Sadness befalls the Bay Islands, as we say goodbye to one of our recognized community leaders.

Coxen Hole, Roatan.

Late Saturday night, August 15, 2020, the death of Mrs. Anne Lee Elizabeth James Bodden was revealed on social networks. She was a tireless defender of the rights of the island people.

To speak of Miss Anne Lee James, is to highlight her passionate desire to better all aspects of the Bay Islands. Never forgetting the culture, custom and traditions, these ideologies were always her banner of struggle, regardless of the consequences.

Mrs. James worked as the Director of the National Plan program in the Bay Islands. She always managed to bring different courses taught by the Institute of National Professional Training (INFOP). She was instrumental in facilitating the achievement of many young people to obtained their marine book without having to travel to the mainland.

In the same manner many people also benefited from courses in gastronomy, dressmaking and many others that she was able to bring to the public.

As a community leader, she will be remembered for being one of the first to raise her voice, in the social problems that affected the island people. As people have very well defined political ideologies, she defended her National Party with great courage. Mrs. James also criticized and complained when something was not fair and inappropriate, although this caused her some criticism from her own co-religionists, she made her claims with great foundations.

Anne Lee James, was a faithful believer in the education of the people, she fought and managed to obtain scholarships for many children and young people of the Bay Islands. Thanks to her perseverance, there are university professionals, who have good jobs in the district, which demonstrates her interests to prepare professionals who would serve the island people with devotion and passion.

Professor Jimmy Connor, defined Anne Lee James as a brave woman who decided to give her life, if necessary, to defend what she considered fair and just. There was no problem on the island in which she did not find a way to defend us, many times while she was ill, she was still there ready to fight.

Connor belonged to opposing political parties, they argued, but they always ended up embraced and in peace. He and Mrs. James had the maturity to accept when the political leaders were in conflict, but we also congratulated ourselves when they were doing things in favor of the people.

Anne Lee, always fought for the right of the English-speaking black people, to be treated as one of the indigenous peoples of our country. This group to which the State is obliged to protect and respect certain conquests acquired, but not only fought for the island natives, she fought for all those who lived in the Bay Islands, Connor expressed through tears he hope that this and the future generation can follow the example of a leader who can never be replaced.

One of the last activities in public, where Miss Anne Lee James was seen, was at the protest held on May 4th 2020. Which they asked the local and departmental authorities to allow the entry of island citizens who had been stranded on the mainland, after the ban on the entry of people by municipal ordinance. The Municipal Ordinance aimed to prevent the contagion and spread of COVID-19. This was endorsed by the four municipalities of the Bay Islands, and official as of March 16th, 2020 6:00pm local time.

Following that protest, Miss Anne Lee James, participated in a meeting with local and departmental authorities, in that meeting, she spoke, with courage, indignation and tears in her eyes, accused the authorities of bringing relatives and friends, regardless of the municipal ordinance, while the rest of the population continued to suffer on the mainland.

In 2019, Mrs. Anne Lee James, was awarded as one of the Successful Afro-Descendant Women, an award that the government of the Republic awarded to outstanding women in the 18 departments of the country.

There are many anecdotes that we can write about the life of Anne Lee James, but for today we will only mention that she was a leader who gave everything for nothing. Everything she did was out of love for her people, her community, her Island, to her District. We hope that the fight that she led for many years, will not been in vain, that there are leaders with that energy and determination that always characterize Mrs. Anne Lee James.