By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 24, 2023 –I have a serious mobility problem as a result of repercussions from two hip-replacement operations (2012 and 2013) that have gotten progressively worse over the past several years and could not attend the state funeral for my very close and dear friend George A. Smith that was held at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Nassau on Friday, June 23.
However, his daughter Gina Turner, who is my goddaughter, sent me a link to the ZNS live broadcast of the state funeral, and once again – as was the case when I first found out about George’s death — I was plunged into a debilitating abyss of deep despair that again opened the floodgate to a river of tears, resulting in a very depressing and restless night.
As I noted in a previous article, George and I became extremely close friends after I left The Tribune in 1965 and joined the staff of Bahamian Times, having received my early training in journalism under the tutelage of Arthur A. Foulkes and the late Sir Etienne Dupuch, the Tribune’s Publisher and Editor. I had joined the staff of The Tribune as a trainee reporter in May of 1960.
George was very smart and he had a “good head for business.” It was in this capacity that he made tremendous contributions to the progressive struggle in the 1960s as a young member of the National Committee for Positive Action (NCPA), the activist group within the PLP that essentially was the “power base” of then PLP leader Lynden O. Pindling.
Arthur A. Foulkes and a group of other NCPA members established the Bahamian Times in the early 1960s after Foulkes lost his bid for a seat in the House of Assembly in the 1962 general election and resigned as News Editor of The Tribune. George subsequently joined the staff of Bahamian Times ostensibly as General Manager.
As Foulkes recalled in an article he wrote back in 2005, “I met George Smith when he was a young insurance agent back in the early 1960s. Mr. Smith’s complexion would have made it easy for him to find acceptance on the white side of the Bahamian racial divide at the time. But he chose to throw in his lot with the struggle for majority rule. He frequently stopped at the office of Bahamian Times on Wulff Road – which was a little hothouse of political ferment – to help with the newspaper and join in the debates.”
Following the historic January 10, 1967 general elections, in which both the then governing UBP and the opposition PLP won 18 seats, the PLP was able to convince the lone Labour Party winning candidate Randol Fawkes and Independent Alvin R. Braynen to support the PLP and subsequently formed The Bahamas’ first black-led majority-rule government.
One year later, however, members of the PLP were faced with making a crucial decision of holding a bye-election to fill the Shirlea seat left vacant following the death of Uriah McPhee, but it was decided instead to “go back to the people” in a general election on April 10, 1968. It turned out to be the right decision, with the PLP winning by a landslide, capturing 29 seats, while the UBP won just 7. Randol Fawkes was re-elected as a Labour candidate, as was Alvin R. Braynen as an Independent.
George Smith’s family roots are in Exuma, and naturally when he decided to embark on a political career, he chose to run as a PLP candidate for the Rolleville constituency in The Exumas and was among the winning candidates in the 1968 general election.
I was very much involved in George’s campaign, and every Saturday after Bahamian Times had been published, we would head to Exuma. It was during this time that I fell in love with the islands that comprise The Exumas, which the tourist brochure describes as “an archipelago of 365 cays and islands, beginning just 35 miles southeast of Nassau.” That “love affair” continues even to this day. Although I have not visited The Exumas in more than two decades, I developed some lasting friendships during those campaign years.
My friendship with George remained “rock-solid” over the years as a result of the strong foundation on which it was established during our years as co-workers at Bahamian Times, even though we took “different sides,” so the speak, when there was a “political split” in the PLP in 1970. I was best man in George’s wedding at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral to his first wife Mavis McCartney and, as I noted, I am godfather to their daughter Gina.
Likewise, George and Sir Arthur Foulkes also maintained a close friendship after Sir Arthur became one of the Dissident Eight who broke away from the PLP in 1970 because of disagreements with the leadership of Sir Lynden Pindling, whom George still strongly supported.
Of course, the Dissident Eight subsequently joined forces with moderate remnants of the disbanded UBP to form the Free National Movement, but despite their political differences on the surface, George and Sir Arthur maintained an unshakeable friendship up to the time of his death.
George’s political contributions to The Bahamas were succinctly summed up in this headline accompanying the announcement of his State Funeral by Bethel’s Funeral Hone: STATE FUNERAL FOR THE LATE HONOURABLE GEORGE A. SMITH, SIGNATORY TO THE CONSTITUTI0N, FORMER CABINET MINISTER, PARLIAMENTARIAN AND DIPLOMAT
And in remarks that accompanied an “In Loving Memory of George A. Smith” collection of photos posted on Facebook; the Office of The Prime Minister stated: 🖤
“We mourn the passing of George A. Smith, a distinguished figure in Bahamian politics and a devoted servant of the people. In his 29 years as the MP for Exuma, George exemplified integrity, compassion, and unwavering dedication. His selfless acts of kindness and genuine concern for others inspired unity among Bahamians.
George’s commitment to social justice and his strong faith in God guided him throughout his life. His generosity, intellect, and profound impact on our society will forever be remembered.
As we bid farewell, let us honour George’s legacy by continuing his work to build a brighter future for The Bahamas.”
May the soul of my very dear friend and “brother” George rest in peace.
NOTE: Here is a link to the State Funeral was held today at 11am at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Friday, June 6, 2023:
https://www.facebook.com/theznsnetwork/videos/6505504119492968/
