Part 2 – The Deanes

Post date: Nov 21, 2008 12:14:02 AM

I have not heard a more racist and dangerous ideology than the one expounded by someone from the mythical Kingsland Estates fiasco.

A few in each generation escaped but the Deanes belonged to a special category of people that were white because they considered themselves white. Although clearly mulattoes they were never comfortable with the black side of their heredity. That is a character flaw and a lot of the time the heavy level of infighting in the family is about those that do not know, who they are and those, who know.

All of a sudden now, those is in trouble paint a portrait to save themselves; to map a genealogy, to weave a story that is palatable that makes them comfortable and Zap! The Deanes are black and can “trace their slave family back.” But there is no interest in present living coloured family: “Who is Arthur Gay?”

Told several times that he is Erin’s son there has been a steadfast disinterest and distance from the person’s name and each time they do not know - it is called plausible deniability. One cousin an adversary and one of the few that invites all types of people home and would not want to know what they did in his place, one day around the court went up to Arthur, who is a widely read and widely respected columnist for years and a court reporter, and said: “You know that we are cousins?”

One of the few of the mother’s generation that were different that the family does not like that ran a store and kept himself away from the family, when a mutual cousin, Maurice, went in the store he let Maurice know that they were family.

“The way they treated my mother, regardless of, who did it or not I am nothing to do with them. I told Estwick I was not interested in their land. Do not bother to be angry no amount of scrubbing can get them white or cancel out people that are favourable. It is not complicated it is straight forward, I wipe the memories of them from my brain I do not tell my children anything about them.” Gay says.

Write black family out and now claim to be black. As opposed to Arthur where is the white family in their ancestors! Arthur’s grandmother was a mulatto and his grandfather was a mulatto, a cousin of his grandmother’s was dark with a European nose pretty hair and was so pretty; they called her a black mulatto.

The Gays are part of the Deane family not yesterday or second cousin three times removed. Erin’s father, was Estwick Deane uncle, and his father’s brother.

The local real whites did not marry them Deanes. Reverent Curry (white Caribbean person not a Bajan) came to Christ Church as a curate straight out of college a young deacon. He courted Muriel, Erin’s niece, Estwick’s daughter and it was going great guns, when the whites, who sat in the front seat at church told Curry: “you ain't know she not white,” and Curry stop seeing her and married an Atwell girl, who painted the picture depicting Christ in Christ Church parish church.

“As they got a certain age they gone to England looking for wives.” Erin one of the most realistic persons said. The Deanes have never married black people – never ever. Every single one of the men went to England and brought back white, English wives. And Jane’s mother married a white man from Trinidad. Until today not one Deane is married to a black person. One cousin had a child for a black jockey but that is all.

Erin’s skin was so white that it was pink and touch it and it turned white. When her husband’s workers quarrel with him and they said: ‘… it is because you marry a white woman.’ She said: ‘Do not dare call me white.’

There is one aunt from that family surviving, the grandfather’s child from her mother’s side, Gladys, who is about eighty-six years old. She has always been a Deane and she quiet comfortable with who she is and to forgot the Deanes all together.

The Deans wrote off Erin’s bloodline for eternity if some would have their way, because she married into that most distinguished and honourable of mulatto families that of Samuel Jackman Prescod. Jackman Prescod was a very fair mulatto. In fact more than that his father was white and his mother a mulatto. The Prescod could have been only slightly darker in skin colour than the Deanes. Plus the Deanes were not in any shape or fashion in the Jackman Prescod class.

In later years after independence and Samuel Jackman Prescod became a national hero and schools named after the Gays some Deanes understood that Erin’s husband’s family were not unimportant and they made a change.

Estwick’s brother, who is Jane’s uncle, John Bright Deane, one day said: “We got some land up there and you know that we treated you all badly.”

The Deanes were not really middle class Estwick and James were brothers. James used to go out all the time with all the white people in Hastings. It has not been found out what he was up to but he liked woman. He had an aristocratic outlook, owned a lot of land and was a tailor. He was the sort of tailor that when people came to collect their items he would have gone into town.

Lee, one of Estwick’s sons, was lucky because he was dishonest and not bright. He owned 1/9 the share of Kingsland Estates and he and a few friends quarried land horizontally and then filled it in and sold it as housing development and the people’s houses are flooded out when it rained. And nobody realizes why?

Vere, Jane’s uncle and Lee’s brother, was a different kettle of fish he did not get involved for he knew do for do was no obeah, one smart dead at two smart door and two foul plays cancels each other out. Some have not displayed much intelligence and use a different paint box to paint everyone a filthy, dirty colour so that the grandfather would look a little better.

This is typical, racist, white, uppity excreta; an attempt to show importance. Like the justification that Obama is gifted is because he got in white. The man is successful so they going claim him because “he had some white in him.”

One reason could be that Americans are becoming more civilized. The majority votes were young first time voters, who felt that they had to do something against the status quos. In the racist South, Obama did take away more white votes, down south they do not think or care about finance or not.

The white thing is not a big argument like Hilary Clinton. She was inclined to go down that road but when she realized Obama was so far ahead, it does not make sense to go that way specially with the financial climate.

The point to remember is that when things are get rough the same white people can never be relied on. When Harold Wilson won the first big election Labour won by one vote. Because the people thought they should have not been a change. Wilson had to call an election in about a month. By then the voters realised that they had to get out of a hole they were in and they could not rely on the conservatives. Then when things got better they voted conservative again.

It is the same thing.

Clinton had to work with a Republican Congress. When he started he had to soft pedal out. He realized he had to court them because the only other weapon he had was the veto with which he could stop legalisation for a short time only. He had to work his way through and therefore he got the second term. But as soon as things looked better they put in a Bush and went back to they nasty, stupid ways.

Always a reason is found! Obama did not get killed because his mother was white. Mother! If that should happen any time soon think what would happen and look at the terrorist organization in operation now and those of all colours, nationalities and religions that would have an endless excuse. All except Israel’s.

So much rhetoric that sounds so good, so splendid, so oratorical – ‘the black man struggle.’ They look at black, flat-nosed and knotty hair and say he bright because he is an exception - he is a freak because he does not fit their racist rules. Black people in this region have a power of which they are not aware and are not prepared to use.

John Bright Dean had the colour; he was very white, lighter than Estwick, his brother, with the same kind of mulatto hair but he had black features and he was not a pretty man. He was bright, very quite and shy, had no charisma, was uncomfortable around women for he never felt that he was good looking enough to get a woman. He wanted a decent woman and found no woman that he wanted that wanted him. In later life he found one and married a widow, Bree and Eric St. John’s mother, and they lived a comfortable life. He was a contractor, knew what he did and had much money for he built most of the modern roads in Christ Church: Pilgrim Road, Maxwell Road; he rebuilt Christ Church Church.

First time calling the mother black for advantage but there is no change in the pervasive behaviour that fools no one a bit and gets what it deserves.

Of the present I'Akobi Maloney issue, David my friend’s son’s killing in the presence of the police only, knowing how distraught the father is. White racism says it is Peter paying for Paul.

“The good Rastafaris are paying for the bad ones that are not Rastafari. I had my experience with dreadlock people.”

“Tit for tat then what about the white people and their slavery?” I said.

Isolated from the real machination of the life; these white people believe that they do not had to make amends for slavery because “those times are gone” and it was not a matter of colour but greed and black people and white people now areripping Kingsland Estates off, so 400 years of slavery is cancelled out. It did not start with the barbaric feudal system of white men.

“But you are living off the comforts of slavery and oppression of black people who were paid two cents a day. Africans did not have chattel slavery. White people have to make amends for slavery.”

No! No! No!

What did we aboriginal of these island do the white people that settled and committed the largest genocide besides the Genghis Khan?

“Caribs were hostile. Forget that along with slavery that is in the past. Leave that alone.”

Do not take offence. These people only learnt history enough to answer questions that they know that they are going to be asked to pass an exam. They cannot say Caribs were a well structure society with no robbery or thieving or coveting people’s good.

There is something in the Deanes; they have some genius because they know how to succeed. Estwick got on the road to success and those plantations from getting his boss, the honourable Evelyn M.P.’s, daughter pregnant.

This racsit thinking must be made public for it is about enslaving society again.

On the other hand let us look at some positive things for is not with a big lot of racial pride that we think about whites. Men like Herbert Seale, who was real, he looked just like Samuel Jackman but unlike the Deane’s was never a white-minded person although he looked white. The white people would not have it. He had an agency to import things and white merchants tried to stifle him. He got hit both ways for the blacks said: “he think he white,” and Herbert had to run and leave the island. His two sisters Florie and Ann went to the states and passed for white.

All through the status quo, look at the coloured people who have gone white: the Seale’s grandmother was a black servant. Lynch’s grandfather was a black man. So many of them, Stoute, whose wife used to colour photographs.

There are only a few family who instead of going white went black. The Wards quietly realized that they are close cousins.

“I knew about the riots, in 1937 I was ten years old my father was managing Neil plantations and he had a first hand view when the fellows came digging potatoes they told him Mr. Gale why you do not go inside they said. “I do not have to fear.” He said, he used to pay what he thought was a normal wage and not starvation money. He always ran into problem with the planters otherwise he could have been very rich too.” Said Arthur Gay.