Hustle Her
Hustle Her
Hustle Her - Shurnett
Embark on a voyage of heritage and tenacity with my nana Shurnett Yvonne Nathan-Caines, who finally graces the Hustle Her Podcast with her presence. Through laughter and candid reflection, she shares the essence of her Jamaican upbringing and the playful mischief that nurtured her benevolent spirit. As we explore her family ties, it’s more than nostalgia; it's a salute to the community service and values that continue to steer her compassionate course in life. We're not just reminiscing about days gone by; we're connecting the dots of a legacy that echoes through generations.
Shurnett's tale weaves through the challenges of her athletic childhood in Jamaica, her life-altering relocation to Bermuda, and the courage that led her to embrace a career in nursing. Her story is a testament to adaptability, seizing new opportunities like joining the Young Ambassador Club, and the fortitude to leave an indelible mark on her community. In this conversation, we don't just uncover the journey of a woman who defied expectations; we uncover the resilience required to thrive in the face of life's pivotal moments.
As we wrap up this episode, we delve into the impact of West Indian heritage in shaping Bermuda’s cultural landscape. Shurnett's pioneering spirit is evident as she recounts the struggles against discrimination and the prideful strides in preserving cultural identity. She doesn't just share her history; she gifts us a blueprint for advocating self-worth and racial equality. Join me as I offer gratitude to you, my listeners, and to my cherished Nana Caines, for an episode that celebrates the power of our roots and the unbreakable bond of family.
It's time for hustle her podcast. I'm your host, deshae Keynes. Hustle her is all about inspiring women through real life experiences that have helped to mold and develop not only me but my guests into the entrepreneurs and leaders we are today. If you're an enterprising woman determined to succeed and looking for a bit of motivation, a bit of tough love and some actionable takeaways to be the best you girl, you are in the right place. Hey guys, and welcome back to hustle her podcast, as always. Thank you for spending some time with me today. I really do appreciate it. If you're watching on YouTube, make sure you hit the button and subscribe to the channel. Also, take some time to head over to the website hustle her podcastcom to sign up to be a part of our show notes. You can also be a VIP listener and we do some pretty cool giveaways on there as well. You can also find us on Instagram. Make sure you follow us on Instagram to see all of our reels. We also do giveaways there as well. So I want to thank this season's sponsor, who is Tina Oyshevich and her new book, welcome to the Jungle. If you haven't seen Tina's episode, you can go back and watch her episode and you can hear all about the makings of her new book, welcome to the Jungle. So we want to say a big thank you to Tina.
Speaker 1:All right, so I'm pretty excited about today's episode. I've told my next guest for since 2020 that she was going to be on my podcast and she finally agreed after all of this time. So my next guest is the amazing Sharnatt, yvonne and Nathan Kane Hi, nann, hi Hi. D'shea Hi Hi. How are you feeling, charles? I'm fine.
Speaker 1:Thank you, you all right Happy to be here yeah sure I am.
Speaker 2:I am After your harassment.
Speaker 1:Okay, nann. So what we do in the beginning of the podcast is we call them rapid fire questions. I'm going to ask you a question and the first thing that comes to mind you have to say it. It's not a story, okay, first thing that comes to mind, all right, I'm happiest when when I'm with my family. All right, bibi, all right. What's your skincare routine? Quick pause, my Nana has the best skin in the entire world. What do you put on your skin?
Speaker 2:I washed my face and then I put cold press olive oil on my skin every night.
Speaker 1:Every night. Yes, now the cold press olive oil. I never heard of cold press olive oil until you Nann. Okay, who's your closest friend?
Speaker 2:My closest friend is my sister and my grandchildren.
Speaker 1:Okay, can't say which sister she's got too many. We're not going to do that, all right. What's a hidden talent, something a lot of people don't know about you that you know how to do that. I know how to bake.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:I thought you were going to say sign language, but that's okay. Okay, and then, who was your celebrity crush growing up? Who did you have a crush on?
Speaker 2:Oh my, gracious Growing up. My celebrity crush I can't even say it's, she's saying my boy Lollipop it's. It was a Jamaican girl that went to England.
Speaker 1:No, no, Nana's crush is like a guy that you thought was cute.
Speaker 2:Oh, for gracious sake.
Speaker 1:Who did you think was cute growing up? What was famous back there?
Speaker 2:I didn't have no crush. Okay, did not.
Speaker 1:All right, papa Hilda. Yay, there we go. Okay, and then I know the answer to this, but we need to figure it out. All the guests know what your cart match team.
Speaker 2:Oh well, of course Summer said, without a doubt yes, and then finally, who's your favorite grandchild? I'm not going to go there, you're not putting me in trouble. My, my first grandchild is the shade. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, my first grandchild.
Speaker 1:First grandchild. There we go and we will take that as favorite, First and favorite. If you give me the F, I'll take it. Yes, there we go. So what everyone can see is Maxi's behind the camera. Oh mercy.
Speaker 2:Second I mean I, I Maxi, I did not say favorite, I say my first grandchild.
Speaker 1:She went. She went for a favorite.
Speaker 2:And my second grandchild is Maxi, so there we go.
Speaker 1:There we go, that's all right, but we'll just focus on the first, all right. So I actually don't know this about you, but tell me about Sharnet Yvonne Nathan, at the time growing up in Jamaica, what did you do? What did you like to do? Well, Sharnet.
Speaker 2:Yvonne. Nathan Keynes was a very mischievous young lady.
Speaker 1:Very mischievous. So now let me know where some people get it from.
Speaker 2:Honestly and and I like to do things I was always a busy child, like to be involved, and my mother started us off very early in doing community service. So one of the things that my mother had us doing was taking food to the neighborhood people who were less fortunate, and even before we have our supper or go to the table, we would have to take these people food and we used to be annoyed and those are some of the things that I remember, but then when I grew up I realized that was a good thing she was doing.
Speaker 1:But then I didn't appreciate it. No, not at all. And talk about you still do that now All the time. Yes, yes, my Nana is always feeding someone. So one thing you can guarantee if you go to my Nana's house, you're going to get fed. That's one thing. Whether you're hungry or not, you will get fed at my Nana's house. So what did you like to play? What did you get into as a kid?
Speaker 2:Oh, well, well, I was so busy and with my mother you could not leave the house unless you're involving something. So I was involved in part finder, I was involved in 4H Club and I was involved in St John's Ambulance Brigade. So, because I was such a busy child, in order to leave the house you have to be busy. So I was involved in helping in St John's Ambulance Brigade. I was involved with the part finders we were marching and doing stuff and with the 4H Club I was a member and then become the president, and so we were able to know. I knew how to plant, how to bake and how to do a lot of things. Because of St John's Ambulance Brigade and the 4H Club, I learned how to swim when my other siblings couldn't. Because of the 4H Club, because in order to leave home, you have to be involved in anything. You have to be involved.
Speaker 1:So I keep myself involved because I wanted to be a part of and it's pretty true to this day my nana's semi-retired I won't put your age out there, but we'll just say semi-retired and whatever that looks like. Oh, yeah, yeah. So what sports did you play growing up?
Speaker 2:Oh, one of the things that I used to do is baseball, and what I've never heard that before. Yeah, baseball, we used to do a lot of baseball, oh my goodness, and I also used to. We used to play cricket with the boys and I used to like playing cricket with boys and we used to run Every time, you look, we were chasing each other. Who was the fastest? And I was always the fastest.
Speaker 1:There you go, girl Claim it. That's what I'm talking about, flojo. All right, so when you were still growing up in Jamaica and Jamaica, what was kind of what made you come to Bermuda? What was the journey to bringing you to Bermuda?
Speaker 2:Oh, my journey to Bermuda was because my uncles in England wanted me to come to England and I was going into nursing and they wanted me my mother to send me to England, starting nursing school in Jamaica, and they wanted me in England and I said, oh no, I'm not going to England because everyone that I see go to England and come back are crazy. I think it's the weather or something, but I don't know if it's because of what they call a situational depression.
Speaker 1:now, yes, I think it may be seasonal depression.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what it was, and I told my parents I am not going to England, I will not go to nursing school in England, I'll stay right here. And so I was fighting not to go and my parents wanted me to go, especially my mom, and I remember one of my cousins that lived here in Bermuda. She came back and my mother was telling her my uncle wanted me to come to England and I didn't want to go and they wanted me to do nursing school in England. And I did tests going and she said well, you know what, send Shannette to Bermuda for a month or so, and when she come back she'll change her mind. And so, of course, my parents agree and they sent me to Bermuda, for I was supposed to be a month and I came to Bermuda and I got involved in, as I said you know, I was in St John's Ambulance Brigade.
Speaker 2:I mean being busy from church and the church. It wasn't so much I was doing in the church, I was involved as much because they didn't ask me to and I sat there and I got involved in St John's Ambulance Brigade. Here and getting involved with St John's Ambulance Brigade, I start to see a lot of things. And because I was awake and starting nursing. They asked me to be one of the late instructors and I did and I said you know what? I was telling them what I was going into. And they said well, I'm king-errored as a nursing school. Why don't you apply? And I said you think I could? And they said yes, and then back then and I wrote to the immigration and I got permission and I applied to the. I got through to the nursing school and then I that's where I started- and that's how old were you now?
Speaker 2:I was 20. Wow, because I went 21 in Bermuda.
Speaker 1:So you've lived longer in Bermuda than you ever did in Jamaica?
Speaker 2:I have, I live in Jamaica. Yes, Wow.
Speaker 1:That's crazy.
Speaker 2:I went 21 in Bermuda.
Speaker 1:That's crazy man.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And so for you to be in Jamaica, I mean in Bermuda, but you're only supposed to be here for a month, and now here you are. Four children, 10,. How many grandchildren is it 12?
Speaker 2:11.
Speaker 1:11 of us, 11 grandchildren, all these years later. That's amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So let's take it from you in Bermuda now St John's Ambulance Brigade. You're in the nursing program at King Edward. When did you meet Papa? Oh my gracious.
Speaker 2:I always wanted to know how to type, and from the nursing school and so so much notes, I wanted to learn how to type. So I enrolled in the night program at at then, the it's now Bermuda College, I enrolled in that program.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And, of course, when I went to the program, the person who was the teacher was Michael Cain.
Speaker 1:No way.
Speaker 2:And he was such a strict teacher. Not much has changed. And I did test that. And another Bermudian girl. She's a polite and I promise that he's too smart. We're going to tell him off. Let's set up to tell him off. And so we were going to do something wrong in the class so we could tell him off. And so the the week when we plan to do the mischief, it rained and of course, miss Aprilite did not come to to school and oh, my gracious.
Speaker 2:I ended up in the class and it was so much, nobody come because it was raining. And I said, oh my gracious, I'm in the class with this man alone and I was so nervous because I did not like him, we were going to tell him off that particular week. And so he came, I start practice my keyboard and typing. And he got from his desk and said good evening.
Speaker 2:I said good evening and he said how are you? I said fine, and I was all sharp, you know, like that, because then that was the week we were going to tell him off. And so he said by the way, where are you from?
Speaker 2:I said why, and he said nothing. He said my parents are Westin and my parents are from Send Kids. I said, and I start feeling a little bit at ease and he said so what do you do? And I said why? And he said nothing. He said I am a member of the Young Ambassador Club and we're trying to get new members and I was wondering if that's something you would be interested in. I said, oh well, yeah, I would. You know I would, because I am pretty busy person, active, and I'm a member of blah blah blah. And he said okay. Well, he said I will Tell it what night it is and when we meet.
Speaker 1:And he said okay, but I'll just take your number To try to give you real, for real, for look how he got your lines, nana, all the lines and and I weren't thinking, and so I said okay, I gave him my number. That's how they get you and well, that's his street. Then you guys started dating.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness, what did?
Speaker 1:what year did you guys get married? 50, 50 something years now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, my gracious is 53, 54 years now.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's crazy.
Speaker 2:So, and so that's history after all that story.
Speaker 1:Yeah, after you're going to tell him off and now it's a love of your life. That's crazy.
Speaker 2:So every time miss Aprilite see me, she said uh-huh.
Speaker 1:That's why you got to thank her for your life now here, right? What's crazy, the Nannies. You still don't type very well, so did you not go back to the class after that?
Speaker 2:Well, I went back to the class. And then after that, when he come out, when he's going through other students and coming over, I was all nervous. When he come to my club, over my desk, and and he said to me one day, you know what, I Don't think you better come back to my class, not I'm kicking you out. Yeah, he said I, I, I, I rather you go to another Person's class because it's not working out.
Speaker 1:Gotta save the relationship. Yeah then, yeah you a piece of work and yes, so.
Speaker 2:So that was the way I stopped going to type in class.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, and it just hasn't gotten. So you and papa have raised such an amazing family, right? But how did motherhood change your life?
Speaker 2:Well, he changed my life. It changed my life in the way it calm me down. Yes, I, yes the shade, I, I, I, I stay put more and I had a plan. I know what I wanted for my family. I wanted to be there for them. So in that way, I I had to have strategic plan what I want to see as a family and how we're gonna rear our family. So those are the some of the things.
Speaker 1:And then. So you have on charine daddy and uncle Wayne and my dad's doing, and then uncle Travis, so for so having twins. You always say whenever I find out someone's having twins, I say, well, my Nana always said she's never met a set of twins that she knows weren't bad. So how was it raising for kids back in the day?
Speaker 2:Oh, it was challenging, very challenging, and One of the reason why it was so challenging coming from Another place where you have not a lot of help, and coming from the West Indian community where you people, everybody, family, help it's always a lot of help. I didn't have a lot of help, so it was challenging. So one of the things that happened is my mother-in-law was living upstairs and we were living in her house my, my, my mother-in-law and my father. My father-in-law died, and so my mother-in-law was able to Fill in when I'm going to town or I was going to work until Michael come home. So what I did? I arranged my scheduling. I asked for duties that were in the evenings and they were obliging. So I was going to work at 4 to 12, and so my mother would watch the children with one hour within that time, and then Michael would be on by 5. So that's how we were juggling that.
Speaker 1:But it's so crazy to think about it like that because I feel like women, since the beginning of time, have been always having to juggle, so for you to still be an hour because you're working at the hospital at that time Were you at last meet at that time.
Speaker 2:I was at the, I was at the old geriatrics Prospect hospital then before we moved on to King Edward yeah, that was where I was so then. And then we just we just had a bike, we didn't have a car with four kids.
Speaker 2:And at that time we didn't have a car so we had a bike. So it was really, really challenging. We got a car after, but at first it was challenging. So I use actually Walk from Happy Valley to Prospect most time every evening because we were saving pennies and I said now that money I'm gonna take to take taxi to go up and those are. You say why you walk, why you walk, but I know what I was doing because that's just strategic plan. Yes, I had a plan.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah so when you and Papa were building out the strategic plan for your life, like for your kids life and all of that, what was the main focus during that time?
Speaker 2:our main focus was saving. We were, we were saving every penny and and we were looking at a shoestring budget and so we were doing because we were planning what we're gonna do, how we gonna do it and how, how, how we see life Penning out. So we were, we were really on a true string budget.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so I just want to go back a little bit. So you know, you moved to Bermuda and so most of your family was still back in Jamaica. Yeah, how was that, I guess, for you, having this new life, having this new opportunity in Bermuda? You're no longer in Bermuda for just a month, you're here now pretty permanently at this point. How was that knowing for your family and for you, how did you feel about, I guess, that transition, knowing that you weren't Going back, or did you think you were going back?
Speaker 2:Well. Well, that transition was something else, because then you did not have, could not call home often and it was like, oh my gracious, so we were writing letters. So when you write letters and the letter come, it was so, oh, it was like you hold it close to your heart and so these letters sometime take it four weeks, six weeks before you hear from home. So when they didn't hear from me they would worry because I came pretty young and they thought that Me and a mischievous child. My mother always thought that, oh no, what you know.
Speaker 1:What is she doing?
Speaker 2:What, what is she up to? But I always remember my upbringing when my mother never believed in a whole lot of company. She never believed in us running from place to place or going here, there and everywhere. It was always a plan and if you didn't have somewhere especially you were going, you could not leave the house. So I weren't allowed to run to different places and go any old way. I had to say mommy, can I go to it? St John's, they're doing this today. Are they doing that? Today? They're doing swimming. Today we're going to do first aid to this person. Today we're doing Learning how to farm, how to plan, from the 4-H club. So it always a plan. So when I came here I had a plan and I just follow the plan.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So being here and having your family there, did you ever feel, I guess, the pressure of Having this different life than what your siblings had or what your family had in in Jamaica? Or was it always focused on saving so you could provide better for others?
Speaker 2:No, I, I had the pressure of thinking of that. I have one older sister who was a nurse and all my siblings were younger, so I was also thinking about them and they there were in summer in elementary school and then when they start high school. I also used to also send my mother some money to help with school fees For them as well. So I often thought of my siblings back home as well, not only my children here, but my siblings back home as well.
Speaker 1:Absolutely so, given like all the work that you've done in the community and we're gonna get into that in a minute what it kind of yielded to for you, I guess in the culmination of all the time that you've been here in Bermuda, was the Queen Certificate badge of honor that you got, which was for community involvement and for your advocacy for the Jamaican and West Indian associations. Right, so walk me through why the Jamaican and West Indian associations were started, like what made you feel the need to start those associations in Bermuda?
Speaker 2:Oh, At that time I was running round the clock nursery I was. That was one my. I started that Nursery right there by Rosebank theater with my cousin, mavis Jacobs. We opened that nursery and one of the reason why we started the nursery was because of the need and also the backdrop with with with the West Indian Association that Starts in my house, in the basement, everywhere, that sometime my husband come home it was oh, the house was with as a beating was because of the treatment of West Indians in Bermuda.
Speaker 2:The treatment back then when we came here was not a welcoming one. We we were treated as if we were second-class citizens and and people who did not know how background or where we come from and that we are People that believe in education, that push education. They thought that we we come from nothing and so they treat us like nothing, and so one of the things that happened Deficient children, they destroy that break the camel back was that when One of the minister then take the children out of school. She was married to a Bermuda and she had the three children who was adopted by Mr Fisher and they were taken out of school that they couldn't go. So that was the straw that break the camel back. Well, my back went up and we call a meeting. And then I was then at the Rosebank theater Building next to the big Rosebank theater where I had my nursery, and I said this cannot go down, we have to have a meeting. This nonsense got to stop. And so that evening we had, oh, so many women oh, I'm Jamaican women went crazy, oh wow. And the only man that was there was mr Evans, loris brown Evans husband. He came because he was then also perturbed by what happened. So when he came, ice those that were saying, cains, you think you better have the meeting up, up by a billion and make a year renting a who you're renting for. I said I could not care less what they look like, who they are, I rent this place and I'm having the meeting here. And so we had the meeting and we talk about what we're gonna do, what we're not gonna stand for and all those things. And so that was, that was the backdrop of how the West Indian Association started the treatment with the fishers, children, and the treatment even with us, because we weren't welcome, we weren't treated right, we, they acted like we would drop out of the sky and we were trying to let them know that we're human being and we all like you.
Speaker 2:And back then I Did not realize until later, when I was asked to speak on West Indians in Bermuda, that the majority of the people in the house that was even treating us like that, the family was West Indians. Wow, when I went and I I did, I'm, and I never forget that time because your father, dwayne, had just come back from college and I was telling him some of the things and that I had to speak and West Indians in Bermuda, and he said, mommy, I'll help you go to the archives and Look up the history. And so we went, you have helped me, went to the archives and I got a lot of history. I say I could not believe it. I look at the miss Adenis and Paula Cox, daddy and Jim Woolridge. Then they but oh, and I went crazy.
Speaker 2:I went furious I was. I I was never so angry in my life. Because then I'm saying these are the people that treating us like trash. I cannot believe it. But then I didn't realize that. But then they were treated badly as well. So in order for the children and grandchildren not to know that the roots, they didn't tell them, yeah, that there were West Indian background children. So a lot of the children did not even know their roots and I said well, my children will not Tell anybody that story, because I was taking my children to Jamaica from there in my stomach and I tell anybody, you could take my children right and now and drop them in Kingston and say go home, and they find the home because, guess what.
Speaker 2:Not to junction the, then you their way home because I make sure they know the granny, they know the grandpa, they know. I remember when, when and when we're only small, every summer they were going to Jamaica and I remember they were going with my father. They were, they, my father's horse donkey, and everything they knew. They ride all the horses, the donkeys, they, they knew everything about, like country life, and they enjoy it to the fullest, mm-hmm. And I remember one time, mrs Um Herbert, she said to me, or Sharnette, when wrote a Composition, no, what, she said she, she wrote something about, I say something, essay about his summer in Jamaica. And she said, girl, is like I was in Jamaica. She said, if rock write about the donkey, the horse, the chickens, the goats, the, everything, and she said my mouth drop open. It was like I was sitting there and I say praise, thank the Lord, because my children Know my roots and they were growing up how to to articulate what they see and I was grateful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think that your, I guess ability to instill in, I guess, my dad oh, my dad and my uncles and aunt about their heritage and being Jamaican, it puts us in positions where one they taught us and then it also puts us in positions where, if people are talking Poorly about Jamaicans or West Indians, we can then speak from a knowledge, from a knowledgeable perspective of to anyone about who, what Jamaica is, we're, what they represent, you know, politicians and all of that, and I think it allows us to be able to speak from a place of Not just, oh, our grandma lives there or we don't know, we, I went back to Jamaica all the time as a child, you know what I mean, and so we're able to speak about it from a place of love and admiration and not disdain.
Speaker 1:And that's, that's due to what you instilled in your children. Yeah, so it works. Yes, okay. So during that time of the uh, jamaican association, the West Indian association, you said you were, you had wrong the clock nursery, and so I think that entrepreneurial spirit is in all of us because of you. So what were some of the other Other businesses that you had?
Speaker 2:well, I guess, up till now, yeah well, I run the round the clock, nursery and many of the Young people that I still talk about run the clock nursery.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and many of the young people that I see now the parents have said to me this is so and so this is, you had them at your nursery I would not have known them and if I didn't see the parents and I'm grateful that a lot of the the round the clock nursery children does very well, yes, and I'm grateful I also run the caribou. I was the one that opened up the first Caribbean variety. No way.
Speaker 1:Yes, the original Jamaican shop. Yes, the original Jamaican shop. I didn't know that man. Yes, I know you owned it, but I didn't know it was the original one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was the original Caribbean variety, like I was telling the young man. On course, read that. That is the name of my shop, the Caribbean variety. It was on the union street okay, right up there, that's where I started. Okay right there before I get down to fish and things on the side. And then did you say things Fish?
Speaker 2:and things, yeah, and then, Disappointed you've been here too long, too long. And then we we actually bought the building next to mr the graph that this always is her building and we end up Selling that building afterward. That's where we move the Caribbean variety to when we left that union street.
Speaker 1:But didn't you guys? Didn't you guys cook in that building as well?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, we used to have a restaurant. Yeah, that's what I thought.
Speaker 1:Okay, because I remember the patties from in there. I remember that more than anything, it was the building right next to the graphs. I don't know what's in there now, but that was our building.
Speaker 2:We sold it yes.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. I can't believe you guys sold that building, but that's a conversation for another day. But so when you think about I guess it's going back a little bit to what the challenges that you guys had back in the day with Jamaicans of West indians being in Bermuda, do you think much of that has changed now?
Speaker 2:Yes, I think so, because now, when I look at the West indians that are coming here now, I was telling them that they should be grateful for what went down before, because when we came here, bermudians would not mix with West Indians. They would not, they sort of shun you and you were in a part of there, whatever they do, and if you go to where they are, you would be in the back or you have to assert yourself to let them know hey, it don't work like that here?
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. So I mean, I think the advocacy that you had in the nursing field as well. Yeah, because it was very similar.
Speaker 2:Oh, yes, very similar on the ward, special to when it went to king Edward. Really there were, there were such bias I remember when I used to be off. Oh, these patients say, oh, missus gaines, we miss you so much, we miss you. I say why I would be working with other patients and they're like oh, missus gaines, come here. Come because they were afraid was a lot of English and Canadian nurses and our people were afraid to ask them to do things for them. They would wait until they see my black face come around. And I said no, no, they work here just like me. So when you see them, you call them for what you need, because they all work here like me. Yeah, so you're not going to kill me. And then they sit off and do nothing.
Speaker 2:Yeah they all work here, like me, and so I had to educate a lot of our black patients to know that they are. These people work for you. They're just like me Absolutely.
Speaker 1:So I guess during that time right and what? When was that in like the 70s? Yeah, so it was still a lot of racial tension during that time. Oh yes, definitely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so I guess when you were during that time that you were dealing with that, like how did you become? Because I feel like I remember growing up and you telling us stories about you know, being proud to be black and embracing your hair and all of those types things like where did that come from? Like, did you just come here already being proud to be black from a country where Majority black, or how did you feel?
Speaker 2:Well, I had that pride bill in me. But my mother, my father always say it's nobody Better than you, it's no big them and little you. Whenever you're talking to someone, stare them in the eye, look them and speak, because it's no big somebody and little you. And I always thought about that and I, even when I came and people acting like it was big them, a little me, I always remember no, no, it's no big you and little me.
Speaker 1:Every time. I always remember. But you have to, though, because I think during that time and you know we are a family that is, you know, darker skin. Yes and you know, growing up like our dads on terrain were, you know, teased because of that as well, so what was? Some of the things that you kind of taught them about that, the difference in skins and things like that.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I remember one time when they, the three of them were at prospect primary. They came home one evening crying and said all the children were teasing them and calling them jump up. And I was leaving and Mrs Christopher's daughter also was in the same class with them. And so they, they bond together because she also was a a, a Bermuda from West Indian parent mother. And I say I sat them down.
Speaker 2:There was the first black history lesson I was going to give them. I said let me tell you something your father is black, not white. And I said you don't have to wonder if he's black, just look. And I said you're not white, you're not black. I said and to be light skin or to be white, don't make nobody proud better than you, because it's only tell you that if you're light skin, that your mother, your grandmother, was either raped or gone to work with somebody else. I said all gone with somebody else for opposite color.
Speaker 2:I said so it's nothing to be proud of, to say that your light skin or you, you, they're not better than you. And I said don't, don't you, it's true. And I said don't you ever come back home and tell me because they call him your dark, your black, you children, I say you're black and it's something to be proud of. Don't ever let anyone feel tell you that because you have a darker completion, they better do, because they're not, I said, and you walk with your head LI, and when they call you, jump up. You tell them no, no, no, no, no. I'm a Bermudian. I born here, my daddy born here, just like you all, but my mother is a proud Jamaican woman. There you go, cheryl.
Speaker 1:A very proud Jamaican woman.
Speaker 2:And listen. Tell them you're not. No jump up. You got a stop saying that too. You are Jamaicans, not no jump up A proud Jamaican woman. There we go.
Speaker 1:Honestly, I'm laughing because I know you very well, and you mean the purest intentions, right, but that what you've instilled in them was passed on to us, right? And so from you know the, when you think, I think of it. Specifically, Maxine and I were talking about the other day around the light skin, pretty here conversation, and I remember having that do it your face. I remember having that conversation with my dad growing up and he was like there's no such thing as pretty here. It grows out of your head and that's what makes it pretty, Exactly, and so everyone has different textures and styles and all that different types of here. But he wouldn't have been able to instill in me that if you didn't instill while very raw at the time, If you didn't instill that in him, he wouldn't have been able to do that for me, right? So it's definitely something that I think.
Speaker 1:When we think legacy wise, and what you've instilled in your children is definitely passed on to all of us, yeah, yeah. So when I guess not, I'm wrapping up here, which is kind of crazy, but maybe think of I guess I brought it into legacy. But when we now think of legacy, right, you have four children Hunterine Daddy, Uncle Wayne, Uncle Travis right, when you think of your legacy in them and all of your grandkids maybe number one, the first one, Um oh. But you look back at all that you've accomplished, especially when you see all of us, how does it make you feel about the legacy that you're leaving behind?
Speaker 2:I am happy and I'm thankful to the Lord for what he did from little and nothing to what he has accomplished and how one thing that made me very happy is that he's a great person. He has accomplished and how one thing that made me very happy when I see how helpful you are to people and how you pull people along and how you're kind If you never do anything else in this world that made me happy is to see how kind you are, how thoughtful, how caring and sharing and how you always pull people along in your spaces.
Speaker 1:I love that. And when you think of like I guess your kids like, what would you want to say to all of your kids, like knowing now, whatever. If it's something that you wanted to say to them that you wanted them to know from their mom right now, what would you want them to know?
Speaker 2:That I love them and I'm thankful that they are the type of people that they are, and when I look and see how you all help people, I am so happy, if you never do anything else in the world. That made me happy is to see how thoughtful, how kind and always pulling other people to be better than they were. That's one of the things that made me very happy when I see how thoughtful and kind you lot are.
Speaker 1:Yes, oh, no, no, don't get me crying. And then, when you think of Papa, what do you want to tell Papa?
Speaker 2:Oh, my husband is my life, my everything, and my husband is not a talker like me, but he's thoughtful, he's kind, he's always there. If you need him, he's there. If you're calling him, he's there. He's someone that I can depend on and my children always can depend on, and I'm grateful to have a man like him. He's the wind beneath my wings.
Speaker 1:Thank you, oh man. So the question that I asked sorry, all of my guests right After when they leave in the podcast. I mean, you think about your life and everything we just spoke about today. What is something that you want to be remembered for when you're no longer with us and we're praying, that's a long time from now, as long as you're taking your medicine, please, on time and your blood pressure and all the things you're supposed to be doing A long time from now, what is one? What is something that you want to be remembered for?
Speaker 2:I want to be remembered to be a godly mother, a kind person and someone that always look out for somebody else. We're not here just for ourselves. We're always here to make the better place, and, as I assimilate into Bermuda, my job was not only to look out for Jamaicans, but was to look out for Bermuda and Bermudians and all of us. So we work together in unity. That was only what I was fighting for the oneness, the togetherness, and that's all I want to remember for one that loved the Lord and loved people and loved to serve and to give back.
Speaker 1:Amen, amen I love that All right. Well, nan, I think we are wrapping it up here for now, and I'm so grateful that you decided to spend some time with me today. That was easy, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it wasn't that bad.
Speaker 1:It was not bad. There we go, I told you. I told you it was going to be just fine. Anyway, I'm really grateful for you spending some time with me today and I thank you for doing this, especially after you know you're doing much better now after the surgeries and everything.
Speaker 2:Yes, thank you, I'm very grateful that you did that today. Thank you, thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Yes.
Speaker 1:All right, guys. Thank you so much for spending some time with me and my Nana Cainz, today affectionately known to me as Charles, as much as she hates it, but that's what I like to call her. So, as always, guys, make sure you head over to the website hustleherpodcastcom, make sure you sign up to be a VIP listener, as well as heading over to YouTube. You can subscribe and make so you can get all the updates from when we have new and live episodes, as always. Once again, thank you, thank you. Thank you for spending some time with me today and I hope to see you again on Hustle Her podcast.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
