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Remembering Cayman’s Black History
Sybil McLaughlin one of
Cayman‘s national heroes
Friday, March 3, 2006
Last month was marked as Black History Month, a celebration around the world where events, art, culture and special initiatives are instigated to mark the history of Black people around the world.
Sybil McLaughlin, one of Cayman Islands’ living heroines, recalls what it was like living in the Cayman Islands during the late 1940s where segregation here was the norm. During that time everything was divided and labelled black section or white section.
Town hall meetings, church services and community social functions were all the same, blacks on one side and whites on the other.
“I remember one such time I attended when Sir Hugh Foot (then Governor of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands) and Lady Foot paid an official visit. A dance was arranged at the George Town Hall. Among those present were the late Mr Ashley Godfrey, MLA, Mr TE McField (a past teacher), Mr Warren Conolly, MLA, the late Misses Una Bush, and Marjorie Piercy,” she said.
“The ‘whites’ sat on one side and us ‘coloureds’ on the other.
“Mr Ormond Panton also an MLA sat on the ‘white’ side. The band began to play and people on each side danced with those on ‘their side’,” she said.
There was pause – the band again began to play and Andrew Morris Gerrard, Commissioner of Cayman who was appalled by the segregation on the Island went over and asked her to dance. “I was a Clerk-Typist in the Commissioner’s office at the time: Mrs Gerrard came over and asked Mr William Nixon to dance.”
“Everybody was staring,” Mrs McLaughlin said.
“Later I understand that Mr Panton approached Mr Gerrard and said that this was not done in Cayman. Commissioner Gerrard said that he had served many years in Africa and colour made no difference to him,” she said.
“I may add that Mr Gerrard often visited places like Rock Hole, Farmer’s area, and nearly all areas in George Town,” Mrs McLaughlin pointed out.
On his numerous drives throughout the districts, Mr Gerrard would stop at some homes and visit many residents.
“He often stopped by our house in South Sound to visit us – Aunt Annie being a nurse at the Government Hospital and Aunt Bee, being the postmistress at that time for the district of South Sound,” she said.
In another incident, she said she remembered a time when an English warship arrived for a few days rest for the crew.
Albert Colonridge Panton was Acting Commissioner at the time.
“He had made plans for a picnic to be held for the men at the public beach and the day before he came to invite me and some of the other “coloured” girls, like Marjorie Piercy, to go along. Of course, all the other society “white” girls had been invited and it would look bad if there were no other “coloured natives”. But of course, we did not go,” she said.
Mr McLaughlin said that even at Elmslie Church in the “old days” the “coloured people” sat on one side of the church.
“This was changed during the war (World War II) years when many Caymanian men travelled to serve in the Trinidad Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (TRNVR). Bertie Panton (who acted on many occasions as Commissioner), held special services in the church to pray for the safe return of the volunteers,” she said.
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Sybil McLaughlin one of
Cayman‘s national heroes
Friday, March 3, 2006
Last month was marked as Black History Month, a celebration around the world where events, art, culture and special initiatives are instigated to mark the history of Black people around the world.
Sybil McLaughlin, one of Cayman Islands’ living heroines, recalls what it was like living in the Cayman Islands during the late 1940s where segregation here was the norm. During that time everything was divided and labelled black section or white section.
Town hall meetings, church services and community social functions were all the same, blacks on one side and whites on the other.
“I remember one such time I attended when Sir Hugh Foot (then Governor of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands) and Lady Foot paid an official visit. A dance was arranged at the George Town Hall. Among those present were the late Mr Ashley Godfrey, MLA, Mr TE McField (a past teacher), Mr Warren Conolly, MLA, the late Misses Una Bush, and Marjorie Piercy,” she said.
“The ‘whites’ sat on one side and us ‘coloureds’ on the other.
“Mr Ormond Panton also an MLA sat on the ‘white’ side. The band began to play and people on each side danced with those on ‘their side’,” she said.
There was pause – the band again began to play and Andrew Morris Gerrard, Commissioner of Cayman who was appalled by the segregation on the Island went over and asked her to dance. “I was a Clerk-Typist in the Commissioner’s office at the time: Mrs Gerrard came over and asked Mr William Nixon to dance.”
“Everybody was staring,” Mrs McLaughlin said.
“Later I understand that Mr Panton approached Mr Gerrard and said that this was not done in Cayman. Commissioner Gerrard said that he had served many years in Africa and colour made no difference to him,” she said.
“I may add that Mr Gerrard often visited places like Rock Hole, Farmer’s area, and nearly all areas in George Town,” Mrs McLaughlin pointed out.
On his numerous drives throughout the districts, Mr Gerrard would stop at some homes and visit many residents.
“He often stopped by our house in South Sound to visit us – Aunt Annie being a nurse at the Government Hospital and Aunt Bee, being the postmistress at that time for the district of South Sound,” she said.
In another incident, she said she remembered a time when an English warship arrived for a few days rest for the crew.
Albert Colonridge Panton was Acting Commissioner at the time.
“He had made plans for a picnic to be held for the men at the public beach and the day before he came to invite me and some of the other “coloured” girls, like Marjorie Piercy, to go along. Of course, all the other society “white” girls had been invited and it would look bad if there were no other “coloured natives”. But of course, we did not go,” she said.
Mr McLaughlin said that even at Elmslie Church in the “old days” the “coloured people” sat on one side of the church.
“This was changed during the war (World War II) years when many Caymanian men travelled to serve in the Trinidad Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (TRNVR). Bertie Panton (who acted on many occasions as Commissioner), held special services in the church to pray for the safe return of the volunteers,” she said.
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