Monthly Archives: March 2009

A Short Trip Back to Our Roots

Posted on March 27, 2009 by | 2 Comments
Here we are, Aminta, little Earnie and me,
on that fateful day
standing right next to my father,
Cobert Sr.’s, Studebaker while
we smile dutifully for the snap shot.
The park behind us is Parque Melendez.

The day finally arrived when we, as children, would once again be blessed with connecting with our maternal grandparents in Colon. Only four years had transpired since my sister and I had been surreptitiously (to me anyway) stolen away from the affection and care of our Naní and my beloved grandfather, Seymour, to be placed in the precarious care of my parents in Panama City; a period during which at least one of us had not survived. Continue reading →

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Posted in Colon, Silver People of Panama, West Indian Panamanians

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A Tribute to Alfred E. Osborne

Posted on March 23, 2009 by | 2 Comments

Alfred E. Osborne. Image thanks to Afropanavisions.com


The Venerable Teacher Osborne, father of Alfred E. Osborne, left his Island home of Antigua, when his son Alfred E. was only three years of age. He arrived in Panama in the year of 1911 and most assuredly met my grandfather Mr. Joshua A. Reid, the Dispensary Director of Silver Paraiso Township. Mr. Reid had left his beloved Island of Jamaica in 1906 to get work on the construction of the “Big Ditch” which would later turn into the Panama Canal. The elder Teacher Osborne then labored at the segregated Canal Zone Silver Schools until he achieved the rank of Principal. Continue reading →

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Posted in Silver People of Panama, West Indian Panamanians

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Training Teachers of Excellence

Posted on March 20, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Columbia University Teacher's College in N.Y.

Columbia University Teacher’s College
New York City

Although the Panamanian and Canal Zone governments school authorities have never truly recognized the efforts and accomplishments of the Westindian neighborhood schools, to the people of the area they were recognized as communal schools. They persevered despite all the social and institutional obstacles they encountered and even produced some of the best minds. Continue reading →

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Posted in Silver People of Panama, West Indian Panamanians

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Teacher’s Lash

Posted on March 15, 2009 by | 1 Comment
When I view this image of an old
Victorian schoolmaster switching
one of his students, I’m reminded of
Teacher Phillips’ Lash. Image courtesy
of The Archivist

My story begins on one of those tropical winter mornings after a night of incessant rains; by morning the day would be clear and sunny. The morning light went by us unperceived, however, and no one in our house remembered to wake us up for school. Continue reading →

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Posted in English Schools in Panama, Silver People of Panama, West Indian Panamanians

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Going to English School- Again

Posted on March 11, 2009 by | Leave a comment
In this image we see the classroom
in San Miguel English School circa 1935.
Notice the stern looking Schoolmaster in the
back who kept perfect order in his classroom.
Image thanks to CZimages.com


Since I had heard some of the neighborhood Westindian boys talk about Teacher Thomas’ School, I couldn’t wait for the opportunity to attend his, by now, very reputable school since it was right across the street from our house. Apparently, Teacher Thomas had taken over the old Jamaican Society Hall and converted it into his school. It was said that since before the 1920′s old Teacher Thomas had been right there providing education for Black children. I would never, much to my disappointment, however, be able to attend his famous school and to this day it remains a mystery to me why not. Continue reading →

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Posted in English Schools in Panama, Silver People of Panama, West Indian Panamanians

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Why Are You Letting Them Take Your Picture?

Posted on March 8, 2009 by | Leave a comment


As I stood on the corner wondering who those white men were and what they were doing in my neighborhood, my sister found me and asked, “Juni, what are you looking at?” Before I could even answer my sister’s question I felt a blow to the head from something or someone coming out of the glaring evening sun. I knew it was my father because I could hear him saying, “Why are you letting those people take your picture?!! You get inside the house!” all the while following his admonitions with repeated blows to the head. Continue reading →

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Posted in Calidonia, West Indian Panamanians

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