Atty. Rudyard Whyte was born in England in 1960 to his Jamaican mother who had migrated there in the mid-1950s to train as a nurse. She worked then got married and had him and his sister.
Mrs. Whyte says that Rudy was an obedient and respectful child that worked and studied hard. She was not surprised at the outcome of his career. It was expected especially knowing that he was really raised by his aunt in Jamaica, who was the principal at his elementary school with the help of his grandmother starting in early 1962. He was always highly recognized for his academic acumen by his teachers, family members and friends who always thought that he would be a doctor.
- Advertisement -
Atty. Whyte said he attended Munro College, an all-boys’ High School in the Santa Cruz mountains of St. Elizabeth, where he was a boarder between ages 11-16 years of age. Boarding school to him was smooth sailing, compared to a rather strict home life. He had a chance to be among his peers and to be able to play sports and study. On career day when he was in 3rd form, he listened to a doctor and an engineer who explained in detail what it would take to be a success in those fields. Because science was not his strong point, he decided to listen to the lawyer. Something clicked when he heard that you had to be good in English and be able to write well. He could possibly pave a successful path in the legal field. So, there he decided to focus his attention on becoming a lawyer, not from any family influence, certainly not watching tv because his little village didn’t even have electricity, He knew about getting justice for folks, trying to right wrongs and serving. Simply put, he came from a small village and there wasn’t much that he could see in terms of his personal growth and professional development.
It was his mother who encouraged him to pursue tertiary education at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, but he insisted on coming to the United States to join his mom at age 16. Although the American school system wanted to place him in high school because of his age, he defied the suggestions given his stringent educational background and training in Jamaica. He firmly said “No, I have already gone to high school.” The transition was seamless as well. Therefore, he enrolled and attended Brooklyn College where he easily and masterfully earned his Baccalaureate degree with many others much older than he was. There was a certain expectation of achievement especially coming out of his well-respected high school. College was no real challenge for him.
Rudy”, as his mother fondly refers to him, had never really lived with her but used to write letters often back and forth while she was still in England and he yearned for her presence. He would only see her once a year when she came home on vacation, but he understood the sacrifice she was making like many other parents who would live in a foreign country and return home annually. He understood how others might have felt but he knew that his mother was making more money in the US than being in Jamaica and that’s why he had better clothes and shoes than many of his elementary school classmates whose parents struggled in Jamaica. Some students were even barefooted. Mr. Whyte on the other hand was quite a rational and practical-minded person even at a young age.
As a matter of fact, he was a student advocate. Service was natural for him. He wasn’t poor but there were those who in his village whom his grandmother had fed and whom his aunt had helped in different ways, so kindness and service were not taught but emulated as the thing to do for the disadvantaged and marginalized. To date he still offers scholarship to children from his former elementary school in preparation for high school and he has even had a “House” named after him – WHYTE HOUSE, of course! His mission and obligation are to help others.
More Jamaicans should offer similar opportunities to those who are in need. He recalls passing his exams to go to high school and there were many who were just as bright or brighter than he was, but they could not go to high school full time or complete because they had to help their father in the fields or their mother in the market. Opportunity, he believes, is what is what drives the world. “But for the grace of God”, he could have been on the other side of the fence had he not had a village of his aunt, grandmother, mother and others who believed in and supported him. Mrs. Whyte concurred. Her son is still loved by myriads of people.
“Midnight Run” has been another passion in his life for the past 30 years, where he takes the time to buy toiletries, food and clothing for those in need; people without a shelter, ex-offenders who can’t find a job because of their past and spends time talking to them, uncovering other needs. He’s a friend to the friendless and he helps the less fortunate. If there’s a reason for him to help, then there’s no reason why he shouldn’t and he doesn’t judge those who can help but don’t.
Being a part of the Cochran firm has cleared many paths for him to be present for others.
The Caribbean Attorneys Network honored him with an award, which he dedicated to his mother in recognition of the sacrifices she made that helped shape the person he is today. He takes pride in identifying as English, Jamaican, and American, and he would not change the trajectory of his journey, even if given the chance to do it all over again.
