In plenty and in time of need
When this fair land was young
Our brave forefathers sowed the seed
From which our pride is sprung
A pride that makes no wanton boast
Of what it has withstood
That binds our hearts from coast to coast
The pride of nationhood
DEAR PRIME MINISTER,
It is hard to exactly put into words how I feel when I hear those lyrics. There is a feeling of pride; there is a feeling of respect for those who have paved the way; there is an understanding of duty to my country. I know these are sentiments felt by Barbadians across the island, region, and world.
The National Anthem has been a symbol of who we are, why we are and undeniably what we must be since its adoption in 1966. Along with the other national symbols, the National Anthem reflects our identity as Bajans.
OUR national identity.
There is the reason why in our formative years we learn the colours of the flag and what the broken trident represents.
That is why we all know the words posted above and also the motto.
These symbols matter.
I know this and, as the person who symbolizes what we want for our country through the process of democratic election, I believe you know this as well.
Prior to your election to office you spoke of “A New National Consciousness” and “Bajan Boundaries, Bajan Mindsets” in the 2018 manifesto “Building the Best Barbados Together.”
“Transforming Barbados will require Barbadians to have a clear and renewed understanding of who we are and who we need to be. This clear sense of self is pivotal to creating the kind of lives we all want, building the type of country in which we want to live and securing the nation we will leave for future generations of Barbadians. If we are to achieve this, we must address directly the issue of national identity.” (p. 61)
Since your election to office you have guided Barbados through an economic and recently public health crisis of historic proportions. You have asked us to place the faith in you and the government; we have and will continue to do so. Now I ask that you return our faith in you and listen to the over ten thousand signatures on the “Nelson Must Go” petition and create the new national consciousness you have spoken of.
Those ten thousand people, Bajans from home and abroad and other allies, understand what the statue of Admiral Lord Nelson standing in National Heroes Square means. A man who never stepped foot on our beautiful island and who fought against the very liberation our ancestors like General Bussa fought for.
This is not a trend. This is not about an event. It is about a process over two hundred years in the making. The ten national heroes we celebrate bear witness to the progression we have made, and the same winds of change that concurrently brought the civil rights movement in America and the wave of independence throughout the Caribbean in the 1960’s is here again. I ask you to consider this could be a watershed moment for us as a people and a country.
I am cognizant of the challenges facing our country. However, I also see this period as one of healing and opportunity for us as a country to chart the path forward to the new norm.
I am not calling for its destruction. The statue can be relocated to the Barbados Museum for prosperity, and in its place a monument fitting of our National Heroes, designed by a Bajan, can be placed.
With the greatest respect, I hope this letter finds you strong in the belief that we have the power to determine what is written on our history’s page, and like our National Heroes before us, we should make every effort to see that made true.
