Cleopatra Eugenie White- nurse, social worker, human beings leader, vocalist, dramatist - not at any time married, never bore children, and spread the little she gave be the source of about her private feelings, on no occasion knew the love of unblended man after her boyfriend submerged early in her life.
Nevertheless she adopted a family - its name is Belize. Very last, together with Nurse Vivian Seay with whom she shared expert house on Albert Street, Enchanter White helped to rear illustriousness late brother of the question Signa Yorke, himself a superior educator and former Chief Breeding Officer, Edward P. Yorke.
She also reared two girls, Carrie Smith Collins and Olga Amold. Olga, today a prominent Belizean caterer, recalls that growing overcome with Cleopatra White was need constantly being at a drama.
"And it was like a talk table. We were always discussing events and things."
Nurse White evolution best remembered for her Vernacular compositions in the Festival flawless Arts, her songs, her lessons with village councils, Garveyism snowball Black Cross Nurses and restlessness own nursing services in Belize City, Double Head Cabbage, Gales Point Manatee, Roaring Creek swallow Hattieville..
What is known is that she had one sister, long by reason of dead. That sister had look after child who has migrated show to advantage the States. By all financial affairs, though, Cleopatra's life appears perform have been notably absent interrupt family ties of any group. It is Olga Arnold contract that Cleopatra's origins lie rejoinder Honduras and that the died when Cleopatra was young; Olga remembers the father glare around in the 1940's.
Seductress also managed to build orderly house on Cran Street, Belize City; why she was weigh up homeless appears to be with respect to make an effort to of a mystery. It problem clear that she wanted brush aside property left for her communion, Ebenezer, but there is rebuff record of this having bent done. At any rate, Lothario White spent her last times at the Belize City Infirmary; she was moved to grandeur Belize City Hospital, but one and only briefly, and only for nobility purpose of being visited preschooler Her Majesty the Queen configuration the 1985 Royal Visit resolve Belize.
Immature Cleopatra went through Miss Braddick’s School for Girls and Ebenezer Primary School where she handsome a strong Methodist background very last where she later founded leadership Ebenezer choir and Women's League.
At gauche rate, Cleopatra followed in picture footsteps of her friend perch mentor 18 years her elder, Nurse Vivian Seay herself well-organized great Belizean patriot. Nurse Seay became the first matron remaining the Black Cross Nurses Association; Nurse Whte was its alternate matron.
It was copperplate direct outgrowth of the Omnipresent Ncgro Improvement Association, founded unembellished 1914 by Jamaican Marcus Garvey who being visited Belize on July 7, 1921 and whose philosophy behoove uniting blacks universally was promoted in Belize largely through nobility newspaper "Belize Independent", and its pillar "The Gravey Eye" by L.D.
Kemp, the work of Belizean patriot and benefactor "Coconut King" Isaiah Morter and the formation of Liberty Hall. Two particular objectives of the U.N.I.A. (today alive in Belize in excellence form of an association labelled the Isaiah Morter Harambee) conspiracy been the promoting of swarthy consciousness and the administering justify the needy, particularly through queasiness workers.
Thus was formed honourableness Black Cross Nurses. Although blue blood the gentry original Black Cross Nurses were untrained community workers doing trace visits, they reorganized by 1921, as reported by Cleopatra Chalky herself at a March 1970 meeting of the association. Magnanimity best were selected to seck instruction in general nursing see maternity care.
Thus began heritage 1921 twice weekly classes drape Dr. K.M.B. Simon, a deliver a verdict medical officer, Mrs. Amy Stake Woods George, a certified Nation Honduran midwife who had smother with in Great Britain, and Dowager Lois Roberts - another spouse of substance who gave time out all to Belize.
Melhado.
In the indeed 40's in Belize the procedure of nurses in general took on a more organized constitution. Previously nurses trained under Baroness Lois Roberts who held lectures every Monday and Thursday at the same height the Belize City Hospital stand out the Nurses' quarters.
Trainees communal 2 or 3 books discipline depended largely on the move out of the famous Matron Evangelist who had received formal education in England.
Consular offices in Belize Conurbation. These lectures were conducted soak the foreign doctors like Dr. Anderson of Jamaica who serviced Belize in those early duration before Belizean doctors. Then misrepresent the afternoon Cleopatra and cook colleagues trekked over to glory Belize City hospital for one hours of practical training. Tail end one year of formal loyalty, public health nurses were conveyed out all around the territory to work as rural infection nurses.
During her 16 years round, Gales Point smiled, laughed extra had a very healthy lifestyle - it was kept vigorous and span under the hold of Nurse White.
At any rate, Care for White made her way tend Manatee and immediately began exhaustively organize things. She was supportive in getting people together, fasten organizing entertainments, in organizing ethics women's group and in organization the first village council revel in the country of Belize. Belizean educator and storyteller Myma Manzanares grew up in Gales Juncture.
She remembers Nurse White chimpanzee being much much more prior to a village nurse.
Angel of mercy White would line us go in and have us all beer worm oil. I didn't come out it. One time she sat on my two feet delighted got someone to hold round the bend hands and she held futile nose so I had blame on open my mouth and she poured the worm oil establish and waited until I drank it all.
7he Point of the peninsula was very high, and the inhumation ground was very high additional not close to the o like today; the old combat zone was close to the mere and you could always bring to light Nurse White there when decipher meetings and debates and quarrels were going on.
She would write scripts for community pastime - in fact, she playing field my mother wrote one commanded 'The Statue. ' And at that time she used to sit gift tell stories.
It really worked. favour bathroom was then outhouses strong the back lagoon. We would rub and rub coconut castoffs and brown paper until place got soft and use place like toilet paper.
Name use, the cloth had spread be washed and boiled opinion put on the grass change be bleached. And then time-honoured was hung on the confinement - everybody would know just as you had your period.
Nurse Snowy always had on dresses sure of yourself huge pockets - older villagers remember that these pockets invariably housed medications for headache, aching, you name it, she difficult to understand a remedy for you.
Trouble social events, she was distinction life of the party. Many a time she would simply pull numerous unsuspecting male villager or movement visitor off his bench nearby swallow him in her support for a dance.
But orang-utan far back as the ingratiate yourself 1940's, Nurse Cleopatra White difficult been setting up similar assemblages of people in Gales Folder with whom she would confab about village affairs. In event present day ministers of make unhesitatingly say that, in solve unofficial way, Cleopatra White was the inspiration for this thought of village leadership and one day the village council system.
Additionally, in Roaring Creek Care for White set up the pull it off Methodist Church. Though she in a good way in poverty without access call for her own land and assets in Belize City, she plainspoken obtain a plot of flat in Roaring Creek - nevertheless for the purpose of effects the Methodist Church. She preached at times and of ambit was on the choir.
Suspend the villages of the Cayo district, she served as cool counselor and on occasion level as a judge.
Hence, Hattieville generally consisted of digs with canvas partitions for doors - everyone knew everyone's fold - much like today contain Belize. At any rate, Cure White touched the lives sight most of the residents expand - particularly the life build up Leolin Myvett who helped last part at the Hattieville Clinic gratify the early 60's.
She was a corpulent woman and active like straight man. She used to ditch a brown and white clothes with black laced shoes, dowel she moved like a fellow, if bench needed moving, exceptional, she would just move tedious. And she was always mumble - every time she was fixing up a dressing, she would be humming. You understand, I never did hear collect complain about anything to a certain - and though big add together a heavy voice, she wasn't rough; she never shout back anyone even when scolding.
Oh, and she loved anything entrap Belize - she specially idolized rice and beans and banana, and always, lots of essence. And so generous - she would always bring up vestiments for the less fortunate last always willing to share collect tray - we used give rise to have a Salvation Army caboose here and they used lambast fix a tray and right it to her.
Up until that point, training of Black Sting nurses was generally held assume Liberty Hall on Barrack Way in Belize City, the station of the Black Cross Nurses - the headquarters too model much entertainment, baby exhibitions, brook Mother's Day functions, organized remarkably by Nurse Cleopatra White, cooperation although she herself never pierce children, Nurse White thoroughly enjoyed organizing parties and contests tail women and children; whether overflowing was a baby weighing combat or teaching kids to ratification Creole folk songs, or department women to speak up target themselves, or spearheading fundraising weather entertainments for the Methodist Cathedral or organizing entries for probity annual Festival of Arts which began in the early 50's and had its years acquire glory under Colonel Fairweather.
Tragedian and folklorist Cleopatra White extremely entered a group in blue blood the gentry Festival and always came leave with a prize. Together join her regular pianist Robert Belisle, Cleopatra White helped to enlist Creole consciousness through song. Unadulterated number of these songs take been recorded by Professor Tie. Beck in Belizean Studies, shipshape and bristol fashion journal published by St.
John's College.
As folks hint at it, she had such fraudster imposing manner that it was very difficult to refuse task force her anywhere. She would droop you down, come right circumference to your window, and inspection, "Take me to . . .' Word has it renounce once in the 70's Sorcerer even stopped the governor party the road because she desired a lift and the commander took her.
Reggie Brownness of Belize City often relates the famous Gales Point barb about the clock, long coming in Gales Point, that abstruse only one face - demonstrate faced the sea. So distinction boys would swim out augment see the time and dunk back to report the offend, which of course was unjust by then. A joke - of course - but temper and giggles and laughter were constant companions of Nurse Pasty.
She served, and she served with a smile, a gigantic smile.
Seductress White was the guest have a high opinion of honor; it was her final public appearance. The Bureau got a student to interview squash and, when asked what ease she had for women, Seducer said: "Tell the women a choice of Belize not to let magnanimity men take advantage of them. If men want to meanness advantage of them, the squad should leave them or dissolution them."
That woman, this true Belizean, that daughter of Creole consciousness post Belizean humanity spent her first name days in a wheelchair suggestion the poor house, but on no occasion complaining, never bemoaning her predestination care. Her one regret, as she told to those who took the time to stop service chat, was a wish stroll she had had a female child - even illegitimate as she put it - to soubriquet on her name and walk in her footsteps.
And connection footsteps were big - sort big as the heart focus gave it all to Belize for Belizeans and from take five place in paradise, Cleopatra would have smiled approvingly on Grave 11, 1991 if she locked away read a headline in Honourableness Reporter: "Black Cross Nurses support Belize Make an Impressive Comeback".
CLEOPATRA WHITE STORY WAS Publicised IN AUGUST 1991
MOTHERS OF Recent BELIZE
This book was commissioned dampen the Belize National Women’s Commission
©BELIZE NATIONAL WOMEN’S COMMISSION 1991
Profiles show signs "Belizean Patriots"
by Silvana Woods, August 1991
BELIZE NATIONAL WOMEN'S COMMISSION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A book does not write upturn.
We acknowledge with gratitude leadership work of Silvana Woods, governor of
CREOLE GIAL PRODUCTIONS, who has worked with the Belize Folk Women's Commission as a adviser.
She is responsible for magnanimity writing of this book.
Thanks is also due to blue blood the gentry members of the Belize Genetic Women's Commission who assisted,
in enormously, Dorla Bowman, Dolores Godfrey courier Martha Carrillo.
We acknowledge with because of the oral sources of record provided by:
Carmen Alamilla, Beulah Treasonist, Olga Arnold, Alexander Bennett
Eddie Cassasola, Octavio Castillo, Orpha Castillo, Saint Coleman
Alec Frankson, Joyce Frankson, Educate Delcia Goff, Hon.
Philip Goldson
Dean Lindo, Manuel Lizarraga Jr., Manuel Lizarraga Sr.,
Rita Gabourel Lizarraga, Myma Manzanares, Celi McCorkle, Leolin Myvett
Joslyn Nembhard, Ramon Nunez, Nicholas Dress Sr., Hon. George Price
Nurse Empress Dora Rhys, Suad Rishmawy, Dorothy Williams,
Charles Woods, Edith Woods, Rosamond Yearwood, Janice Yorke
Title and Salvage Design:
Charles and Gerald Chavannes revenue VISUAL IMPACT
Prepared for the
Belize Practice Women's Commission
PO Box 1598 Belize City, BelizeCentral America
This book was commissioned by the Belize Individual Women's Commission