Remembering Sir Milo after 25 years

BY VANESSA C. ROLLE

Guardian Staff Reporter

He's on the money but is he on our minds?

The portrait of the late Sir Milo B. Butler on the Bahamian $20 note is a far cry from the real frame of man that this great leader was.

Before becoming the first Bahamian Governor General of an independent Bahamas, Sir Milo fought for equality among freedom fighters such as former prime minister, the late Sir Lynden Pindling, Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield, Sir Randol Fawkes, Sir Henry Taylor, and Sir Clifford Darling and Arthur D. Hanna.

In the years before Majority Rule, Sir Milo helped erase ignorance and mediocrity from the minds of black Bahamians who had for centuries been indoctrinated by a stigma of inferiority.

It was a heinous fallacy that mocked the pride so deeply engendered a generation of Bahamians - a war for dignity that was to valiantly fought.

The nations of the world all recognize and salute the heroism of persons such as Malcolm X, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Marcus Garvey and Nelson Mandela; so is it really impossible to feed the flames of the legacy of great Bahamians so that their names too can be etched in the fascinating history that the world remembers?

Some 85 per cent of the Bahamians are from African ancestry, so it would make sense that they be educated about their origin as opposed to the culture exposed by our neighbours in the north?

Today marks the 25th anniversary of Sir Milo's death and for some 14 years, the National Heroes Day advocates have been commemorating the memory of his death with a special wreath laying ceremony in Rawson Square where a bust of the late leader has been erected.

In an interview with the Chairman of the National Heroes Committee Father Sebastian Campbell, he said the idea of paying tribute to Sir Milo was started by the now Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell, "who thought the present Government was letting the memory of Sir Milo get lost after hailing him as a national hero for years - nothing was done in order to keep his memory alive."

He said having joined the bandwagon, he led the celebration of Red Mass for Sir Milo in Rawson Square from that time.

Further, he said this group were also pushing for the Government to name a national holiday in honour of Sir Milo for his contribution to the country.

"This great champion of champions that Pindling hailed him as at his funeral - this person who caused black people to be able to work in Royal Bank and other business places, on Bay Street - this person who was a champion of the black masses in The Bahamas - equal to any Martin Luther King in America. If America, which has all those holidays on the calendar could declare a holiday for Martin Luther King - why can't we Bahamians declare a holiday for someone who has done so much for The Bahamas," he said.

Father Campbell continued that time elapsed and nothing seemed to happen. Hence, it was decided to petition the Government for a National Heroes Day so that all Bahamian Heroes could be included and commemorated.

He said there is a glimmer of hope for this cause with the establishment of the National Cultural Commission, of which he is a member.

Part of the mandate of the Commission he said, is to examine the whole issue of national heroes, inclusive of the issue of establishing a national holiday, national honours and a national heroes park.

Recommendations will be made to the Government and the Government will proceed forthwith he said.

Father Campbell is calling for all Bahamians, especially those who once had the fire under their boots to cement a day to celebrate Bahamian heroes into the Bahamian psyche, to feed the flame and keep the memory of Bahamian heroes alive.

"The fire needs to return as it was in the initial stage of this campaign when the Government was ready to arrest us for even doing something for Sir Milo. We had a lot of fire then and we were ready to go to jail. The policemen did come and rather than arrest us, they came and participated in the service," he said.

Father Campbell said it is a shame that it has even taken The Bahamas so long to give recognition to its own.

"It is disgraceful that it has taken this long because Bahamians seem all wrapped up in themselves and seem to lack the spirit and fire of nationalism in order to institutionalise important pillars within our history, so as to use them as landmarks for generations yet unborn - to know that they have had persons who have led the way to make this Bahamas what this Bahamas really is today," he said.

Posted: Thursday January 22, 2004

© 2004 The Nassau Guardian