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   - Photo via Ministry of Culture -
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Published on Thursday, February 23,
2023
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The unanimous vote of the Congressmen approved file No. 23,272 Entitled "Declaration of Honorary Citizenship for Marcelle Taylor Brown and Walter Gavitt Ferguson Byfield," both citizens of Limón City in Limón Province.
According to Congress, both citizens are already symbols of Afro-descendant culture in Costa Rica.
In Costa Rica, the Afro-descendant word refers to people born outside of Africa who have ancestors from that continent.
Marcelle Taylor- Brown has dedicated 33 years to teaching English in schools in Limón. She was the first black woman to be elected as a congresswoman in 1986. She leads the Black Ethnic Cultural Civic Committee, which has organized the Grand Parade and the celebrations in Limón Province for the Black Peoples Day and Afro-Costa Rican Culture for more than two decades. She also founded the School of Agriculture of the Humid Tropics Region (EARTH) and led important improvements in the Limón Ports Administration Board (Japdeva).
"Taylor Brown has been recognized for years of fighting to improve the lives and well-being of the Limón community, her role in education and advocacy for women," Congress said in its statement.
The case of Walter Gavitt
Ferguson-Byfield, well known in the
country as "The King of Calypso", was
recognized for his important
contributions to Afro-descendant
culture.
Ferguson was born in the town of Guabito in Panama, on May 7, 1919. He became a Costa Rican citizen and ever since his childhood lived in Cahuita District.
In 2017, the National University made a documentary about the life and music of Ferguson. The video "The Father of Calypso" can be seen on the University's YouTube channel.
In 2018, Ferguson was awarded the Emilia Prieto National Cultural Heritage Award for his lifetime career. That year Congress passed a law to declare him a distinguished citizen.
In May 2019, on his 100th birthday, 23 musicians and artists from 16 countries in Latin America, the United States, Ireland and Africa recorded an album with Ferguson's music in celebration of his birthday. The album titled "100 Years of Calypso" by Walter Ferguson was produced by the Costa Rican musician and researcher Manuel Monestel.
Every May 7, the country celebrates the National Day of the Costa Rican Calypso in honor of Ferguson who will turn 104 this year.
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