Black History Month: The Black Caribs / Garifunas
By José Francisco Ávila
According to UNESCO,
ignorance or concealment
of major historical events
constitutes an obstacle to
mutual understanding,
reconciliation and cooperation
among peoples. The
celebration of Black History
Month in the USA,
is an opportune time to
tell the story of the Black
Caribs / Garifunas.
The Black Caribs or
Garifunas, are the largest
ethnic minority in
Honduras. They are the
descendants of African-
Carib-Arawak populations
from the Caribbean island
of St Vincent who were
forcibly deported to the
Honduran coast in the
eighteenth century.
As survivors of shipwrecks,
Africans, sought
refuge in mainland St.
Vincent. The vast majority
of Africans were males
who intermingled with
Carib and Arawak women
and produced a generation
of free mixed-race
people.
The children produced
as a result of this union
have been described, as
having preserved more
of the skin complexion
of their African father
than of their Amerindian
mothers. A new group of
African and Amerindian
heritage developed in St
Vincent. The British colonial
administration used
the term Black Caribs to
distinguish them from
Yellow and Red Carib, the
Amerindian population
that did not intermingled
with Africans.
It was the custom of
French settlers who came
to St. Vincent to bring
their slaves with them.
This posed a problem for
the Black Caribs since it
was virtually impossible
to distinguish between
them and the slaves, particularly
between the children.
The Black Caribs
sought to deal with the
issue by adopting more
and more of the culture
of the Amerindians. They
even adopted the language,
which provided a
ready lingua franca.
Culturally the Black
Caribs were indistinguishable
from their Yellow or
Red Carib cousins, they
spoke the same language,
they had the same material
and Intangible culture
as the other Caribs,
having assimilated their
culture. Assimilation of
the Carib culture, effectively
set them apart from
the African slaves on the
French and English plantations.
The British viewed the
Black Caribs as “African
Colonists” or Maroons
and not as Indigenous.
The Black Caribs viewed
themselves as indigenous
to the island and part of
the overall Carib nation.
The shipwreck story,
which placed their history
outside the prison
of the plantation, was an
important bolster to that
identity.
The population of the
Black Caribs continued to
grow inexorably through
both natural increase
and a constant flow of
runaway slaves from Barbados.
As a result, they
tended to encroach more
and more on what the
Yellow Caribs considered
their preserves. The Yellow
Caribs sought assistance
from the governor of
Martinique.
In 1700, the governor
responded by dividing
the island into two
The dance group Nueva Estrella celebrates the 202th anniversary of the arrival of the black community,
called Garifunas, from the Caribbean to Honduras, with a performance at Tegucigalpa’s Central
Park, Monday, April 12, 1999 in Honduras. Associated Press / Victor R. Caivano, File
sections. He drew a line
called Barre de l’Isle in
the vicinity of the present
Colonarie, giving the
western half to the Yellow
Caribs and the eastern to
the Black Caribs.
The Black Caribs held
the Barre de l’Isle ruling
as sacrosanct and were
prepared to defend their
territory, which became
known as the Carib Country,
Caribbean L 30 ife, Feb. 15–21, 2019 BQ
against all comers.
The Yellow Caribs for
their part saw the French
as protectors. They wanted
the western coast since
it would facilitate commerce
with the French in
Martinique and St. Lucia.
In 1763, St. Vincent
was recognized as British
colony by the Treaty
of Versailles. The Garifunas
waged a 40-year
war of resistance against
the British until their
Paramount Chief Joseph
Chatoyer was killed in
battle on March 14, 1795.
The survivors were captured
as prisoners of war.
Between July 26 1796
and Feb. 2 1797, 4,776
persons from St. Vincent
were sent to the inhospitable
off-shore island
of Balliceaux for a seven
month transit before
deportation to the Spanish
ruled Roatan Island
in the bay of Honduras in
Central America.
Of this 4,776, the overwhelming
number were
Garifuna/Black Caribs
(4,633), and 102 Callinagoes
(Yellow Caribs) and
41 African slaves. There
were 1,080 men; 2,003
women; and 1,693 children.
(83 of “the Yellow
Caribs” were sent back to
St. Vincent; 22 died on
Balliceaux).
So, of the 4,693 (4776
minus the 83 Callinagoes)
on Balliceaux, only
2,248 embarked on the
journey to Roatan Island
on March 11, 1797. This
meant that 2,445 died on
Balliceaux. The journey
to Roatan reduced their
number further by 222.
So, on April 12, 1797, a
total of 2,026 Garifunas
landed at Roatan: 664
were men, 1,362 were
women and children.
The Garifuna are a
hybrid people resulting
from a biological and cultural
mixture between
Caribs and Arawaks of
the Caribbean and people
of African origin.
This process of hybridization,
which took place in
the Caribbean island of
Saint Vincent, gave rise
to a new group called
the Garifuna or the Garinagu.
All of the Garifuna
communities in Belize,
Guatemala, Honduras
and Nicaragua descend
from the 2,026 Garifuna
people forcibly deported
from Saint Vincent in
1797. They are therefore
one people who share
the same history and a
common tradition in language,
music and dance
among other intangible
cultural heritage.” Happy
Black History Month
“She worked quietly,
supporting numerous
initiatives, and was
especially fond of anything
that supported
the healthy growth and
development of children
and young people,” said
Mason-Haywood, adding
that King-Anthony was
“a pioneer in the realm
of early childhood education
in the Caribbean and
African American communities.
“She mentored numerous
youths and supported
many families,” she
continued, stating that
among those impacted
by her mentorship is current
Minister of Agriculture
in St. Vincent and
the Grenadines, Saboto
Ceasar, who will deliver
the eulogy at Mason-Haywood’s
home-going service
on Friday Feb. 15 at
Nevsky Yablofkoff Memorial
Chapels, 1700 Coney
Island Ave., Brooklyn.
Marisha King said her
mother had converted to
Judaism on migration to
New York.
Mason-Haywood said
King-Anthony’s longstanding
commitment and
loyalty to the community
was “evident throughout
the work she did.”
She said King-Anthony
served as a member of
Community Board 17 for
over five years.
Along with other colleagues
in early childhood
education, King-Anthony
co-founded the Private
Child Care Owners Coalition
(PCOC), serving as
president, Mason-Haywood
said.
She said King-Anthony
was also co-chair of
the Bushwick Community
Partnership Program
(CPP).
In 2017, Mason-Haywood
said King-Anthony
ran “a formidable race”
for a seat in the 41st City
Council District in the
Democratic primary.
King-Anthony came
fourth in the race that
involved nine candidates,
receiving 922 votes, or
8.51 percent.
Her compatriot, Royston
“Uncle Roy” Antoine,
formerly of the town
of Layou, placed sixth,
receiving 620 votes, or
5.72 percent.
Lawyer Alicka Ampry-
Samuel, who won the
primary and went on to
win the general elections,
garnered 3,385 votes, or
31.23 percent.
Vincentian activist dead at 59
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