Monthly Archives: March 2008

The First Generation of Panamanian Westindians 1914-1930

Sidney A. Young, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Panama Tribune- A Weekly Newspaper

San Miguel School in Panama
An ealy “English School” (circ. 1935)
Image courtesy of www.czbrats.com


The isolationist policies of the North Americans on the
Canal Zone forced another dispersion of some of the Jamaicans who had become aware that as Jamaicans their knowledge, skills and leadership qualities would, more than likely, not be appreciated on the “Zone.” Some Jamaicans, however, remained loyal to the Westindian community in the country remaining and setting the tone of leadership in the Black Canal Zone. Continue reading

Panama’s Glory Returns Home a Two-Fold Victor

Mel Patton (Gold), Barney Ewell (Silver)
and Lloyd La Beach in the 1948 Summer Olympics
Awards Ceremony for the 200(corrected) meter race competion
An early photo of the Roxy Athletic Club Track Team


That day in
1948 on the running track, the World Summer Olympics in the historic city of London were not quite over when the Panamanian, Lloyd La Beach, would, once again, offer the expectant crowd another exciting race to the finish line as the crowds stood in awe to applaud the lone Panamanian runner. Continue reading

The London Olympic Power Games of 1948

The image is a photograph of the finish
of the Olympic 100m final in 1948.
From the left are: Emmanuel McDonald Bailey (GBR-6th);
Mel Patton (USA-5th); Alastair McCorquodale GBR-4th);
Lloyd
La Beach (PAN-3rd);
Barney Ewell (USA-2nd); and Harrison Dillard (USA-1st).

The year was 1948 and the Olympic Games for which Lloyd La Beach had worked so hard for most of his young life were to be held in the month of May in London, EnglandContinue reading

Lloyd La Beach and Life at UCLA

The Great, Immortal Jesse Owens in
the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Barney Ewell (left) with teammates Mel Patton (centre)
and Harrison Dillard (right) during a practice
session before the 1948 Olympic Games in London.

For the immortal Lloyd La Beach the sight of the City of Angels was the greatest thing he had ever seen in his young life. He was yet to envision the plan that God had in store for him, however, as he humbly took his place among the other “angels” in the mission of compelling the little country of Panama to recognize her West Indian children. Even before Lloyd arrived at the campus dormitory that night he began feeling that secret and welcomed energy so natural for his young body. Continue reading

The Strategies in the Games of Track and Field

Lloyd La Beach during his college days.

image: UCLA Royce Hall

The sheer joy of competition, though the most important part of Lloyd La Beach’s drive in track and field in his early youth, would take second place to the challenges that lay ahead as a true competitor. The intricacies and demands of track and field required great study and patience and the immortal Lloyd La Beach won the admiration of his Panamanian Westindian coaches whose counsel he followed as closely as the games in Panama would have permitted him at the time. Continue reading

Lloyd La Beach – The Swiftness of Angels

Pictured are Coach Carlos Belizaire, Sam LaBeach,
Cirilo McSween, Frank Prince
and Lloyd La Beach
Images thanks to the folks at Rainbow City H.S.


For most of us in the West Indian community residing in Panama very little is known concerning the immortal sprinter,
Lloyd La Beach. The family of the extraordinary man child who survived to herald a mission for the Black youth of his time had a background similar to thousands of West Indian families as their men-folk ventured to that place called Panama with high hopes of escaping the slavery of economic privation. Continue reading