50 Years Later: A Time for Reflection
Each of us bear a social and ethical responsibility of pioneering the dreams the dreamers dreamed of a nation and its people; to go beyond the imprisonments of mental empowerment, to see the promise of our emancipation through the prism of education, and to be socially awakened fervently clutching the hope we seek to taste of the bittersweet cup of economic freedom. The primal promise inscribed on the pillars of our country was for every man and woman to be given knowledge as a weapon to protect them from their oppressors. Understanding that knowledge was an indispensable tool that would grant us an eternal freedom in defining the image of our shared community.
I've peered from the window, I've seen the daylight breaking through and I saw the determination of the Bahamian people moving forward and never again accepting the status quo. To perceive with my eyes, a nation which was no longer afraid to express their fears of the things they never quite say out loud. I was bewildered that the Bahamians found their destination and they made their vows to a new doctrine. Treacherous mountains are looming in our way, don't get weary, let us toil through our journey, and walk until the last chain of economic immobilism falls. The genuine will of our people is to share their talents and hopes. I believe the tides can surely turn, I believe that barriers can be lifted, and I believe that change is the only guaranteed inevitability.
We are the unknown, we come from neither fortune nor fame, and we are educated enough. We ought not be afraid of the fear of being heard, for speaking and fighting for what is right. We are compelled to represent our fundamental belief to provide a ladder of economic and social hope to all Bahamians and not to a mere privileged few. The future of our country and the success of it are causes that rely on the courage and the capabilities of our people to address the seemingly daunting issues and to remove the deeply rooted doubts in their minds.
Young Bahamians in their state of quandary should never hesitate to turn to the arc of history and to find comfort in knowing that there was a generation of Bahamians guided with an enduring spirit to overcome the impossible odds. Carrying on your rightful place as seeds of the future, when blazing new trails, building bridges across rough seas, and exploring unknown territories, when in the place of fear, always pause to remember the hope that faith will give you strength. Your ambition for nationalism should reflect the developmental needs of our country being relevant to the times.
Our generation should value its responsibility to Bahamian collectivism in understanding the archipelagic nature our country. Equity must be instrumented in our development, grounded in the theory that where there is any Bahamian throughout The Bahamas they are entitled to the fruits of our national labour. As young Bahamians when you examine the political, social, and economic realities of The Bahamas, we must abandon a Nassau-centric mentality. You are the creators of your history in the next 50 years, you will be the heroes in your times, and the source of our nation's strength.
We must reject the cynicism surrounding our future knowing that we will encounter unfamiliar problems, great risk, and challenges. But be optimistic that we are the formula for unleashing the spirit that is needed for development in our country. We are a people who have the commitment, determination, vision, and dexterity to manage the economic complexities of our country. Our generation must learn the essentials of serving the people's hearts and souls. Once again the destiny of our country is in the hands of the people, young Bahamians are the indispensable force in deciding our future. We are the students of previous generations, therefore we should abandon our pride and seek advice from history. The most powerful weapon is a talented and educated Bahamian. Everything we do as a country depends on the most powerful asset we have and that is the Bahamian people. Young Bahamians should never become complacent in their efforts of throwing a blow for progress. To all the Bahamian millennials losing hope: Let us be the generation who will bring back the pride and glory of being a Bahamian.
It's imperative that we become masters of our destiny, never fearing to dream. Whether you are a young Bahamian living home or abroad realize your desire of being engineers in your country's future. The biggest stagnation towards progress in the Bahamas is our inability to realize that our young people are our greatest assets. We have some difficult days ahead, but the difficulty we face will always bend towards the talents of our people. Even though we are small in size as a country the hearts of our people beat to the vitality of our democracy.
Those who believe in economic freedom cannot rest. We cannot rest until that freedom comes. The journey to majority rule remain intact: We shall not stop until the majority has its rightful place at the economic table of brotherhood. The anguish of our journey will be dedicated to mentally reclaiming our country. This economic revolution must mirror the needs of our people. We must inspire ourselves to affirm the importance of ownership, placing it in our very minds, hearts and bodies as we struggle to remove any economic inequality. The moral compass will give us a stronger sense of direction on our continuous journey.
Let the promise of Majority Rule be the promise again. Let it be the dream our Founding Fathers had it out to be. 50 years later we find ourselves in a state of perplexity and uncertainty, a quandary for us as the custodians of our nation. Perspective is a beautiful thing for those who possess the ability to contextualize the potential that exists in our country. I always believe that the Bahamian people are the center of our nation's hopes and aspirations. The cause of building a promising future for all Bahamians is not a partisan one; it's a fundamental responsibility for us as citizens to work in a national interest. Truly, any meaningful revolution must be inaugurated in the minds of the Bahamian people.
50 years later we recognize there were problems and obstacles along our journey. We recognize the imperfection of our human progress. The voyage to a better Bahamas came at the expense of human suffering and discomforting endurance. From the peace of nature stolen from the Lucayans wiped out by the scars of slavery, to the story of poor black Kate whose death sparked a movement in Exuma led by Pompey a Creole slave, to a Women's Suffrage Movement striding side by side with a soul heavy with a cause.
To a ceremonial mace, that symbolizes authority, hurled out of a window, sending forth a ripple of political wind that focused the nation on the plight and struggles of its people; to the Burma Road Riot which brought forth buds that bloomed into a political and social awakening that ripened the conscience of men and women; to a General Strike, that hastened opposition to a regime that denied taxi drivers an opportunity to make an earning; to a fierce patriot by the name of Ruby, Ann Darling would be inscribed on the register to vote, making her the first woman to register, breaking the back of electoral discrimination against Bahamian women; to a time where a young premier dreamed large dreams for all.
These intervals of history represent acts of human courage and bravery. For those out there who see the future of our country from a pessimistic view, for those self-proclaimed prophets who preach doom and gloom, for those who incite fear and exploit the challenges of men, I say to you- You do not know Bahamian history because history will show that the Bahamian people are a nation of men and women who toil through despair to get us here. Moreover, we the Bahamian people, despite the challenges, we have always overcome. Despite what they want us to believe, our best days are always ahead of us because it is the human spirit of the Bahamian people from Grand Bahama in the North to Inagua in the South, never to give up.
Our founding fathers the farmers of The Bahamas planted the seeds of our promise so deep, hoping the sun and the rain that come from their people will bring a harvest to reap. We are all a part of some great plan to claim our land. We have an unyielding faith in our God-known destiny! We will continue to tread until the fighting spirit of the previous generations of Bahamians, who had so little but did so much in each of us awakens.
The last 50 years were built on the rubble of untold tribulations and great perils. We must continue the historic promise of Majority to break any economic or social gridlock that creates an atmosphere that undermines the illusion of fairness of any advancement to become a better citizen. It is written doctrine that places an inherited responsibility on the shoulders of the new generation of leaders; to never support a way of life that enriches the powerful and affluent, while disenfranchising the working class or the poor. It is the promise of Majority Rule, that anywhere Bahamian people are being exploited and subordinated while members of another group of Bahamians are granted privileges, we will tear it down.
The answers for our aspirations, goals, and common ideal will rely on our ability to answer one question. Which path will we follow? Will we build the next 50 years of democracy on, populism, division, hate, severe inequalities misogyny, xenophobia, political idiocy, fear-based messaging, emotional manipulation, stagnation, lawlessness, and religious pandering? Or will we build the next 50 years of our democracy on tolerance, the talent of our people, respect, liberty, accountability nationalism, rationalism, inclusion, equality, talent, freedom, and hope? Governments to come will be challenge with managing the hopes and the rightfully demanding expectations of the Bahamian people.
To Sir Lynden Pindling, Cecil Wallace Whitfield, Milo Butler, Arthur Hanna, Clarence A. Bain, Jeffrey M. Thompson, Carlton Francis, Randol Fawkes, William Cartwright, Warren Levarity, Dr.Curtis McMillan and Clement Maynard - thanks for telling us that this land is ours by birth and that you toiled through despair to get us here.
For the thousands who've prayed and the hundreds that fought, we say thank you. To those of us who remain behind, our thirst for economic freedom will not be quenched until we fight for what's ours.
We will continue to tread our journey until the Joshua generation in each of us awakens. Let us be true to our God and let us be true to our native land.