In 2012, I had to have a prostate procedure, which was done in Phoenix, Arizona, by one Dr. Daitch. One of Mose’s friends, a gentleman from Corozal by the name of Raul Daniels, drove me, Mose and Fada Lee from Belize to Houston, Texas, (through Vera Cruz, Tampico, and Reynosa), then loaned his vehicle to Mose and Fada Lee to take me from Houston to Phoenix by way of El Paso.

_{Misheck Mawema}

One day about eight or ten years ago, I was visiting Raul in Corozal, and one of his friends was visiting him from California. I think his name was Alfred Haylock, and I believe he is now deceased. Alfred claimed that way back when, Misheck Mawema had slapped William Messmer, a Jesuit priest, while teaching at the high school in Corozal. This revelation unlocked a mystery for me which had lasted for more than four decades.

_{Galento X Neal}

In November of 1970, the late Galento X Neal was the president of UBAD. I had resigned because of a Supreme Court housebreaking trial which had been postponed from the October 1970 to the January 1971 Supreme Court session. Two of my co-defendants were the late Ibrahim Abdullah (“Justice” Eagan) and Charles X Stamp.

One day at the UBAD Euphrates Avenue headquarters which doubled as Galento’s tailor shop, we heard this story about an African from Rhodesia who had been embroiled in a controversy or conflict at the Corozal high school. Galento and I felt we had to go find out for ourselves what was going on with this African — who was he and how had he landed in Belize.

There was no Northern or Philip Goldson Highway as such in November of 1970. To get to Corozal, you went to Sandhill, then turned right on the old Northern Road, which took you to Maskall. From Maskall you headed west and came out at Carmelita thereabouts, then you headed to Corozal Town.

We travelled on a small motorcycle, me being Galento’s passenger. The trip took us as much as six hours, if I remember correctly. We arrived in Corozal Town looking white because of all the white marl on the road. The trip, insofar as our primary purpose was concerned, was a waste of time. Everything was quiet in Corozal Town, and nobody was talking anything like a dispute between an African and a priest, or with whomever.

The only good thing that came out of the trip was that Galento and I crossed the border to Chetumal, where we watched the fight between Muhammad Ali and Oscar Bonavena on television in a sidewalk cafe. (Belize didn’t have television in 1970, so we enjoyed the bout immensely.)

At what point Misheck Mawema became a kind of public figure I really can’t say. I may have met him once or twice. He was hanging out with Assad Shoman and Said Musa, it appeared to me. Misheck seemed a mysterious, charismatic personality. I don’t recall our ever holding a conversation.

After a while Misheck drifted south to Dangriga, where he became active in union politics on the Commerce Bight waterfront. George “Boxer” Swazo spoke very highly of Misheck, who left a son in Dangriga, when I mingled with Boxer and Garrincha during the exciting Grigamandala days (1999/2000). 

I’ve had this photo of Misheck you see here from the 1970s. It’s not a very good photo, but all the memories came back when Assad sent me a short mail early this week to remind me of Malcolm X’s 100th birthday on Monday of this week. 

_{Lillette Barkley-Waite and Attallah Shabazz (right)}

I’ve had this beautiful photo of Malcolm’s oldest daughter, Attallah, standing to the left of Lillette Barkley-Waite (former chairlady of the UBAD Educational Foundation), for many years.

I have never spoken to Attallah, who was a six-year-old child at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan when her father was gunned down in 1965. Attallah has also suffered the violent death of her mother, Dr. Betty Shabazz, as if the Audubon experience were not trauma enough.

Early on Thursday morning this week, I began digging through all my old photographs. None of the young Belizean generations will know of these personalities and events, so I feel I am putting down something for our history as black Belizeans.

I’m glad Professor Iyo got to interview Galento for his recent book, UBAD conversations. I am compadre to Galento (I stood for Ras Buck), and his family (Raphael, Junie, Glennis, etc.) were foundations to the early UBAD. Galento X Neal was a 100 percent roots superstar. Straight up.

I don’t have the slightest idea where Misheck ended up.

To Attallah, I give respect and recognize the massive impact her father had on my life. Keep on keeping on, my sister.