Montserrat premier visits Boston

Premier of Montserrat Donaldson Romeo (far right) celebrates with members of the Montserrat Progressive Society of Boston.

Members of the Boston Montserratian community gathered at the Venezia restaurant in Dorchester on Saturday night to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Montserrat Progressive Society of Boston. The evening included visits from the country’s Premier, Donaldson Romeo, and Mayor Martin J. Walsh, as well as citations of thanks for Councilor Charles Yancey and Representative Gloria Fox.

A storied organization

Montserrat is a British territory in the Caribbean that remains under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom. Roughly two-thirds of the nation’s population left the island in the wake of a volcanic eruption in 1995. Today the country has only 6,000 residents and is still trying to rebuild from the destruction.

The Montserrat Progressive Society of Boston was founded in 1934 when a woman named Eliza Beach-Francis was inspired by her visit to the 20th anniversary of a New York organization by the same name. Both organizations are rooted in social service. Current society president Alfred Molyneaux notes they were formed before there was anything like health benefits or a federal welfare program.

In his remarks, Molyneaux recounted how that same commitment has been passed down from the organization’s founders.

“They have built the bridge so we can cross it,” he said. “We must not let it fall.”

Molyneaux recalled speaking with Beach-Francis while she was on her deathbed. “I want you to continue the work I have started,” she told him. “I never wanted to be president, I just wanted to serve others.”

To that end, the organization provides scholarship money to a number of students each year to help pay for tuition and supplies.

“It gives us a sense of satisfaction that somewhere along the line, we are able to touch a child’s life,” Molyneaux said.

Public service

The Montserrat Progressive Society also bestowed honorary membership on Mayor Walsh. Mary-dith Tuitt, an organization member, joked as she handed it to him, “His parents moved here from Ireland — much like us!” Montserrat has a significant Irish cultural dimension due to the history of Irish indentured servants, slaves and 17th century Cromwellian exiles who migrated there.

The organization also honored City Councilor Charles Yancey and state Representative Gloria Fox with community service awards for their work on behalf of the Montserratian community.

An immigrant tale

During his remarks, Mayor Walsh emphasized the common immigrant experience that he shared with those in the room. “I am the son of immigrants,” he said, describing how his parents came to the United States from Ireland. “Many of you have done the same thing [as my parents]: worked and sent money back home. It’s important to never forget when you come from.”

He also noted the “strong relationship” that the city of Boston has with Montserrat and committed to the idea of a sister city agreement between the two localities, a goal that he described as “something that we will do.”

Romeo told the Banner that even though Montserrat is not technically a city, the sister city agreement would likely encompass the entire territory because its largest city was destroyed by the volcano. Since 1998, the de facto capital of Montserrat has been the village of Brades, which has a population of roughly 1,000 residents.

A Premier visit

Romeo, who was elected in September 2014, is traveling along the American east coast and Canada, where he is reaching out to the Montserratian diaspora.

“I’m getting them ready [to] lobby the British government to fulfill their commitments to provide infrastructure to get the country ready again,” he told the Banner in a conversation before Saturday’s event.

Romeo said that the Montserratian government has experienced significant leadership turnover — 6 premiers in 20 years — because of its failure to get the British government to deliver on previous promises. He especially wants to focus on improvements to the country’s seaport and the construction of a new airport.

Romeo’s message to the diasporic community is simple: they are important to the development of the country. He says he is aware of the challenge of bringing back people who left their homeland years ago. “There are hundreds who want to come home but they need an economy to come back to,” he said.