardia, Nicanor de Obarrio, Tomás Gabriel Duque, Raúl Espinosa, Francisco Arias Paredes, Carlos Muller, and H. Toledano.  By the same token, however, an equal number of prominent Westindian figures in Panama must be taken into account.   Among them were Henry “Takeaway” White, Egbert Edward Gittens, Llewelyn Welch, Gaspar Omphroy, John (Arthur Doyle) Williams, Gerald Silvera and others.

Mr. Egbert Edward Gittins, originally a tailor by profession, figured prominently in horse racing’s infancy in Panama around the 1920’s.  Together with his friend Mr. Enrique de la Guardia, his observations based on experiences from his participation in Jamaican horse racing were often respected in the development of Panama’s first race track.  He has been credited with suggesting changing the shape of the race track from running in a straight line to the rounded or ellipse course that we see today in The Hipódromo Presidente Remón Cantera.

Mr. Gittin’s vast knowledge of led him to become coach and trainer for many jockeys as well as trainers and handlers both within Panamanian territory as within the area administered by  the Government of the United States of America- the Canal Zone.  He was a key figure in organizing Carioca Racecourse, a rather rudimentary Racetrack which operated in the former Canal area around 1930.

Today:  The Horse Racing Hall of Fame

Hípica de Panamá, S. A. in league with many different interest groups associated with horse racing recently opened the Horse Racing Hall of Fame on April 28, 2009 in order to honor the many great past and present figures in the Sport of Kings in Panama. It was, however, preceded by an award ceremony on the 26th during which very little mention of the outstanding Westindian figures was made.  The name of Roberto E. “Bobby” Reid, young champion jockey of the early 1940’s, was included on the list and we will have the honor of reviewing his life in upcoming posts.

Horse racing history in Panama would not be complete without the dynamic figure of Henry “Takeaway” White, however, and I will introduce this vibrant Jamaican in our next post.

This is Juan Franco Racetrack back in 1953 during a special 50th Anniversary Commemoration Race (50 years of independence from Colombia). It would later be renamed Presidente Remón Cantera Racetrack after President Remón Cantera who was brutally assassinated in 1955 while watching the races.

by Lydia M. Reid

Panamanian horse racing has traversed a unique and colorful history to arrive at the point that it occupies today in Panama as well as the world.  This history has had varied, albeit intriguing, venues filled with color and enthusiasm over different tracks, roads, streets, meadows, and even the sands of some of Panama’s beaches.  Throughout its history however, the role of the West Indian has been outstanding in every facet of its exceptional development.

Horse racing’s evolution has involved prominent as well as some unsung figures, Panamanian nationals, Westindians and men from other nations, who have been instrumental in organizing equestrian competitions in our tiny isthmus.  For many, it began as a hobby until a formal company was formed to exploit this peculiar activity better known as the Sport of Kings.  Today the State has taken over its administration and operation by express constitutional mandate through a governmental entity which controls gaming.

Horseracing in Panama, according to archival data from the Star and Herald, started in the latter half of the nineteenth century when horse racing competitions were openly held  in the Tumba Muerto area of Panama City which was then on the perimeters of what today is center city.  This is probably the first formal indication of the existence of riding activity at the time, although, judging from the Spaniards’ centuries old affinity with horse flesh and riding, these races on the isthmus probably went back much further to the period of the conquest.  In this sense, these competitions of speed were no different from those held in countries like Argentina, Peru, Chile and Jamaica where this sport has had greater development.

“Couples” (parejas) racing became a tradition out in the interior where racing events pitting only two horses at a time held by two different owners from distinct towns or villages were held usually during Patron Saint day celebrations.  We then see horse racing move on to the “street track” phase where some city streets provided the scenario for racing the mighty beasts until the beginning of the twentieth century when the formal organization of this activity culminated in the inauguration of Juan Franco Racetrack under the tutelage of The Panama Jockey Club in 1922.*

Panama City

Between1901 to 1912 competitions probably had their most conspicuous scenario along Avenida Central formerly known as Calle Real (Royal Street).  These races were held starting from Parque Catedral in San Felipe (the old colonial district) until the sector called La Quebrada, between “J” Street and 18^th Street East.  Around 1913 the Bella Vista district or, what was then known as Peña Prieta, emerged as a popular venue for the horse races.

Since the sport was, as yet, in its early stages, the rules of the game were few and they were normally set by the notable fans, often the owners of the animals themselves.  Betting was usually done between owners with the peculiarity that the winning owner also took possession of the losing steed. Although the general public did not participate in the betting that occurred between owners, there is no indication that there was any prohibition against betting between friends and acquaintances who witnessed these events.  The allure of the racing events soon spread to other sectors of Panama City such as Avenida Balboa, Avenida Peru, Avenida Cuba and Avenida Justo Arosemena.

*The credit for a great deal of background for this post must go to Mr. Anthony McLean’s “Análisis de la Legislación Vigente Sobre La Hípica en Panamá.”

This story of the Sport of Kings in Panama will continue.

This is the stairway to the entrance of Gatun Cemetery.

Home to about 90 tombs, the Gatun Cemetery is the resting place of primarily Westindian workers and family members.

By Lydia M. Reid

The small town of Gatun in Colon has seen the evolution of the Panama Canal for more than a century, and its cemetery, the sacred burial ground of scores of Westindian (Antillean) workers of the French and American construction periods, has been witness to many significant historical phenomena. It saw the arrival and departure of the frenzied crowds of California Gold Rush hopefuls, the French period settlers, the American period workers and the American military come and go. Once it had outlived its usefulness, however, it was abandoned by the (American) Panama Canal Commission and left to its own destiny and the tropical elements, as was the fate of many Canal Zone towns.

By 1904 there was talk amongst the ranks of American engineers of an artificial lake, an idea they had inherited from the French construction company. This time, however, it was clear that for the way to go smoothly and the consequent building of Gatun Locks to reach its successful conclusion, several villages would have to be submerged, Gatun among them. Nearly 90 homes, a church, school and a dozen small shops that flourished during the height of the California Gold Rush period were literally disappeared. The population was estimated at 3,391 inhabitants at the time.

Gatun also had a municipal cemetery which, according to reports held in the Robert F. Chiari Library of the ACP had “no more room for burying the dead.” In fact, episodes describing this cemetery are contained in a set of jealously guarded notes that are held by the library and include manuscripts exchanged by local authorities of the time.

In 1904, José Salazar, mayor of Gatun wrote that the cemetery was at capacity and that “already there is no room for one more burial.” Salazar had to wait for a positive response which didn’t come until 1907, when H. Brady, the local health inspector, received the authorization to acquire land for a new cemetery in an area adopted by, George W. Goethals, the main civil engineer and President of the Isthmian Canal Commission.

Gatun remained in the background for the next few years until in 1909 when, once again, the issue of a cemetery appeared in the public eye. The Panama Railroad Company submitted a request that another cemetery be built for the residents of the town now called “New Gatun.” These were the residents that had been relocated upon the creation of Lake Gatun when the old town of Gatun, its buildings, homes and stores, had been submerged to further canal construction. The request, however, did not prosper.

The Isthmian Canal Commission’s Department of Health forwarded a note that assured the Railroad officials that the cemetery, home to some 90 tombs, was quite sufficient for “many more years to come;” and so it was until it began to deteriorate. Bear in mind that this cemetery was a product of the French Canal (1880-1889) era and the element of time and lack of maintenance gradually gained ground giving way to the jungle overgrowth.

This was the sad picture of the burial ground of mostly Westindian workers and their families- a field of overgrown bush. Several descendants and their family members who have visited our website and left their testimonies can attest to having had to use guides to hack a path to their loved ones’ tomb with machete in hand over the years in order to pay their respects to their beloved and honourable dead.

It wasn’t until the mid 1990’s that something more than concern and regret would stir private citizens to action. Driven by their passion to see this historic graveyard restored and the memory of their Westindian ancestors re-established, several citizens, including a man of the Kuna Yala tribe decided to take things into their own hands. Eric Jackson, owner and editor of the Panama News was probably the most outspoken of the handful of volunteers who began cutting back the jungle, cleaning and restoring old tombstones and making the project as publicly known as possible. They were joined, from time to time, by other Westindian descendants of those buried in the cemetery and even scout troops have lent a hand in the clean up.

Their efforts came to the attention of Alberto Alemán Zubieta, the current administrator of the ACP (Autoridad del Canal de Panamá), and the project prospered further. He gave the official order to help complete the rescue effort of this historic burial ground and the completion of its restoration was accomplished by 1997. The ACP took over its maintenance officially and a tri-lingual, English-Spanish-French, memorial plaque was installed at the entrance. A concrete stairway was also built leading up the hill to the cemetery.

Recently, however, with the citizen approved referendum for the extension of the Canal through the construction of a Third Set of Locks, the question as to the continued existence of the cemetery has arisen. Will the cemetery, in effect, disappear upon the construction of the complex of locks on the Atlantic side? According to the specifications for the construction of the third set of locks there is direct reference to its protection.

“In the case of the locks on the Atlantic side, buildings and areas listed as having historic significance shall be maintained in its current state, in particular the Lighthouse located at Lighthouse Road, the cemetery in Thelma King Road and building 206 in Gatun.”

There remains preoccupation, however, that although the Panama Canal enlargement project is committed to preserving the memory of the sacrifice of the thousands upon thousands of Westindian workers and their families, the political protection, the changing role of the official entity that directly administers the cemetery, will ultimately rest with the municipality of Gatun. In this light and given the notorious reputation Panama has for grossly neglecting its municipal cemeteries, we still have much to worry about regarding the fate of Gatun Cemetery, another endangered Silver People Burial site.

We can do much more than just hope that local public officials will “find it in their hearts” to maintain the dignity and integrity of this precious historical site, however. The violation of the community’s right to a dignified death has been historically documented as in the wholesale burial of bodies of Westindian men without the benefit of Christian ceremony or sepulchre, basically treated as the dumping of offal during the various periods of construction, has been cited by several historians.

There are international organizations, in fact, that oversee these issues relating to the rights of humanity to dignity in death and have cited the example of the Roman Catacombs in highlighting the inalienable right of human beings to be respected and not to have their remains disturbed even as subjects of archaeological investigations of ancient burials.

We all have a right to a dignified death and, as in the case of our Silver ancestors we also have posthumous rights, as set forth in international conventions which, in recent years, have made it a highly significant issue in many parts of the world.

It is our unreserved commitment here, at The Silver People Heritage Foundation, to honour our ancestors who gave so much to the building of a world famous waterway, the nation of Panama, and the modernization of the entire world, and to insure that their final resting places be respected, restored and given their just place on the world’s road to a new and progressive era.

Note: some of our historical data has come from an article appearing in EL Faro, official publication of the ACP, August 2008 edition.

John W. Evans, author of Songs and Stories of a Digger's Son

W. B. Garvey, author of Panama Fever, Digging Down Gold Mountain

by Lydia M. Reid

While we are on the subject of writers of our days as The Silver People of Panama, we are excited about two new books.  They were both written by authors of Westindian descent who give a precious view of the Panama of our forefathers’ era and fill in more gaps in our collective memory about who and what we really are.

Songs and Stories of a Digger’s Son, written by John Weldon Evans and published by TJMF Publishing is a rather personal account of life, as he lived it, in the once vibrant town of La Boca, Canal Zone. His inspiration for writing the book, he admits, was that, “These memories are too precious to be lost forever. For this reason I was motivated to record some of them in Songs and Stories.” We agree with him.

John Evans was born in La Boca and attended La Boca Elementary, Junior High, and Normal Training School during the 1930s and 1940s.  You can refer to our article on La Boca, Canal Zone for a basic history of this once dynamic “Silver Township.”  He taught in the Canal Zone “colored schools” in the towns of Silver City and La Boca, Canal Zone, until 1956 when he, like many other Canal Zone youths, left to further his education and career in the United States.

In the U.S. he received his Bachelor of Arts degree and two Master of Arts degrees.  He worked as a lecturer and subsequently as an administrator at the State University of New York Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center, administered by the Borough of Manhattan Community College, where he served as Associate Director in charge of Academic Affairs until retiring in May, 2009. It was in December of 2008 that John published a book of poetry and stories about his experiences as a young man growing up in the “silver town” of La Boca, Canal Zone.

We are thrilled that one of the sons of our venerable ancestors has been blessed with the time and skill to document in a very appealing way his life as a digger’s son.

Panama Fever, Digging Down Gold Mountain, a novel written by W.B. Garvey and published by Jonkro Books was inspired by what Garvey, who is a relative of the great Marcus Garvey, says were his inspiring visits with Marcus Garvey’s widow, Mrs. Amy Jacques Garvey.

“I was a scruffy schoolboy living in Kingston when the refined Mrs. Garvey used to invite me for tea,” he relates.  “She had recently finished Garvey and Garveyism, her loving biography of her distinguished husband and her memories of his work and their dramatic life together were like vivid crystal.  She was clearly pleased by my eagerness to hear stories about my famous relative  and seemed determined that I grasp both the essence and the complexities of her great man.  I remember her stressing that it was the abuse of his Jamaican countrymen working in Panama that convinced Marcus Garvey to start the Black nationalist movement that would finally “destroy the old slave mentality.”

In brief, “Panama Fever narrates the adventures of two young Jamaicans who seek glory by joining the French in their valiant but vain attempt to build the canal during the 1880s. The two protagonists, Thomas Judah and Byron, find themselves caught up in a cycle of political corruption, murderous insurrection, natural disaster, and deadly disease. A story of love, ambition and corruption that explores the antagonisms of class, nationality, race, and gender, Panama Fever brings to life the experiences and tragedies of those who worked on the monumental Panama Canal project.” A great deal of good writing went into this book as well as formal research.

We believe that Panama Fever and Songs and Stories of a Digger’s Son have hit the literary scene at a crucial time when quality reading is sorely needed in a world filled with a great deal of irrelevant literature- irrelevant to culture and lifestyle and the promotion of a good quality of life.  In fact, neither one of these authors had to make up stories; these books are founded on real life experiences and achievements.  Besides, they make for wonderful and exciting reading.

We, of the Silver People Heritage Foundation, highly recommend these books for everyone but especially for students of Black history and American history in general.

Click the links below for ordering information.

Songs and Stories of a Digger’s Son by John W. Evans

Order through Amazon by clicking here.

or, contact John Evans directly at his e-mail jweldone@aol.com

Panama Fever, Digging Down Gold Mountain by W.B. Garvey

Order through Amazon by clicking here.

or, contact W.B. Garvey through his book’s web page here.

Albert E. Bell, distinguished Editor and popular columnist who was attached to several of the leading Isthmian newspapers of the 1930's and 40's.

Ernest J. Jamieson, Colon news-hawk who was also Atlantic side Circulation Manager of The Nation.

by Lydia M. Reid

By the late 1940’s Panama, particularly the terminal cities of Panama and Colon, had become a magnet for some of the most gifted writers of the Anglo-Caribbean.  Many of these writers would have come from having exercised their writing abilities in newspapers and publications on the islands.  Some arrived in Panama at a very young age like Sydney A. Young, who sought to channel his intellectual prowess into a viable writing career.

In any event, it was inevitable that such exceptional talent would find an outlet in the glaring need on the isthmus for news, literature and information in the English language aimed at the Westindian community; hence, the development of isthmian journalism.  More often than not these talented journalists held down jobs on local dailies while sharing their talents with the Westindian owned weeklies.

Since the founding of James W. Humphries’ Colon Telegram in the early 1890’s many West Indian periodicals had appeared on the isthmus, served their purpose and perished.  Each one of these publications had a four-fold purpose 1) present and interpret the news to their readers; 2) crusade on behalf of the rights of the Westindian community; 3) attempt to educate the masses of unlettered workers to a plane of moral, social and economic acceptance; 4) and inspire their readers with faith in the “democratic processes.”

Publications edited by West Indians, while devoting their pages almost exclusively to the achievements, problems, grievances, and aspirations of the black Westindians, never failed to give fair coverage and prominent display to the exploits of non-black groups and individuals.  This practice had not necessarily been followed by the leading English-speaking local dailies which often set aside a page or section for “West Indian activities” or “News of the West Indian Community,” as in the case of The Panama American.

The display of the picture of a Negro of international repute on the front page of any of these dailies occurred for the first time with the visit of Joe Louis to Panama in 1947, and a story featuring a celebrated black usually found its way into the segregated section, or some inside page.

The two most influential of the newspapers published by West Indians were the weekly Workman and The Panama Tribune.  The Workman, published by H. N. Waldron, a native of Barbados and former government printer in St. Lucia, came into being sometime after the construction period and lasted until the 1930’s.  It championed the cause of the Westindians in Panama with great courage during the turbulent days preceding the 1920 strike on the Canal Zone and several years afterward.  Lack of working capital and inadequate equipment curtailed its operation, however, and led to its closure.

Its place was taken over by The Panama Tribune which started in 1928 on the proverbial shoe-string and, for a while, led a precarious existence. There was, however, what was described as “an unmistakable core of realism and determination” in what founder-editor-publisher Sidney A. Young wrote and, as his editorials usually revealed the tone, temper and sentiments of the Westindian colony, The Tribune came to be recognized by officialdom in Panama and on the Canal Zone as the mouthpiece of the Westindians on the isthmus.

Editors of character and capacity in charge of sections or pages on local dailies dedicated to Westindians included Archdeacon Arthur F. Nightengale, B.D.M.B.E., and Albert E. Bell, who was employed on the editorial section of The Nation.

Other West Indian journalists of note were J. Pilgrim Wilkins, J.E.E. Mingo, B.P. Wynter, attorney A. Blanchfield Thompson, Elijah A. Hunter, W.C. King, I. Meyers, and Ernest J. Jamieson, ace reporter, columnist and Atlantic Side (Colon) Circulation Manager of The Nation.  In the ranks of veteran correspondent were Cecil A. Coleman, C. Lio Walker, Conrad G. Wittingham, who was then attached to the office of the New York Office of The Pittsburgh Courier (one of the oldest and most prestigious of the Black American newspapers) and Edmund G. Headley, C. L. Nicholson-Nichols and Moses St. Louis Darling who contributed invaluably to the store of news gathering and reporting while they were associated with the mechanical staff of The Star and Herald.

Dr. Hubert Clarence Edwards was a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Canada and he had Been practicing medicine in Colon since 1917.

By Lydia M. Reid

We’ve discussed at great length about the impressive contribution of the thousands of West Indian working men and laborers who were instrumental in the building of both the Panama Railroad and the Panama Canal and its continued operation into our present day.  We would like, however, to highlight the role of the many important professionals who provided many valuable services to both Westindian and Panamanian citizens alike at a time when such professionals were in low supply and high demand.

We’ve gleaned some significant names from an article appearing in the March 2, 1947 issue of the Panama Tribune that also gives a more accurate picture of the bustling Panama of a time when the Republic had a truly West Indian face.  It also gives an insight into the staggering blow to these professions and businesses caused by the restrictive “prohibited immigrant” laws of 1941.  The article was entitled “Professional Men” and we’ve provided a glimpse in the following excerpt.

“The consolidated position of the West Indian in the upper stratum of Isthmian society was established prior to the early 1930’s when the number of professional men of this group was large and varied.

West Indian professional men stood high in the esteem of their fellow men and were profoundly respected by the leaders of other ethnic groups.  They led their community social and civic life.  In them the West Indian community exemplified its qualities of intelligence and leadership in fields other than common labor.  However, nationalism arose to dissolve a condition that made such men possible.

The Republic ceased to be a country practicing genuine social democracy, and restrictive legislation affecting the practice of non-Panamanian professionals, appeared on the statute books.

From 1900 to 1925 West Indians practicing medicine in Panama included Dr. Edward Stanley Mason, Dr. Peter McDonald Milliard, Dr. Felix Ethelbert Lowe, Dr. Gilbert Henry Thomas, Dr. David S. Ogilve, Dr. J. Barnes, Dr, James Fitzosbert Anderson, Dr. Alexander McIntyre Fyfe.  The last named still maintains offices in the city.

In Colon, medical practitioners included Dr. James Amos Paddyfoot, Dr. Nathan Constantine Roe, Dr. Norman Brewster, Dr. Louis S. Meikle, Dr. Seymore Williams, Dr. Henry Clarence Segree, Dr. H. Clarence Edwards (in photo), Dr. Joseph Hamlet, Dr. Anderson Chubb, and Dr. Hubert E. Edwards.  The last three are continuing to serve the Atlantic side community.

In dentistry there have been in Panama City Dr. John Watson Hearne, Dr. Chas. Allan Bailey, Dr. Gerald Mortimer Gittens, Dr. Herbert Williams, Dr. Guy Lord, Dr. A. G. Connell, Dr. S. O. G. Johnson, and Dr. Leo S. H. Pink. Those in Colon were Dr. William Crosby, Dr. Norman S. Evans and Dr. Ferd A. Sterling, the only surviving West Indian dentist on the Isthmus.

Pharmacists

Only Babbington Simmons remains of the several West Indian pharmacists who practiced their profession in Panama City.  Joseph Brown, Joseph Patrick Grant, William George Nelson and several others practised in the City of Colon.”

We will continue to follow the role of the many other professionals in Panama’s cultural, economic and political history in upcoming posts.

Dr. George A. Priestley 1940-2009

“Let our lives be open books for all to study.” Mahatma Gandhi

On Sunday July 5, 2009 a memorial service was held at Medgar Evers College to honor the passing of a great figure in the Westindian Panamanian diaspora living in New York, Dr. George A. Priestley.  A descendant of the Silver People, whose strength, wit and perseverance was indispensable in the construction of the Panama Canal, he reflected that sterling character in his many achievements throughout his life that made a difference in the lives of many who came in contact with him.

George Priestley was born in 1940 in Wachipali (District of Marañon) in Panama City to parents of Barbadian origins.  He attended primary school in Escuela José De Obaldía in Calidonia and went on to continue his education in La Escuela Arte y Oficio, a vocational secondary school.  A diligent and resourceful student, he was granted a scholarship and enrolled in the Instituto Panamericano, a prestigious secondary school from which he graduated with honors.  Before long he joined the migration north of thousands of Westindian Panamanians with the desire to better his life and continue his education.

George graduated from Brooklyn College in 1968 and had received both his Masters and his Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University by 1980.  He also completed some of his graduate study work in Lisbon, Portugal.  He served as Director of the Latin American and Latino Studies program at Queens College for many years and taught in the Political Science Department at that institution for a total of 40 years. He also served as adjunct Professor in the Department of Pan-African Studies at Barnard College/Columbia University.

Dr. Priestley played an important role in mobilizing support in the United States for the passage of the 1977 Torrijos Carter Treaty which effectively won for Panama national sovereignty over the Panama Canal after seventy five years of U.S. control.  As we all know on December 31, 1999 the terms of the Treaty were fulfilled in the complete reversion of the Canal and its territories to Panamanian hands.

His involvement in the issue of race and racism, an issue very dear to his heart, an issue which he grew passionate about since his childhood in Calidonia, became one of his key driving ambitions. He was, in fact, a key facilitator of the dialogue on race in Panama and its challenges amongst the Afro-Antillean population in the U.S.  He was also a facilitator in Panama’s participation in the World Conference on Racism in Durban, South Africa in 2001.

Dr. Priestley served on a number of academic and editorial boards including NACLA, the North American Report on the Americas, and Tareas, one of Panama’s leading Social Science journals. He was a contributing editor of Wadabagei, a Journal of Caribbean Studies and its Diaspora and he worked as senior researcher at the Justo Arosemena Center for Latin American Studies (CELA) in Panama where his research interests encompassed a broad range of topics, including Comparative Politics, Central American Politics, Comparative Racial Formation, and Transnational Identities in the Black Diaspora.

He has authored or co-authored several books, monographs and a multitude of articles on the topics he was so passionate about.  The following are just some of his more outstanding writings.

* Ethnicity and Class in Central America

* Military Government and Popular Participation in Panama: The Torrijos Regime, 1968-1975

* Panama’s Political Crisis: Is There a Democratic Alternative?

* Piel Oscuro: Ensayos y Refleciones al Filo del Centenario- published in 2003 and co-written with long time friend and collaborator Alberto Barrow.  He also edited and wrote the prologue to Mr. Barrow’s 2001 book, No Me Pidas Una Foto: Develando el Racismo en Panama, an exposition on the many facets of racism in the Republic of Panama.

Since the decade of  the 1970’s he had established a close professional relationship with the noted sociologist, poet and film director, Gerald Maloney, Director of the “Armando Fortune” Research Center for Afro-Panamanian Studies.

More recently he became involved in research projects covering the transnational identity of the Panamanians of Westindian ancestry and he initiated a political biography of George Westerman, journalist, diplomat and defender of the rights of minorities in Panama.  As Director of the Afro Latino Project, an initiative largely supported by the Ford Foundation, he coordinated the work of a team of social science professionals from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Panama, who work to determine the impact of the HIV-AIDS in the black populations of those countries, and the formulation of public policies and actions that would address this important subject.

Dr. Priestley has been the recipient of numerous awards including a Gulbenkian Fellowship, a Ford Foundation Diversity Initiative Grant, a Mellon Foundation Award, a National Endowment for the Humanities/Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Fellow 2002-2003, a 2008 honoree award by the NAACP-North East Queens Branch and numerous grants from PSC-CUNY.

Beyond academia George Priestley occupied numerous positions, including the Vice-presidency of the Third Black Cultures Congress of the Americas (Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1982), the Presidency of  the Panamanian Black Congress (Panama, 1988), and Co-coordinator of the Panamanian Committee against Racism.   The Observatorio Panamá Afro, a research and advocacy initiative motivated by Dr. Priestley is pending formalization, will carry his name In Memoriam.

His life’s work has carried him to the far corners of the world and although he resided in the United States for more than forty years, he chose not to become an American citizen and assumed the civil limitations that accompanied this decision.

Many are the friends, colleagues, and collaborators who have been expressed grief and surprise at his death on June 28, 2009 after an extended struggle with complications due to his diabetic condition.  One friend summed up rather intimately his memory of George Priestley, the man:

“Hombre de eterna sonrisa, solidario y fiel amigo siempre te llevaré en mis memoria y trataré de seguir tu ejemplo de humildad y preocupación por los demás.”

“Man of the eternal smile, supportive and loyal friend, I will always preserve you in my memory and I will try to follow your example of humility and care for the wellbeing of others.”

He was 68 years old and is survived by his loving wife of over 40 years, Mrs. Marva Wade Priestley, and his loving son Amilcar Maceo Priestley.

Let the life of one of our tireless scholars, Dr. George Priestley, serve as an open book for all of us to study.

Click here to visit his memorial.

The beautiful Caribbean coast of Panama displaying Bocas del Toro.

Image: bocasdeltorotravel.com

By Lydia M. Reid

Bocas del Toro elicits many things to worldwide travelers: spectacular white sandy beaches, a breathtaking array of flora and fauna unequaled anywhere else in the world and a variety of places to go for the traditional forms of entertainment.  Unknown to many tourists, however, are some historical facts that identified Bocas at one time as a trend setting spot in Panama.  For one, Bocas del Toro was the first province on a national level to have a race track (equestrian), to have consulates from various countries, to have offered the most modern hospital of its time to particularly the workers and their families of the banana plantations, and to have hosted the first drawing of the National Lottery.

Few people, however, know that Bocas del Toro was home to the first artificial canal, The Snyder Canal.  The banana production company by the same name obtained permission to construct the canal from the Colombian government in 1899.

Its construction, using primarily Westindian labor, ended in 1903 at which time the Snyder family decided to sell its banana plantations to the United Fruit Company that continued using the artificial channel to accommodate the smaller barges to reach their destination at Knapps Hole.  Once there large boats with capacity for seventeen thousand clusters of banana were waiting in port.

After building the bridges over the Changuinola and Sixaola Rivers and having decided to extend it production to Changuinola, United Fruit continued this important and singular activity until 1909 when the railroad was placed in service to unite the communities of Guabito and Almirante.

Quite naturally, the new route taken by the railroad caused The Snyder Canal as well as Isla Colon - known to most Westindians of the time as Bocas Town - to lose importance since the loading of the precious “green gold” from that year on was directly done from the wharf in Almirante.

Despite this historical fact, however, today the Snyder Canal and Isla Colon have recovered its significance in this beautiful area, and enjoys a reputation as a much touted tourist attraction.

For decades the irises and algae invaded the artificial channel of approximately twelve kilometres, used solely by local fishermen who, machete in hand, hacked their way through the forgotten canal to arrive at the Changuinola River, Boca del Drago and nearby beaches.

Today, the once very vital means of transport in this area has been restored and made adequate for the tourist industry.  Hundreds of tourists on board speedboats use the canal route to not only arrive at Isla Colon but, while they are at it, they are able to sit back and relax and enjoy the spectacular ecological route unfold before their very eyes.

Entering by way of the colorful community of Finca 60, within a few minutes the traveller may view the wonderful sights of the Changuinola River estuary and then enter the Canal again from where they are treated to their first dazzling view of the beach since the Canal was built little more than one hundred meters from the coast.

A great variety of birds, trees, fish, turtles, and other natural wonders can be observed during this surprising scenic tour.  Finally, the canal ends at another one of the most beautiful places in this region: Boca del Drago, which is part of Isla Colon, thus ending one of the most breathtaking routes carved out of Panama’s commercial history.