On Saturday afternoon, February 22, I attended a memorial Mass for the late Peter “Chukku” Young at the venerable Holy Redeemer Cathedral, where I served Mass for priests like William Thro and Leo Weber when I was a young boy.
Peter died way back in mid-July last year in Jamaica, where he had lived for several decades. His family chose February 22 for the memorial in Belize because it would have been his 80th birthday.
Chukku Young was a dynamic, ebullient, sociable personality in Belizean life, especially sports, in the 1960’s. His best friend was definitely Owen “Sonny” Meighan, another famous Belizean athlete. Chukku was also close to Colin Thurton. Peter and I became close in the few weeks before I left Belize in late August in 1965 on an American university scholarship, the first such given by the U.S. State Department to Belize. The Americans decided to start helping Belize after we achieved self-government in January of 1964.
The thing about Chukku was that I could feel how happy he was for me, that I had gotten a break to travel and study. There was absolutely no jealousy or envy in him. He was totally glad for me, straight up.
When I finished school and came home in 1968, I believe Peter had already married Lydia Rancharan and gone to Los Angeles. I didn’t see him for a long time, but I know at some point he had been a Customs officer in Belize before leaving for the City of Angels.
Chukku Young, when I didn’t see him, had studied to become an accountant and migrated to Jamaica, where he became very, very successful. I believe he was happy in Jamaica.
On one of his few visits home, he told me this story, and I feel I have to share it with you today. Early in his time at St. John’s College, Chukku got into a fuss with another student, Vernon Alcoser, someone I knew very well because he was my Uncle Buck’s neighbour and protege on the street which ran east to west across from the old Her Majesty’s Prison. As a result of that fuss with Vernon, Chukku was expelled from S.J.C. Fortunately for him, he was then accepted by Wesley College, where he went on to become a star.
But on my verandah that afternoon when he told me about the problem with Vernon (who years later became an American war hero in Vietnam), Chukku told me that when he was expelled from S.J.C. he was so intimidated by the thought of having to go home to face his father, he began walking the Northern Highway, and just walked and walked until he passed Ladyville.
I feel so proud that a man who had experienced such a setback could achieve such success later in life. I give Peter Young big, big respect.
There is another man I know who was unfairly expelled from high school (Gwen Liz) as a teenager. That is Kirk “Shabba” Smith, who lived right across the street from our newspaper. Kirk went on to reach Weber State University in Utah, gained his degree, and starred in the NCAA “March Madness” basketball tournament. We Belizeans all watched him proudly on cable television. Maximum respect, Kirk “Shabba.”
On one of his trips to Belize, Chukku came to my home with Sonny. In our conversation, Chukku commented on what a sensational accomplishment the work of Richard Williams with his daughters, Venus and Serena, had been. I don’t believe the film about “King Richard,” a poor and humble black man from Compton, California, had yet been made. I loved watching Venus and Serena, of course, but I had never thought of what an amazing job Richard Williams had done until Chukku mentioned it.
Count Chukku along with Shabba and Richard Williams on the list of those men of color who fought their way from the bottom all the way to the top.
In closing, I would note that both Chukku and Shabba travelled abroad to achieve success. I think there is this glass ceiling somewhere in Belize which often blocks people of color from achieving their full potential. This whole journey began on a slave ship, remember.
I had to write this column to pay my respects to you, Peter. When I got my break in 1965, you were there for me. Later, you made your own break. You were very special. You deserve great blessings from the Creator.