By S. Sebastian Campbell
The National Heroes Day Committee had its debut on Jan. 22, 1991, on the 12th anniversary of the death of Sir Milo B. Butler. The Red Mass in Rawson Square, across from the statute of Sir Milo, became the accepted norm of commemorating the life and times of Sir Milo B. Butler.
Today marks the 26th anniversary of the death of Sir Milo B. Butler, first Bahamian Governor General and an officially declared national hero by the Bahamas Government. The National Heroes Committee was born out of a burning desire to keep the memory of Sir Milo alive and to be a catalyst for a holiday to keep alive the memory of an individual equal to the status of Dr. Martin Luther King of the United States, for whom a holiday was established. Sir Milo is our champion of equal rights. Former Prime Minister, the late Sir Lynden O. Pindling in paying tribute, said, "Sir Milo was the champion's champion."
He fought for poor black Bahamians who did not have the courage to fight, so as to obtain decent salaries, like garbage collectors and construction workers.
Sir Milo was moved into politics to be the voice of the marginalised, those who had no vote and no money. He saw politics as a vehicle of deliverance. After the Burma Road riot in May 1942, Sir Milo gave an impassioned speech in the House of Assembly. In this speech he articulated the plight of the majority of Bahamians. "This community had always lived in peace and harmony but during the last four or five years, there had always been some disturbances somewhere. The working man had as much right to get something for his investments. When matters affecting individuals came up before the government an answer could be received overnight, but very little attention was paid to matters affecting the masses. The people did not want a government that looked after the classes and ignored the masses."
He joined the Progressive Liberal Party when it was not a popular thing to do. He offered more to the party than the party had to offer him, for he was already a forceful one-man band fighting for human rights.
He suffered personal and physical abuse and ridicule, being dragged, by police, across the green carpeted floor of democracy and locked into bathrooms to stop him from voting in the people's parliament, where he was elected to speak and vote. Milo Butler served in the House Assembly from 1939 to 1973, except for a break in 1949 – 1956 when he was defeated in an election in that period. He took office as the first Bahamian Governor General from 1973 until his death on Jan. 26, 1979.
He fought discrimination, physically in banks and hotels. The fact that only whites were seen behind counters in banks, especially the Royal Bank, angered him. He fought and demanded a change. He was a church man; he served as a vestry and synod member of the Anglican Church for some 40 years. Giving the sermon at his funeral, Bishop Michael Eldon said that God was the motivating force in his life. He took his church membership seriously giving himself and family fully to the church's mission. Over these years the heroes committee insists that a holiday be declared now not only for Sir Milo, but a heroes holiday to celebrate all our heroes.
At his funeral on the Jan. 29, 1979, the late Sir Lynden Pindling said, "It is most fitting that we in this generation and time recognise the outstanding contribution which Sir Milo has made to the freedom and stability for which our Bahamas has become well known. His efforts remain unsurpassed throughout the nation. He has shown how the institutions of democracy could be used peacefully to effect development and change."
He swam against the moderate tide of the partially comfortable black middle class and become "the prophet of black rage" confronted white supremacy at the institutional level, never the personal, and sought to put a human face on people who have been devalued and dehumanised for generations. (Quote from the 100 Most Outstanding Bahamians of the 20th century).
Prime Minister Christie, while addressing the National Heroes Day celebration in October 2002, promised the appointment of Cultural Commission, to be mandated to look into all matters alongside many other cultural concerns for which we have been pressing all these years. He has following through on that promise. A commission is in place, which among other matters will examine:
1. National Heroes (The government has accepted the commission's recommendation that the Nassau International Airport be renamed the Lynden Pindling International Airport. We beg the government to hasten its implementation and follow through on other proposals for the renaming of public places).
2. National Heroes Park (Clifton has been recommended and accepted as the place for this recommended by the Commission)
3. National Honours as opposed to Colonial Honours (The Cultural Commission has advised the government that colonial awards no longer be accepted and conferred in this country as we await the implementation of our own honours system. (Our local National Honours System is to come in place by Easter of this year. It will be incomplete without consideration to National Heroes).
4. Holidays in the Bahamas (There should be no compromise in establishing a holiday for Bahamians. No Bahamian or group of Bahamians is so honoured in this country of ours. We urge that National Heroes Day Holiday be passed into law with the National Honours system).
5. The place of our history in our schools. (To our shame many children know nothing of our history; institutionalizing memorials like a Sir Milo Butler day will go a long way in teaching our history.
We applaud the Prime Minister for this effort and appreciate the fact that the National Heroes Committee through its chairman sits on the cultural commission.
We have every good hope that the Commission will function and be a productive one. We promise every assistance in its work.
Our work continues as a nation; ultimately, we are all eager to see reform in our country; for Bahamianization and sovereignty to mean what it ought to designate. To God be the glory, for all we have achieved to date, primarily for stamping the term "National Hero" on the fabric of our Bahamian Nation and the rescuing of Sir Milo from obscurity.
