...as we celebrate 40 years of Bahamian independence ...the time has now arrived for us to complete the process ...and to honor those among us who deserve to be recognized as Bahamian national heroes

Bahamian national heroes pt. 2

Consider This...

BY PHILIP C. GALANIS

“My own heroes are the dreamers, those men and women who tried to make the world a better place than when they found it, whether in small ways or great ones.  Some succeeded, some failed, most had mixed results... but it is the effort that's heroic, as I see it.  Win or lose, I admire those who fight the good fight.”

– George R.R. Martin

Two weeks ago, on October 7, in part one of this series on Bahamian national heroes, we asked whether it was time for us to bring into force a national honors system for Bahamian heroes.  Two days later, on October 9, the prime minister delivered a communication to Parliament announcing that the government would bring the Majority Rule (Public Holiday) Act 2013 into force, ushering in the long-awaited recognition of the day on which majority rule was achieved in The Bahamas, January 10, 1967, as a public holiday.  Accordingly, the first public holiday to commemorate that singularly important event will be celebrated next year on January 10, 2014.

In the same communication, the prime minister announced that the National Heroes Act 2007 would also come into force on Friday, October 11, 2013, replacing the day that was previously celebrated initially as Columbus Day and later as Discovery Day as National Heroes Day.  And so said, so done!

This week, we would like to Consider This… is it time for us to complete the process of bringing into force a national honors system for Bahamian heroes?

A step in the right direction

Without a doubt the official recognition of these public holidays is a gargantuan step in the right direction.  And for this, Perry Christie and his administration should be applauded.  These two important holidays on the Bahamian calendar will forever concretize Christie’s legacy in the annals of Bahamian history.  However, these are first steps and much more is required.

In his communication, the prime minister stated that “National Heroes Day” will be a national holiday to “be observed on the second Monday in the month of October of each year”.  That is not technically correct.  The National Heroes Act specifically states in section 11 that “the 12th day of October”, not the second Monday of October, “will be commemorated as The Bahamas National Heroes Day”.  It is a distinction with a difference, one that, we are certain, will be clarified in the fullness of time.

The advisory committee

The National Heroes Act provides for an advisory committee that will make recommendations as to persons who should be recognized as national heroes.  According to the act, the advisory committee “shall consist of not less than seven members appointed by the prime minister” and be comprised of two senators and two members of the House of Assembly.  In his communication to the House of Assembly, the prime minister correctly observed that, “It would certainly be my wish, Mr. Speaker, that there be one nominee from the government and one nominee from the opposition in each of the House of Assembly and the Senate.  This will ensure optimal balance and parity.  We really do need to take partisanship and political prejudice out of the selection of our national heroes.  To do otherwise would be to debase the whole process and to detract from the sense of national unity and patriotism that should always be exclusively in view when we approach a matter such as this.”

However, if the advisory committee is constituted with the minimum number of persons provided by the act, which is seven, then the advisory committee will be dominated by the four politicians and the majority vote will be able to be cast by those politicians.  Given the profoundly partisan polarization and seemingly intractable political tribalism that has developed in the country over the past decade, this could defeat the objective of removing “partisanship and political prejudice out of the selection” process.  For far too long, an elongated and dark shadow of politics has been cast over most things in our society.  Because, as Christie put it, “this group, this ‘Order of National Heroes’, will be exceedingly small – the rarest of the rare, the greatest of the great”, the selection process must be scrupulously meticulous and not obscured by that shadow – or any other – so that Bahamians, present and future, may be confident in the impartial choices of these exceptional individuals who will carry this extraordinary title and the term “national hero”.

We therefore believe and recommend that, in order to accomplish this objective, the prime minister, in exercising his powers of appointment under the act, should appoint an advisory committee of at least nine persons, and ensure that the majority of the committee will be comprised of non-politicians.  We can only assume and hope that the non-politicos on the committee will be broadly drawn from civil society in such a manner that would firmly instill the public confidence that must be maintained in the selection process.  In addition, we suggest that the chairman of the committee should not be a politician.

The National Honours Act 2007

The National Honours Act 2007 which has not yet been brought into force, provides for the establishment of national honors, including:

• The Order of The Bahamas

• The Order of Excellence

• The Order of Distinction

• The Order of Merit

• Other honors constituted by the governor general after consultation of the advisory committee established under section 13 of the Bahamas National Heroes Act.

It will be critically important to clearly define the criteria that must be satisfied for each of the aforementioned honors and once completed, to begin identifying those deserving souls and to commence conferring such local honors upon them.  As we develop our own criteria, we can draw on the experiences of some of our neighbors: Jamaica’s National Honours and Awards Act, established in 1969, and the National Heroes Act, passed by the Parliament of Barbados in 1998, just to name two.

Conclusion

As we noted in part one of this series and as we celebrate 40 years of Bahamian independence, the time has now arrived for us to complete the process and to honor those among us who deserve to be recognized as Bahamian national heroes.  We should do so in the grand and respectful manner that Bahamian honorees rightly deserve, finally joining our Caribbean counterparts in celebrating our own, in our own way, and showing the world how much we value ourselves and the contributions of our countrymen who have helped to build this 21st century nation.

• Philip C. Galanis is the managing partner of HLB Galanis & Co., Chartered Accountants, Forensic & Litigation Support Services. He served 15 years in Parliament. Please send your comments to pgalanis@gmail.com.

October 21, 2013

Bahamian National Heroes pt. 1

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Bahamian Heroes

Bahamian national heroes

by Philip C. Galanis

“I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.” – Bob Dylan

Next week, we celebrate Discovery Day in The Bahamas.  This day is also celebrated in several Caribbean countries as well as North, Central and South America.  While that date was initially named Columbus Day, there are some who will challenge whether the person for whom this holiday was named was a real hero, since his “discovery” of the New World led to the extinction of the native Carib and Arawak Indians of the region.  Therefore, this week, we would like to Consider This... is it time for us to bring into force a national honors system for Bahamian heroes?

Hero defined

Various definitions are used to describe a hero.  Invariably they usually refer to a person who is admired for acts of bravery or for the achievement of legendary feats or for possessing noble qualities.  The hero of classical mythology fame normally represents a legendary personality, often of divine descent and endowed with considerable strength and prowess.  In the literary sense, the hero is usually the principal character or central figure of such work.

Developing a Bahamian national honors system

Historically, our national heroes are recognized through Great Britain, principally by the national honors bestowed by the monarch, notably in the Queen’s New Year’s or Birthday Honors.  The British honors system is a means of rewarding individuals for their personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom, to former British Colonies that have attained political independence, and to the British Overseas Territories.  The system includes three types of award: honors, decorations and medals.  Honors generally recognize merit in terms of achievement and service; decorations are used to recognize specific deeds; and medals are used to recognize bravery, long and/or valuable service and/or exceptional conduct.

We have become very familiar with such honors, including knighthoods and other auspicious awards such as the designation of Member of the British Empire (MBE), or Order of the British Empire (OBE).  All of these honors, decorations and medals are rooted in British conventions and culture.  This is perhaps the most compelling reason for establishing a Bahamian national honor system where we are not dependent on the British to confer such honors upon us.

In our region, Jamaica is far ahead of most of the other English-speaking Caribbean countries, including The Bahamas.  Jamaica developed a unique system of national honors with the passage of the National Honours and Awards Act by its Parliament in 1969.

The quintessential Jamaican honor, “The Order of National Hero”, is conferred upon Jamaican citizens who have rendered service of the most distinguished nature to Jamaica and entitles the recipient to the pre-nominal style of “The Right Excellent” and to the post-nominal title “National Hero of Jamaica”.  At the other end of the honors system, the “Order of Jamaica” is fifth in the order of precedence, and is awarded to Jamaican citizens of outstanding distinction.  Membership in this order is considered the equivalent of a British knighthood, and entitles its recipients to the pre-nominal style of “The Honorable” and to the post-nominal title “Order of Jamaica” or “O.J.”

Trinidad and Tobago also developed a similar national honors system of awards after its independence from Great Britain in 1962, the same year as Jamaica.  These awards supplanted the British honors, were approved in 1967 and first awarded in 1969.

Accordingly, there is precedence in our region and elsewhere within the British Commonwealth for the development of an indigenous, national honors system.  It really begs the question: Why don’t we have our own, indigenous national honors system in The Bahamas?  Sadly, it is for the very reason why we are habitually late at advancing progressive movements and institutions in our society.  It seems that Bahamians possess an innately, indescribable, illogical and inherent love for things foreign.  And sadly, it bespeaks a lack of confidence in ourselves, characteristic of our slender sense of sound self-worth and a deep-rooted lack of creativity and ingenuity.  The challenge for us is how do we overcome such deficiencies?

Bahamian national heroes, past and present

It is very difficult to present a persuasive argument that there is a shortage of Bahamian heroes.  Within minutes of cursorily considering this matter, we arrived at the following list of a few national heroes.  This list is by no means all-inclusive, but simply demonstrates that we have a very large population of persons who qualify as national heroes in the following descriptive disciplines:

• Freedom fighters: Pompey, Sir Milo Butler and Sir Clifford Darling.

• Politicians: Sir Lynden Pindling, Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield, Sir Kendal Isaacs, Sir Stafford Sands, Sir Randol Fawkes, Arthur D. Hanna, Sir Arthur Foulkes, Sir Orville Turnquest, Hubert Ingraham, Perry Christie, Loftus Roker, and George Smith.

• Religious leaders: Archbishop Drexel Gomez and Monsignor Preston Moss.

• Educators: N.G.M. Major, C.V. Bethel, Dr. Keva Bethel, Leviticus ‘Lou’ Adderley and Vincent Ferguson.

• Artists: Amos Ferguson, Brent Malone, Jackson and Stan Burnside, Max Taylor and Patrick Rahming.

• Entertainers: Joseph Spence, Paul Meeres, John Berkley ‘Peanuts’ Taylor and Ronnie Butler.

• Sports icons: Tommy Robinson, Sir Durward Knowles, and the Golden Girls who won gold medals in the Olympics in the 4x100 relay.

• Cultural icons: Eugene Dupuch, Winston Saunders, Sir Sidney Poitier, Bert Williams, Randolph Symonette, James Catalyn, Jeannie Thompson, Junkanoo greats Vincent ‘Gus’ Cooper, Percy ‘Vola’ Francis, again, Jackson Burnside and Paul Knowles.

• Suffragettes: Mary Ingraham, Georgiana Symonette, Mabel Walker, Eugenia Lockhart and Dame Doris Johnson.

A Hall of Heroes

The time has come to recognize our national heroes and to confer upon them locally developed honors to recognize their contributions to national development in various fields of endeavor.  It is also urgent that we establish a “Hall of Heroes” which need not necessarily be situated in a single location or facility.  Our national heroes, once appropriately named to the Hall of Heroes, can be recognized in designated locations which could include the Dundas Centre for Performing Arts, the National Art Gallery, The College of The Bahamas, the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, (which should be renamed after a Bahamian sports icon), Lynden Pindling International Airport, Clifton Heritage Park and other locations, such as some of the roundabouts on our various islands.

Conclusion

The urgent need for the development of a Bahamian national honors system cannot be overstated.  Some Bahamians have lobbied for this for many years, with substantially unimpressive progress from the political directorate in a nationally established, systematic and sustained manner.

The bill that was passed during the previous Christie administration that established a national heroes holiday and national honors was ignored by the Ingraham government, notwithstanding the unrelenting pressure from many sectors to recognize our heroes with Bahamian awards.

It is now time for this Christie administration to not only resurrect that act and bring it to life, giving honor to those among us who deserve it, but to do it in the grand and respectful manner that Bahamian honorees deserve, finally joining our Caribbean counterparts in celebrating our own, in our own way, and showing the world how much we value ourselves and the contributions of our countrymen to this 21st century nation.

• Philip C. Galanis is the managing partner of HLB Galanis & Co., Chartered Accountants, Forensic & Litigation Support Services. He served 15 years in Parliament. Please send your comments to pgalanis@gmail.com.

October 07, 2013

Bahamian National Heroes pt. 2

thenassauguardian

caribbean Blog International

Rev. Fr. Sebastian Campbell - Chairman of the National Heroes Committee says: ...parliamentarians are “lazy” in the naming of national heroes in The Bahamas throughout the years

Campbell: Parliament “lazy” in naming nat’l heroes

Travis Cartwright-Carroll
Guardian Staff Reporter
travis@nasguard.com

Chairman of the National Heroes Committee Rev. Fr. Sebastian Campbell blasted parliamentarians for being “lazy” in the naming of national heroes in The Bahamas throughout the years.

Campbell spoke at a state-recognized funeral for Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) co-founder William ‘Bill’ Cartwright at St. Gregory’s Anglican Church on Carmichael Road yesterday.

Campbell said he met with the Cabinet last week to discuss the funeral and proposed that Cartwright be referred to as the “honorable William Wilton Jose Cartwright, national hero”.

“Some around the table almost had my head,” he said.  “I was told that only Parliament could give such a designation. I told them under my breath ‘that’s nonsense’.

“On the January 10, 2007, the National Heroes Committee designated William ‘Bill’ Cartwright as honorable for life on behalf of the Bahamian people who are the true sovereign of any country.

“Parliament of The Bahamas has been extremely lazy in this regard. To date only one person, I believe, the late Sir Milo B. Butler, has been declared a national hero by Parliament.

“We wait patiently for people of the stature of ‘Bill’ Cartwright to die then we flirt with the term national hero of the first order. This is our national character on which we seem not to be ashamed.”

Campbell noted that people of “lesser pedigree” than Cartwright overshadow him in accolades.

“Those who sacrificed nothing, gave up nothing, now have roadways and superstructures named in their honor,” Campbell said.

He continued: “And many of today’s players in the political platform know nothing about William ‘Bill’ Cartwright, Cyril Stevenson and [Sir] H.M. Taylor. No wonder tributes paid in recent days to Cartwright lack so much substance.”

The men founded the PLP in 1953.

Cartwright died at 89.

He spent the last two years of his life in an old folks home, before being taken to hospital in the days before his death.

Cartwright, a native of Long Island, represented Cat Island in Parliament for seven of the 20 years he devoted to public life.

PLP Deputy Leader Philip Brave Davis said at Cartwright’s memorial on Friday that The Bahamas failed Cartwright.

At the funeral yesterday, Prime Minister Perry Christie agreed with Campbell that Cartwright deserves special recognition.

Christie said the government would allow The College of The Bahamas to begin immediately to record the history of the country to “fill in the gaps that have been left by those who have offered their own experiences”.

“We have an obligation as a country to do something about this deficit that the Rev Fr. spoke about, and quickly,” Christie said.

“To the family...I have indicated as the leader of the PLP on the one hand that I would move to ensure the upliftment of the names of those who are a part of the original visionaries and [their] name in the annals of our party, so that henceforth we will no longer have to guess, but will be properly lifted and institutionalized.

“So from a party perspective the history will be complete.”

Jun 19, 2012

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Who was Sir Randol Fawkes?

All About Sir Randol Fawkes - Bahamian Hero

A Hero of The Bahamas

Biography of Sir Randol Fawkes

THE POSITIVE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SIR RANDOL FAWKES

March 20, 1924 - June 15, 2000

Randol Fawkes, elder statesman; attorney-at-law; free trade unionist; civil rights activist; sportsman, author and musician, changed the course of Bahamian destiny forever, almost single-handedly.

He was born in Nassau on March 20th, 1924 - and was the second son of Edward R. Fawkes and Mildred Fawkes.  He was educated in the public schools in the Bahamas and in the U.S.A.  Three months after his graduation from high school in December 1942, Sir Randol's father indentured him to Mr. T. August Toote, a Barrister-at-Law.  Afterwards, he was called to the Bahamas Bar in April 1948.  On June 3rd, 1951, Sir Randol married Jacqueline Rosalie nee Bethel of West End, Grand Bahama.  This marriage produced three sons: Francis, Douglas, David and one daughter, Rosalie.

In his struggle for equality for all, this great innovator conceived of many of the social and historical milestones that we as present-day Bahamians should not take for granted.  As one of the chief architects of majority rule, he was instrumental in bringing into existence the first black government.  He is also the recognized father of the Free Trade Union Movement, which is still a formidable force in this country.  It is because of Sir Randol Fawkes that a bill was piloted through the House of Assembly, thus making Labour Day a paid public holiday.

Because he was a great visionary, many times he anticipated major national developments long before they were recognized or even implemented.  For example: the motion for independence; the existence of the Court of Appeal and many other developments are attributable to his farsightedness.

Multi-talented in athletics and the fine arts, he was the President of the Viking Sporting Club.  He also showed a flair for music and the visual arts.  However, he intuitively recognized God's purpose of his life.  His ministry was to the poor and dispossessed and to this end - this supreme liberator fulfilled his mission.  In Bermuda, he acted in an advisory capacity in the formation of the Progressive Labour Party thus ending an oppressive era of minority rule.  In 1999, he launched the trade union movement in the Cayman Islands.  For his work at home, he has been honoured and officially recognized as the father of Human Rights in the Bahamas.

Perhaps, the greatest legacy he left for this generation was his strength of character.

Recognized internationally, he was never spoiled by fame.  He never became arrogant or unapproachable.  Instead, his mighty meekness prevailed - and he never lost the common touch.  As a highly principled and moral Christian leader, he was tempted by wealth but did not succumb.  He was never materialistic, but successfully defended his pension as a matter of principle.  His greatest character trait was his willingness to stand up for what he believed in almost life-defying circumstances.  This singular quality - which is almost non-existent today - set him apart from most.  This seems to be the hallmark of Sir Randol Fawkes - one of the greatest foundational leaders of our times.

Here is a Chronology of the Accomplishments of this Bahamian Hero:

1948 - Called to the Bahamas Bar

1948 - Spearheaded the movement for the existence of the Court of Appeal

1949 - Joined the Citizens Committee

1951 - Married Jacqueline Rosalie nee Bethel of Grand Bahama

1951 - Founder and secretary of the first commercial bank: The People's Penny Savings Bank

1952 - One of the founding fathers of the Bahamas Amateur Athletic Association (BAAA)

1955 - Founder of the Bahamas Federation of Labour

1955 - One of the founding members of the Progressive Liberal Party

1956 - Elected to the House of Assembly for the Southern District

1956 - Spearheaded the movement for associating the Bahamas with the University of the West Indies

1956 - Served on the house select committee on labour relations and Constitutional reforms

1958 - Played host to the late Dr. Martin Luther King

1958 - As president of the Bahamas Federation of Labour, he led the General Strike, resulting in major constitutional and labour Reforms.  Later, it paved the downfall of British colonialism in these islands - nine (9) years later

1958 - On a lecture tour of New York City, he was recognized by the Caribbean League of America and Abyssinia Baptist Church for Outstanding contributions to Bahamian life and times

1958 - Honoured in Nassau by the National League of Beauty Culturalist in Nassau

1959 - In Bermuda, he assisted fellow trade unionists in the formation of the Progressive Labour Party – as an alternative to minority rule

1961 - Piloted a bill through the House of Assembly thereby Establishing Labour Day as a paid public holiday

1961 - Responsible for the resolution for the creation of a Labour Exchange and Old Age Pension Act

1962 - Re-elected to the House of Assembly

1963 - Represented the Labour party at a Constitutional Conference in London

1963 - Was one of the first and the strongest proponents for Local Government in the Bahamas and addressed his concerns at the Constitutional Conference in London

1966 - As one of the first persons on record to advocate national Independence, he pleaded its cause before the United Nations

1967 - As an elected Labour leader, broke the deadlock between the United Bahamian Party (UBP) and the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) by throwing his vote with the P.L.P

1967 - Became Minister of Labour and Commerce with Copyright Law in his portfolio in the P.L.P - Labour Coalition Government.

1967 - Successfully launched the Industrial Relations Charter for The Bahamas in Freeport

1968 - Represented the Labour Party at the 2nd Constitutional Conference in London

1970 - He was the architect of the November motion of no confidence in the P.L.P government.  This resulted in the dissident eight who formed the basis of the F.N.M. government.

1972 - Listed in Personalities Caribbean - The International Guide to Who's Who in the West Indies, Bahamas and Bermuda

1978 - Knight Bachelor conferred by the Queen

1990 - Cited by the Grand Bahama Human Rights Association and the Abaco and the New Providence Associations as the Father of the Human Rights Movement in the Bahamas

1993 - Named man of the year by the Cable Beach Kiwanis Club, New Providence, The Bahamas

1997 - Reaches an amicable settlement of his pension case in the Court of Appeal.  This resulted in the Parliamentary Pensions Act 1995 for former parliamentarians and senators; and the Sir Randol Fawkes Pension Act 1998

1998 - Received the Silver Jubilee Award in recognition for his outstanding national contribution in the field of Trade Unionism and Labour

1999 - Launched the Trade Union Movement in the Cayman Islands

1999 - Cited as one of the most influential Bahamians of the 20th century in the Tribune's souvenir edition at the turn of the Millennium

1999 - Featured as one of the faces of the century in the Guardian's edition of Memories - The Turning of a Century

2000 - Was listed in the Wendell K. Jones Publication: The 100 Most Outstanding Bahamians of the 20th Century

POSTHUMOUS RECOGNITION:

2013 ‐ The Senators passed a bill to rename the Labour Day Holiday: “Randol Fawkes Labour Day”

2020 ‐ Received the official title of: “The Right Excellent Sir Randol Fawkes” National Hero; Knight Bachelor at Government House on 19th November

2023 ‐ Received from The Government High School Alumni Association: “The Phoenix Lifetime Achievement Award” on 14th January

2023 - Received the Golden Jubilee Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions - on the 10th July.

BOOK PUBLICATIONS

- You should know Your Government, 1949

- The Bahamas Government, 1962

- The New Bahamas, 1966

- The Faith that moved The Mountain, 1979  (three editions published)

- THE FAITH THAT MOVED THE MOUNTAIN BY SIR RANDOL FAWKES, 2004

- A Memorial Edition of The Faith that moved the Mountain, 2004

- LABOUR UNITE OR PERISH BY SIR RANDOL FAWKES, 2004

- SIR RANDOL FAWKES AND THE BAHAMAS FEDERATION OF LABOUR - See: https://web.facebook.com/p/Sir-Randol-Fawkes-and-The-Bahamas-Federation-of-Labour-100035369065962/

AFFILIATIONS

- Chairman, National Association for the Protection of Human Rights

- The Bahamas Trade Union Congress National Executive Board

BAY STREET BOYS COULDN’T BUY RANDOL FAWKES>>>

The First Labour Day in The Bahamas >>>

Randol Fawkes' Appeal to The United Nations on The Bahamas National Independence - Mid September 1966>>>

This is a paraphrase of G.  Verdi's Opera by the composer / pianist Franz Liszt.  "Rigoletto".  It is one of Sir Randol's piano Favourites which he listened to frequently.



This is another of Sir Randol’s favourite pieces. As the Minister of Labour and Commerce, he traveled to New York in 1967 to recruit Bahamians living in New York to come to build up The Bahamas. There was a function at the Regency Hotel. I was there at 15 years old, performing The “Revolutionary Etude" by Frederic Chopin Op.10, No.12.
The Revolutionary Etude Op.10, No 12 by Frederic Chopin

Francis Fawkes Tribute to his Mother - Lady Jacqueline Rosalie Fawkes; wife of Sir Randol Fawkes>>>