Amy Bailey

Amy Beckford Bailey was born on 27 November 1895 in Walderston, Manchester Parish, Jamaica, to Anne (née Lawson) and William Frederick Bailey. Bailey was the fifth of eight children born to her parents who were both teachers. Her father was the founder of the Jamaica Union of Teachers and encouraged all of his children to become teachers, as there were few other opportunities open to black Jamaicans. After attending elementary school at Mount Olivet Primary School, Bailey studied at Shortwood Teacher's College, graduating in 1917. Soon thereafter, she was stricken with severe dysmenorrhea. While recuperating, she studied on her own to earn accounting, bookkeeping, and shorthand.
In January 1920, Bailey began teaching at the Kingston Technical High School (KTHS), when she was hired to replace her sister who was taking a three-month leave of absence. Ivy didn't return to the school, and Ba…