Antonio soberanis picture and information
Belizean Biographies
The people of this young nation must remember and honor the people who laid the bricks and stones on which we trod today. On this list are artists, humanitarians, politicians, doctors, lawyers, union leaders, cultural icons and public servants. The number of notable Belizeans whose biographies appear here will continue to grow. We appreciate suggestions via the contact page.
Hon. Albert Edward Cattouse, born on August 12, 1892, was a Legislator, Merchant, Minister of Local Government, Social Welfare and Cooperative. He was the Minister of Public Works, Power, and Communications and was the Deputy Leader in the People United Party (PUP). His early education was at Wesley Primary School and St. John’s Berchman College.
Mr. Cattouse joined the British Honduras Volunteer Force in 1908, served with 1 Bat. B.W.I.R. in Egypt (1915-1917), returned to Belize and joined the Civil Service as Bailiff and Crier of the Supreme Court, appointed 3 Class Clerk, General Registry 1920; appointed Clerk to Magistrate in 1929, 1 Grade Customs Officer 1939, served in the Audit Department 1945; Chief Clerk Forest Department (1946-49). He retired from Civil Service in 1950 and elected to the Legislative Assembly as a member of the PUP in 1957.
Source: National Heritage Library L-VF – Biography: #52
Alice Gibson.(Sept. 3, 1923 - Jan. 16, 2021) Alice Gibson was born on September 3, 1923, in Belize City, Belize. Her subsequent life spanned a broad and varied career in the public service. With firm family roots in the Anglican Church, her early education was had at St. John’s Primary School. In addition to her chosen career as a librarian, Alice earlier participated in social work activities intended to help the poorer class of Belizeans, gathering information concerning poverty levels, teenage pregnancy and unemployment in south side Belize City. Becoming involved with library development in Belize, she worked at the Jubilee Public Li Antonio Soberanis Gómez was an influential member of the Belizean labor movement and in many ways was responsible for shaping the destiny of the country as a whole. Antonio Soberanis Gómez was born on January 17, 1897 in San Antonio Rio Hondo, Belize. His parents were Mexican and had only come to Belize in 1894. He attended an all-boys school in Belize City and afterward become a barber, going on to own The Panama Barbershop there. He was affectionately known as Tony by his friends. Antonio Soberanis Gómez is most well-known for his involvement in the Belizean labor movement. In 1934, many factors had strained the working class of Belize. The mahogany trade was in decline, which was one of Belize’s biggest industries. The Great Depression was raging worldwide. On top of that, the 1931 British Honduras hurricane had devastated the region. It was the deadliest hurricane to ever strike British Honduras (which Belize was known as at the time) and caused massive destruction in Belize City. This resulted in even worse living conditions for most working-class Belizeans and employment rates were very high. An organization called the Unemployed Brigade was founded to lobby for more jobs and better wages in response. When they were offered basically nothing by the colonial governor at the time, most of the organization’s leaders gave up and resigned. They were clearly convinced nothing was going to change and there was little any of them could do about it. Antonio Soberanis Gómez, however, did not want to accept this. He famously said that he’d “rather be a dead hero than a living coward” and refused to stop fighting for the cause, even at the risk of his own life. He had seen the suffering of his fellow working-class Belizeans firsthand and felt conditions needed to improve. He became conv Oral history is not history as it is found in documents but as it is passed on by word of mouth. Oral history does not pretend to be unbiased; it gives one person’s view of events. In the following interview with Mr. Antonio Soberanis we hear about the first Belizean nationalist movement from the mouth of its founder and leader. Question: Mr. Soberanis, could you tell us a little bit about the circumstances that led up to the founding of the Labour and Unemployed Association? Answer: In 1934 in the month of February they had a depression here and they used to feed the people at the prison. And they used to cook the food in the same copper kettle in which they used to boil the officers’ clothing. And I organized a group of my countrymen and we formed a party named L. & U. A. (Labour and Unemployed Association). The Government used to pay women 5 cent to break kerosene can of stone. The workers were getting 50 cents to work on the road. And I fought against that until, by 1942, they were getting a dollar a day and transportation. I went to panama in 1942 because of the war. Question: How did you accomplish your goal? Answer: We made demonstrations. We made no appeals to Government. We marched around the town with banners: “We want more work! We want more work!” “We want more pay! We want more pay!” Question: How many would come to the demonstrations? Answer: Oh, thousands. It’s a pity I don’t have a picture I took when I fed 6,000 people one day in Yarborough after a big march on the 10 of September. (The picture was lost in the hurricane Hattie.) Question: Where did you get the food to feed so many people? Answer: I begged collection from the merchants and I went to all of them and asked them to give me rice, beans, salt meat. And I had men hunting; they got peccary, gibnut, and deer. Mr. Aron Arnold gave us bull. I had fishermen going fishing. I had a house as big as this filled up with all .Antonio Soberanis Gómez and His Fierce Activism in the Belizean Labor Movement
His Early Life and Background
Involvement in the Labor Movement
The Labor And Unemployed Association