Barataria Gent: A great-grandfather’s legacy

JOSEPH JACOB, a former headmaster at Carapichaima Primary School had always been big on education.

“His whole thing was, he would always tell his kids and grand kids to go and pick up a book,” said Stephen Jacob Jr, CEO and founder of Barataria Gent. “Education was something that he really valued.”

Through his steadfast value for education, Jacob's 15 children were able to advance themselves and teach other children.

Now three generations later, his great-grandson Stephen Jacob Jr is continuing his legacy by giving back to education using proceeds from the sale of his high-end, designer, TT-themed socks under the brand the Barataria Gent.

“I wanted to learn about my culture, but I also wanted to teach generations behind me,” Jacob Jr said. “I wanted to help grow my great-grandfather’s legacy as well.”

He said his socks now contribute to the legacy of education, as it forwards one dollar from every sale to education.

Jacob Jr said that while he is still reaching out to stakeholders to select one to provide the funds to, he has already been able to garner US$500.

He added that proceeds from the sale of the socks will also be donated to youths affected by trauma.

Jacob Jr said his great grandfather was born in 1895 and at the core of his identity was his hometown in Barataria.

Originally from Washington DC, Jacob Jr said he first visited TT in 2017 after hearing and reading about the country of his great grandfather’s birth all his life.

“I had already been immersed in the culture, I went to different fetes in the US, and I read a lot of books about TT so when I came to here I already had a working knowledge. Visiting TT was an experience outside the books I read. I was able to embrace the ambient aspects in the cuisine, and make it all make sense,” he said.

“One of the family houses was on Ninth Avenue. A lot of the family started their educational development from there. When papa said pick up a book they all knew what that meant,” he said.

He told Business Day that he infused most of his memories and experiences of TT into the design of his socks. The packaging, which has the logo – a drawing of his great-grandfather on the box and photos of local currency on the inside of the packages – was reminiscent of his first experiences in TT.

“My grandfather would come to Washington and he would always bring back this money. I remembered thinking it was so different, nice and colourful.”

The design, an over-the-calf sock, is made by a family of sock manufacturers in Brescia, Italy, who have been making socks since 1932.

He added that the socks’ design is also is infused with his experiences of TT.

“One of the earliest books I read about TT’s history is by Dr Eric Williams. So I have a sock that pays tribute to him (called father of the nation). I also have a sock that pays tribute to Carnival and different aspects of Carnival – jab molassie, J’Ouvert, Carnival Monday, Carnival Tuesday. Then the food. Just by going to different places in TT like St James and then having doubles. There is a sock that is gold-coloured with green pinstripes which is like the shadon beni. I basically infused the senses about how I feel about TT.”

He said that while the socks are designed for men, they are for everyone.

“Barataria Gent is built on the brand of a father and what he did to be a father to men and women,” he said. “It is built on a legacy of education. It is also an homage to people who may not be fathers but are playing a father’s role – it could be a brother or an uncle or a teacher or grandparents or a mother who is playing both roles.”

Noting that the socks would make a perfect gift for Father’s Day, Jacob Jr said the socks are comfortable, sturdy and has good spacing around the toes. The socks have a price range from US$12 to US$40.

“People look for a sock that is not overweight with synthetic materials, it should hold up, and not droop at the end of the day,” he said.

Customers can find the socks on the Barataria Gent instagram page, or on its website at https://baratariagent.com.