The Bahamas as we know it has been built on the shoulders of great men and women who by all means are heroes and heroines. Many have passed, but few precious gems remain to relate the story of how our country transformed from a colonial outpost to a proud independent nation. The Bahamas has just celebrated the 46th anniversary of Majority Rule but during those years the significance of that day has been lost. It has been side stepped and not given its appropriate recognition as an important day in our country’s history. The greatest injustice has been that many younger Bahamians don’t have a clue what it means and the story leading up to that day. Other than Independence, Majority Rule should be considered the most important day in our country’s history. Some may even argue that it is more important because it paved the way for Independence to take place. As you read this article I would like for you to understand how we arrived to Majority Rule and how we as a country have neglected a very important component to nation building by not sharing our country’s past and rich history with young generations. A great man once said, “Not to know your past is to be an infant in the future.” The road to Majority Rule began June 8th, 1956 when six members from the Progressive Liberal Party were elected to the House of Assembly. These men: Sir Lynden Pindling, Sir Milo Butler, Mr. Cyril Stevenson, Mr. Sammie Issacs, Mr. Clarence Bain and Sir Randol Fawkes, as the
Opposition, took their concerns to the doorsteps of the Colonial Office in London to fight the unbearable segregation in the country at the time. Voting was a privilege only afforded to a selected few, including landowners and excluding women. Despite voicing their concerns nationally, the state of affairs didn’t change much in the Bahamas for the majority of Bahamians. It wasn’t until January 13th, 1958 when the General Strike was led by Sir Randol Fawkes and Sir Clifford Darling that the situation reached its boiling point. Hundreds of public and private sector workers in the country walked off their jobs, virtually shutting down New Providence for nearly three weeks and forcing major constitutional and labour reforms. The General Strike resulted in the visit of Allan Lennox Boyd (Secretary of the Colonies) which in turn began the constitutional steps toward Majority Rule such as: the right of every male to vote, the abolition of the company vote and the increase in the number of seats in New Providence by four. The journey to Majority Rule continued with the Women’s Suffrage Movement which involved Dr. Doris Johnson, Bertha Issacs, Eugenia Lockhart and Georgina Symonette. In November 1960 members of the suffrage movement along with Henry Taylor travelled to London to present a petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. A few months later in January of 1961 a select committee of the House of Assembly gave a report in favour of the right to vote for women. On February 23rd1961 a Bill to enable women to vote had been implemented on June 30th 1962. It was that year on November 26th, 1962 that Bahamian women voted for the very first time. The 1962 General Election was held on May 2nd and the PLP won eight seats compared the UBP’s 18 majority. This was a huge blow to the morale of the Majority Rule movement in the Bahamas as many had predicted the PLP would be victorious. Despite this defeat, the movement still continued to April 27th 1965 when what is now known as Black Tuesday occurred. Sir Lynden Pindling threw the mace, which is the Speaker’s symbol of authority, out of the window of the House of Assembly and Sir Milo Butler followed suit by throwing out the hour glasses. The climax to this journey was on January 10th, 1967 when both the PLP and UBP won 18 seats while the remaining two seats went to Sir Randol Fawkes and Sir Alvin Braynen. Both men decided to support the PLP and consequently ushered in Majority Rule in the Bahamas. As we continue on the road to our 40th year of Independence it is imperative that historical facts such as these are not forgotten and left untold. Great men and women have fought for years to ensure that our rights and voices be heard to make our country a better place. As Bahamians this is the only way we can continue to move Forward, Upward, Onward and Together. JANUARY 2013 ISSUE 2 | 7