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Delorisa Guttman and Hugo R. Miller aka Hugeaux are members of the African American Cultural Center Hawaii.

Author's Name

Deloris Guttman edited by Hugeaux

Phone

808-597-1341

Web Site

www.aadcch.org

Email

CLICK HERE

The History of AFRICAN AMERICAN in HAWAII
wriiten by Deloris Guttman
and members of The African American Diversity Cultural Center Hawaii
edited by Hugo R. Miller aka Hugeaux

PART 1

Aloha!

In the early 1800s many African Americans men found their way to the Hawaiian Islands Kingdom on whaling and merchant ships. Some were descendants from Black
Portuguese of the Cape Verde Island off the coast of West Africa, and others were from the mainland U.S. A. escaping the burden of slavery. Native Hawaiians welcome their
foreign Black brothers. Many of these African Americans were knowledgeable and
possessed special skills. They served as advisors to King Kamehameha’s administration and acted as interpreters for the Monarchy. Some became entrepreneurs, musicians and
small businessmen serving foreigners. In the downtown area near the Iolani Palace during the early evening, the King’s band could be seen scrolling along King Street & Fort Street Mall playing their instruments. The King’s band consisted of four African
American men.

The most notable among African Americans arriving in the Hawaiian Islands was Anthony Allen. Allen was born in 1774. His mother was probably a slave and his father
was a free man. Allen himself was freed at age 24 through a combination of skill and luck. He fled to Boston like his father before him. He became a ship hand on a merchant ship that took him to China, the West Indies and the Northwest coast of American and to
Hawaii, where he settled around 1810. Allen served as stewart to Kamehameha the Great.

He acquired about six acres of land from the high priest Hewahewa near the Waikiki areaon Oahu. This piece of land began at Punahou and King Streets where the present Washington Middle School is located continuing down to Ward Avenue fronting the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Allen married a Hawaiian woman and they had three children who survived into adulthood. They had children of their own. His grand children continued his legacy. Allen was a successful businessman and farmer. He owned cattle, chickens, pigs and horses. In addition, he had a vegetable garden.
He built a boarding house, bowling alley and hospital. The hospital was a place sick
sea captains and injured merchant seamen to recuperate on shore. Allen was respected
and admired by missionaries and Native Hawaiians. The missionaries depended upon
him for fresh vegetables, milk and eggs. The board house had a restaurant which was
popular with the missionaries. King Kamehameha used it often to entertain his guests.

The first known African American woman that came to the Hawaiian Islands was Betsey Stockton. She came with the Charles Stewart family who were missionaries. Betsey was given her freedom prior to leaving for the Hawaiian Islands. The Stewart family resided in Lahaina, Maui. Native Hawaiians fell in love with Betsey. They brought their sick children to her to be nursed back to good health. She in turn reached out to them and learned to speak the Hawaiian language. This gave her an opportunity to teach the commoner Hawaiian children how to read and write. Betsey Stockton’s humanitarian efforts were considered to be the beginning of the first public school system in the Hawaiian Islands.


Five years after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Thomas McCant Stewart, an attorney came to Hawaii in 1898. He was the first African American to practice law in Hawaii's court system.

In 1892, Hawaii enacted the Chinese Exclusionary Act to prevent Chinese immigration
from coming to the Islands. Stewart was vehemently against the act. Needless to say, he represented Chinese immigrants and assisted Native Hawaiians in regaining their land rights.

His daughter Carlotta Stewart Lai was 18 years old when she arrived in Hawaii to join her father. She graduated from the Punahou School that was established by the missionaries and became a teacher. Her talents and skills were recognized. She was promoted to be principle at Anahole School on Kauai. Carlotte was a refined cultured professional African American woman who was highly regarded. As principal of Anahole School, she became involved in the community. She met her husband Yum Kim Lai who was from a well-known Chinese family. In 1935, her husband traveled to Hong Kong where he died suddenly. Carlotta lived on Kauai many years until her retirement. She moved back to Honolulu and maintained her contact with her sister-in-law Ruth Ching until her death in 1952. She is buried in Oahu cemetery.

During the early 1900's the Island of Maui attracted a number of notable African Americans. One of them was Dr. William Lineas Maple. In 1902, The Hawaii
Commercial Sugar Company hired Dr. Maples to be the physician for the plantation
workers. Before coming to Hawaii, Dr. Maples practice medicine in Knoxville,
Tennessee. His brother Samuel Maple, an attorney followed him to the Island of
Maui. The family was loved and respected by the people on the Island. The Maple
School on Maui was named for the family. Dr. Maples died in 1943, leaving a wife
and two daughters.

Copyright by
Deloris Guttman and the African American Diversity Cultural Center Hawaii. Honolulu, Hawaii.