When my great-grandmother, Geraldine Araminta Brewster, departed her native Barbados back in 1912 and first set foot on New Brunswick soil, she was devoid of expensive material possessions. During those times, what technical or intellectual skills she may have possessed went unutilized during her perpetual employment as a domestic servant in white Saint John households. That said, I have no doubt she possessed an inner-strength, as well as a sense of determination and perseverance that was characteristic of her Bajan woman peers. Geraldine was a mother of three Canadian-born children, a one-time resident of Union Alley, and a member of both the St. Phillips A.M.E. and Trinity Churches. One of Geraldine’s favourite sayings was, “Education is no burden to carry.” She recognized the potential and the power of education to transform lives and circumstances. For passing this belief down to her children, and her children’s children’s children, I am forever grateful.
— Kenneth Scott, Saint John native son

Bim’s Rebel *
This quest for a truer identity
begat more questions,
and strain.
Laboriously piecing together a lineage
no one saw fit to explain.

Confronting colonial-era systems
who conspire not to remember.
Exacerbated by unpredictable cycles
of family secrets that remain.

So who exactly are you?
There is some knowledge that I’ve gained.
Like… progeny of stolen Africans,
whips, and dehumanized in chains.

We’ve been told you were born impoverished,
near Bim’s baneful cane.
Across an unknown,
indifferent ocean
to the “prosperous white north” you came.

Quitting a way of life
that denied basic dignities,
A place unequivocally inhumane,
you’re my symbol of Black agency.

Tell me, adventurous young spirit,
who left all that you knew,
my heroic ebony refugee,
was it all worth it?
You persevered.
I’m so indebted to you.

When was the moment you realized
Canadian dreams don’t always come true?
Like so many “others”,
this land of big dreams and promises
turned its back on you.

Please know that I relish the challenge
to share your life and your legacy,
Head held high
An open mind,
I’ll impart what you mean to me.

There is still much about you to learn
and much to ascertain.
‘Cause as deep questions
get answered,
more questions will surely remain.

*Bim- a synonym for “Barbados” affectionately used by its inhabitants

© Kenneth Scott, 2016.