Izola Harvey Celebrates 90th Birthday

[Written by Glenn Fubler]

On Monday evening, December 14th, some 80 people gathered to surprise Izola Harvey on the occasion of her 90th birthday. This wonderful affair not only highlighted the significance of the milestone she had reached, but the importance of the contribution she has made to Bermuda in concert with others, not the least being her husband of almost 60 years, Gerald Harvey.

Izola, while small of stature, is big of heart and character. Gerald and Izola were members of the Progressive Group [PG], the secret committee of some 20 residents that played that pivotal role in removing formal segregation from the island. She brought her humility, courage and ingenuity to that campaign. In Bermuda at a time when it seemed all but impossible to move forward, the group [PG] was able to initiate and coordinate by stealth, a movement that peacefully transformed our Island.

It was Izola who figured a way for PG to secretly obtain a copying machine; a vital tool for the campaign. She and Gerald had been accommodating tourists at their home, for a number of years – covering their mortgage. Her neighbour, Betty Kawaley, had two visiting former classmates from Canada staying at the Harvey home. In light of that connection, Izola went out on a limb and the two Canadians agreed to purchase a machine while maintaining the secret, which allowed the Progressive Group to produce hundreds of posters to publicize the Theatre Boycott in June 1959.

The campaign was carefully coordinated, including having teams of two to start posting the fliers on electric poles across the island, precisely at 10.30pm on a Thursday evening. The person due to help Stan Ratteray in the west end didn’t show up. Stan called Gerald for assistance, but he had just returned from minor surgery at KEMH. In light of the circumstances, Izola insisted on helping Stan, notwithstanding being five-months pregnant at the time. The rest is history.

Izola understood that being a team member includes a sense of independence, and she went over and beyond. That quality was something that she apparently gleaned from her family and her ‘village’. The youngest of eight, Izola dreamed of becoming a nurse, but circumstances curtailed that goal. Izola eventually became a seamstress, a vocation she shared with Rosa Parks, whose circumstances forestalled her dream of being a teacher. The two also shared the qualities of courage and humility.

These qualities Izola also shared with other members of the Group, including her husband, Gerald. He had his own taxi and under that cover was the only member of PG who circulated fliers in the midst of that tense Boycott period; when everyone, wanted to know ‘who’s behind this?’ Gerald had also been very active in the Gordon movement as a 20-year old, a decade earlier.

Their two daughters describe their parents as ‘being joined at the heart,’ whose qualities of character positively impacted family life. That sense of independence saw Gerald purchase one of the earliest taxi permits. Their entrepreneurial spirit led them to accommodate tourists helping their family budget, but also inadvertently helping the Boycott campaign. They have raised two wonderful daughters: Donna Harvey-Maybury, who has served as an senior HR executive at the two major banks, while Lisa Harvey-Swan is at ACE as SVP – Director of HR – Bermuda.

Izola’s example shows how humility accesses courage to be able to make a difference in our world.

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