Belizean Heroes

Belizean Heroes

Belize has gone through a lot of changes since the British settled here and these changes were for the better. Many different people, men and women, were responsible for the proper molding of this country and its people. These people are called heroes/heroines and Belize had many of them. These people contributed a lot to this country and we, as Belizeans, should be thankful and respectful of these people because of their great efforts and dedication in making Belize a better place.

Our first hero’s name is the great Antonio Soberanis. He was a leading figure in the nationalist movement in the political arena for a number of years and he is considered to be one of Belize’s great national heroes and loyal patriots. This great man became active in politics during the depression which followed the hurricane of 1931. What caused him to become interested in politics was his opposition to the government’s treatment of laborers. He was shocked at the fact that women were being paid so poorly for doing heavy, manual work. These women were being paid five cents for every five-pound kerosene tin filled and emptied. The men working on the roads were being paid at the rate of fifty cents per day. The government organized a horrible feeding program through which the needy were fed nasty rice ‘lab’ and bread cooked in copper pots at the prison. On September 10, 1932, he fed six thousand people on the Yarborough field while being the leader of the Labor Employment Association. His political activities continued until 1942 when he went as part of a labor unit to work on the construction of the Panama Canal. His accomplishments were great and they definitely deserve great respect.

No doubt, Cleopatra White was a full-bloodied Belizean who gave her all to Belize and its people. She was an outstanding patriot and leader of merit. She was a nurse, social worker, community leader and helper in the arts. She was the second Matron of the Black Cross Nurses who did voluntary work among the community. In short, she was a person interested in the life of her people regardless of race or color and was a promoter of free expression to demonstrate and develop Belizean folklore and culture. This great woman’s contributions to the development of her people were many.