THINGS THAT MATTER: Celebrating Christmas, life, love and the Bajan Diaspora

“In previous Q. & A.’s, I asked Rev. Tim Keller and President Jimmy Carter whether a sceptic like myself, who admires Jesus’ moral teachings but doubts the virgin birth and any physical resurrection, counts as a Christian. Basically, Keller said “no,” and Carter “yes,” so you’re the tiebreaker. Am I a Christian?”

“I would think that if you haven’t completely closed the door on the possibility that God has more to say to you, then I think you’re in the tent.” (Nicholas Kristoff interview with Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark)

Everyone’s minds and actions are fully engaged in the celebration of Christmas. I’ve quoted my favourite columnist, Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times, above, to get everyone thinking about their beliefs and the ideas and principles that move us all in our quest for a meaningful life. Christmas is just such a time, not just to celebrate, but to take time to think and renew – and perhaps even to resuscitate a life that’s become a bit of an automaton, living from one difficult, challenging day to another.

I took part in a different kind of celebration on Wednesday morning – the launch of a splendid new book “Celebrating Barbadians in the United States of America” – with the subtitle “Bringing credit to our nation wherever we go.”. It’s the sequel or sister volume to “Some Barbadian Canadians – A Biographical Dictionary”, published in 2011. Both of these wonderfully informative and inspiring books were the brain-child and result of the hard work of Mr. Evelyn Greaves, our distinguished High Commissioner in Ottawa for many years. When the Canadian book was published I challenged Evelyn to produce the sister volume for our Bajan Americans, and he rose magnificently to the challenge. (AND I’ve suggested a similar book for Britain and for the Caribbean – hopefully to come.)

The work has been accomplished with astonishing success. My Lodge School friend and contemporary Colin Mayers, our Consul General in Miami, chaired the Co-ordinating Committee and the Editorial Committee, while Evelyn Greaves was Editor-in-Chief. They were supported by some twenty Bajan-Americans, including Gaile Thompson, our Deputy Consul General in Miami; Joseph Hunte, Consul; Rhoda Green, Honorary Consul in Charleston, and Tony Best, whom I call Mr. Bajan New York. The result is a wonderful book of 224 pages, with some 300 plus biographies of Bajan-Americans, supplemented by some eloquent “Messages” by the Prime Minister and others, two essays on early emigration, and magnificent photos of Barbados by Barbadian photographer in New York, Clyde Jones – who was here for the launch. Fabulous photos, and fabulous to welcome you home, Clyde.

My essay described the exploration in the 1660s and the settlement of Charleston and Carolina by Barbadians in 1670, in that period of expansionist colonial policy of Barbados, led and inspired by Governor Lord Willoughby. In the 1660s he pioneered the founding of Willoughby Land (which foundered, and later became Surinam, a Dutch possession), and the settlement and then recapture of Tobago, while large numbers of Barbadians colonised Guyana under Colonel Byam in that era.

The other essay by Professor Calvin Holder, Professor of History and African-American Studies at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York (CUNY) picked up the story of early immigrants, and is a splendid source of information few of us would have known – from the abolition of slavery – chiefly the late 1800s, and then the dramatic increase after the completion of the Panama Canal, and during and after the first World War. My mother’s family members were among those who emigrated to New York at the turn of the century, while “Aunt” Helena Cadogan, born in Road View, Speightstown and who moved on from Panama to New York, became a close friend of my mother and virtually my “fairy godmother”. She, like the heroine in Paule Marshall’s novel Brown Girl, Brown-Stones, bought her own beautiful brown-stone house on Eastern Parkway.

Professor Holder writes that the numbers of Barbadians can’t be accurately known, although the US census reported 28,940 in 1980, increasing to 52,363 in 2012 – almost double the number! But this takes no account of deaths over the years or those of less permanent residence.

Early emigrants included Mr. Henry Doorly, a member of the Martin Doorly family, who emigrated in 1901, married well and ended up as publisher and owner of the Omaha World Herald, one of the top newspapers in the country at that time. He was a leading businessman and public figure, and the Zoo in Omaha was named in his memory. Most Bajans are aware of Prince Hall, famous founder of a Masonic Lodge, of Joe Walcott, boxing champion and Shirley Chisholm, the Senator. Herbert Bruce was an active politician, while Richard Moore was an activist, public speaker and bibliophile, whose extensive library is now vested in the University at Cave Hill. A most eminent and popular public speaker and philosopher was Neville Goddard, fourth son of the famous Joseph Nathaniel Goddard, founder and patriarch of the JN Goddard clan and family business.

Still with us are distinguished people like Judge Anne Barnes, Eric Holder – 82nd Attorney General of the USA and Robert Maynard, newspaper publisher, the great Irving Burgie, and in alphabetical order some of the wonderful people I know – Dr. Jackie Alleyne (teacher. lecturer, singer), Tony Best (Mr. New York), Maratin Blackman (tennis star), Lodge School alumni Dr Louis Brown (University lecturer and communications specialist AND our Honorary Consul in Texas) and Dr. Ken Harewood (brilliant biochemist, in industry and academia), Clyde Jones (photographer), Sam Taitt (one-time manager of CBC, musician – cf. Sing Out Barbados - and university lecturer at CUNY), “Lolly” Walker, Director of the Radiology Department at the famous Sloan Kettering Institute, Dr. Cardinal Ward (brilliant physicist, Honorary Doctorate of UWI, and passionate promoter of Science and Technology in our schools and University here), and Markley Wilson, tourism consultant in New York – who brought the attention of the colonisation of the Carolinas by Barbadians to our attention back in 1986 and accompanied the late Warren Alleyne and me on our first visit to Charleston.

And the many physicians - Dr. Sylvester Brathwaite, Dr. Brandon Brown, Dr. Wayne Greaves (HIV / AIDS guru), Dr. Trevor Green, Dr. Harold Harvey (my classmate at UWI, Jamaica in ’69, and distinguished cancer specialist and researcher), Dr. Velma Scantlebury (eminent kidney transplant specialist), and Dr. Natalie Workman. And one of the early greats – Dr. Marcus Wheatland, the first black radiologist in the USA, a century ago. But there are far, far more, such as neurologist Dr. Deborah Blades, who simply haven’t made it into this edition , so we look forward to a second, even bigger edition, Evelyn and Co!

But there’s so much more – so many Barbadians who have done stalwart work – whether distinguishing themselves and becoming famous or not … spreading across the USA to places like Omaha and Wyoming and Texas, to Atlanta, Boston (Sir Frank Worrell’s father) and Florida – men and women – some of whom we’ll recognise but others we’ve never heard of. But what they have in common is that their stories are fascinating, rich and inspiring. They make all kinds of connections, and can open new doors for us. I’m especially happy that it’s launched at this time, at Christmas, when we think of family and absent friends.

I’m also mindful of those who have departed this life around this time – it’s especially sad for family and our hearts go out to the Streetlys and Stuarts and Toppin family – all dear friends – and Rotarians all mourn the sudden passing of Edmund Bradshaw, Sergeant at Arms of Rotary South, while doyen of horticulture Jean Robinson, one of the triumvirate of our great 20th century gardeners - Iris Bannochie, Audrey Thomas and Jean – left us on Wednesday morning. The moral is that both at Christmas AND throughout the year we must make time to spend with those we admire, respect and love … those who may be in our own age group but especially those older, because we never know the moment of departure.

Never hesitate to show our gratitude or our affection - it’s all a part of the spirituality that enriches our life, however we see and interpret God. And so, I end this column as I began last week’s, with the quote:

“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” (Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol)

(Professor Fraser is Past Dean of Medical Sciences, UWI and Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology. Website: profhenryfraser.com)