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Catford Girls' School |
 Life
in the shoes ofSYBIL PHOENIX by Shanna and Shakira |
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Catford Girls' School |
Life
in the shoes of SYBIL PHOENIX by Shanna and Shakira |
A girl in Guyana 1927-1956:
Sybil Phoenix was born Sybil Marshall on 21st June 1927 in British Guyana in the West Indies. Herself and her elder brother Percival grew up in the capital of George Town. Her mother made baskets for the English folks. At a very early age Sybil found out that the colour of her skin made a big difference to the way you lived.
Life in England 1956-1962:
Sybil came to England in 1956
with her future husband Joe, who she married in June of that year.
During their early years staying in England they experienced racism
and hostility for the very first time.
Onwards 1962:
In 1962 Sybil Phoenix and her
husband Joe, moved to Brockley where she had to really work
hard.
First she added to her family, and to make all this work, she had to give up her canteen job. Then Sybil started to foster children and expand her work in the field of youth and the community.
Sybil Phoenix became a foster mum to many hundreds of young girls from the ages of 4 - 21 and if any girl needed help, Sybil being the kind loving person she is, would stretch her limits just to help the young people in the community.
Sybil Phoenix was also known to many people as Auntie Sybil, to those she has and still is helping over the years.
Sybil had a brother called Percival, they grew up in the West Indies. Sybil lived with her mum, dad and her elder brother, she didn't see her dad much but she saw him every few months because he worked 700 mile away from where she lived, which was in Georgetown. When Sybil was only 9 years old her mother died and she went to live with her grandfather, two aunties and uncle. Her grandfather had a church next his house. When Sybil lived with her grandfather her dad remarried and didn't care about his children. Religion was very important in her grandfather's house. A year after Sybil moved in she became a Christian. Three years passed and Sybil's grandfather died so Sybil had to go and live with her aunt which was her mother's sister. Her name was Mrs. Lynch, she didn't like Sybil very much because she was jealous of Sybil's mother because she was lighter than she was. People who were light skinned got better jobs than people who were darker. Mrs. Lynch took it out on Sybil because her mother was dead. Sybil's aunt and mother had the same mother and father but they were mixed race, that's why one was darker than the other. When Sybil was a teenager she did some work in the church which she went to. When she was about 20 years old she moved out of her aunts and uncle's home.
While Sybil was still going to school she helped in the youth club when she was sixteen years of age. Then she left school and worked as a church minister's secretary.
