There are some stories, in Bahamian history, which have come to epitomise what some have termed “black crab syndrome”.
There are stories stretching back to the days of slavery. Stories of black slave owners and black overseers and the infamous story of Kate who was brutalised not only by her slave masters—Henry and Helen Moss in Crooked Island—, but by her own father as well.
As we move forward in history, there are countless stories of black on black crime, Machiavellian political manipulations and manoeuvres, as well as, granddaddy ‘under the dilly tree’ type Bahamian anecdotal history, with stories ending with the popular term ‘selling out’.
However, an incident from May 1964, involving Sidney Poitier, while he was in Nassau, may come to be the ultimate example of “black crab” mentality.
Incredibly, nonsensically, and just simply beyond rational belief, that in 1964, when Sidney Poitier arrived in Nassau to celebrate his unprecedented best actor academy award win with the Bahamian people—a black man—a porter at the Sheraton British Colonial refused to park the actor’s car. Hotel management, who was present at the time, apparently stood there and did nothing.
Witnessing the insult, a white man, a tourist, who happened to be standing by, had to step in to park Sidney Poitier’s car so he may enter the hotel to attend his own celebration, held in his honour.
According to Caldwell Armbrister, writing in The Bahamian Times 23rd May 1964, the story was fully investigated and found to be true.
Armbrister went on to write that there was no question that Sidney Poitier was not barred from hotel because he was black. Poitier and all were welcomed. So it beggars belief as to why the doorman, a Mr. Pratt, a black man, would refuse to not park Sidney Poitier’s car.
Caldwell Armbrister calls for the firing of the doorman and if not, the only conclusion to be drawn is that the management of the British Colonial Hotel accepted this kind of behaviour in 1964.
