By Dawn Demeritte
Dear Bahamian Government:
It’s 2022. I know it doesn’t feel like it when for once The Bahamas isn’t in the lead of progressive movement and thought.
But there’s still time to catch up. And you can start with the removal of the Queen of England as our Head of State.
I, along with other progressive young people watched in horror and utter embarrassment as we hosted” the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in March. I’m not sure what was harder to watch – our roads being fixed in a matter of days, or Junkanoo being performed for the very same people it was created to protest.
But what do we do? We spend a total of $636,194 for the visit of the Royals. $34,000 on accommodation and security, $37,000 for air charter services, and $76,000 for decor at various events. As if thousands of Bahamians are not struggling to live and survive in their country.
Since we’re just throwing around money, it is my hope that the government devotes as much to the reparations budget as it did to entertaining our colonizers.
Just when I thought that no one could top the previous administration’s blatant disregard for the Bahamian people, this administration said, “hold my beer”
We’ve paid enough with the loss of our ancestors, our freedom, and even with our colonized mindset. When is enough, enough?
Under European rule, our ancestors were degraded, colonized, and [in the case of the first people of this land] made extinct. But according to the white-washed version of our history, we were under peaceful rule. And let our Bahamian government continue to tell our story, we have a beautiful friendship with our former overlords, where we can mutually celebrate each other’s future.
If things remain the same, we will continue to overcompensate for a one-sided friendship.
Friendship is not ducking and dodging accountability. It is not a refusal to acknowledge the full extent of the role one’s country played in the other’s history and then expecting the other country to tote the bill.
Friendship is, however, holding oneself accountable for one’s actions towards our people. Otherwise, your friendship is a sham.
Colonization is not something of the past. Whether or not Bahamians want to admit it or not we live the effects of colonization every day.
A clear example of the effects of colonization is the way Bahamians have been complaining for months, in some cases years, about the state of roads. But the second an important white person makes plans to visit, we immediately see the need for infrastructural upgrades. Are these upgrades, then, only worthy for “company” and subsequently a luxury for the Bahamian taxpayers?
Not only is it embarrassing, but it is also a slap in our faces. You disregard our history and welcome them with open arms. As our representatives, you owe us better than that.
The Bahamas is approaching 50 years of Independence, and as celebrations are being planned, many of us are wondering what are we truly celebrating? Sure, we will be 50, and in true Bahamian style, we will party as if we’re truly independent.
But when the dust settles, we will have to answer: How has the story of The Bahamas evolved over time? Are we happy with the story of our country? Are we proud of the “independent” country we’ve become and where can we do better?
When are you going to begin the process of unshackling the Bahamian people from mental slavery? When are you going to shape the true story of The Bahamas and not the version you would very much like it to be?
We can start with the removal of the Queen. We do not need to strengthen the ties with the British monarchy; they need to be severed once and for all. It is purely symbolic. The Queen of England has done nothing for our country, and we’ve gained absolutely nothing by having her there.
We’re at a pivotal place in our history as we watch our Caribbean neighbors boldly and fiercely take steps to remove the Queen from their head of state and build a country that is for their people. How will we respond?
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