By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 7, 2018 — Several years ago I did a feature on “The Bahamas’ Road to Independence” for the Washington Informer, in which I mentioned the fact that shortly after he “completed his law studies in England, Lynden Oscar Pindling joined the fledgling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).”
My friend Monte A. Pratt also mentioned this important aspect of our political history in sharing a photo, originally posted by Lionel F Evans Sr., of Pindling with the founding members of the PLP Council in 1954.
The persons in the photo are identified, from left as: “Paul Farrington, L.O. Pindling, Urban Knowles, Clement Pinder (Monte A. Pratt first cousin and Tina Pinder’s father), H.M. Taylor, Cyril Stevenson, William “Bill” Cartwright, and Samuel Carey.”
Over the past several days, Lionel F. Evans Sr. has published on his Facebook page several historical photos of political developments in The Bahamas — using the title, “Celebrating Bahamian History” — and I was absolutely shocked by the questions asked by some Facebook users who viewed them.
For example, the classic photo accompanying this article is of the first six PLP members elected to the House of Assembly in the 1956 general election, and several persons could not identify all of them.
I decided to do so with this response: “These are the six members of the PLP who were elected to the House of Assembly in the 1956 general election. Seated from left to right: Randol Fawkes, Cyril Stevenson and Clarence A. Bain. Standing from left: Lynden Pindling, Milo Butler and Samuel “Sammy” Isaacs.”
One person commented, “Wow I didn’t recognize Sir Lynden. Wonder how old is that pic? Wow history.”
I informed her that Sir Lynden was 27 years old when he was first elected to the House of Assembly.
Waltham Brown, who to the best of my knowledge is not a relative, responded: “Oswald Brown … This should be taught in government schools at least. We are a relatively young nation, but so rich in history; if not preserved in books or folk tale it will be lost.”
For what it is worth, Waltham Brown, I agree with you 100 percent, and I strongly recommend that Minister of Education Jeff Lloyd and those persons at the Ministry of Education who make decisions of the curricula for our schools heed your advice.
I think it is absolutely appalling that young Bahamians are not being taught about the atrocious political dogma that existed in The Bahamas in the early 1950s that led to the formation of the PLP and the subsequent commitment made my young Bahamians like Lynden Pindling to change the racist policies of the group of white businessmen and professionals who controlled The Bahamas politically as if it were their personal fiefdom.
Every Bahamian should know that prior to the formation of the PLP, there were no political parties in The Bahamas and that the “internal political affairs” of The Bahamas, as a colony of Great Britain, were ostensibly controlled – under the supervision of a British Governor – by a group of white men known as the Bay Street Boys, who only decided to organize themselves as the United Bahamian Party (UBP) after the PLP’s impressive performance as a political party in the 1956 general election.
Their trepidation was heightened by the fact that PLP candidates Clarence A. Bain and Cyril St. John Stevenson soundly defeated two Bay Street Boys in Andros who had been long-time representatives for that island, signaling the likelihood that a similar political warning was on the horizon for the other Out Islands – as the Family Islands were called at the time – which the Bay Street Boys had divided among themselves to create political constituencies for colleagues that did not have areas in New Providence to represent.
So, in my view, it is essential that this aspect of The Bahamas’ political development — including the contributions made by those involved in the struggle for majority rule, which resulted in the PLP’s historic election victory on the January 10, 1967 – be included in the curricula of our schools.
