Rihanna, National Hero of Barbados

The announcement by Prime Minister Mia Mottley during the independence and republic ceremony that Rihanna was recommended by the government and accepted by the now President of the Republic of Barbados to be added to the pantheon of national heroes came as a surprise. To be expected public opinion is mixed although many appreciate Rihanna for what she has accomplished on the world stage as an entertainer, businesswoman and philanthropist.

It is instructive to to examine the criteria outlined in the Order of National Heroes Act, in particular the criteria for eligibility declared in the schedule to the Act.


Order of National Heroes

In determining the eligibility of a person referred to in section 8, the Prime Minister shall have regard to whether that person

  1. (a)  has given outstanding service to Barbados and his contribution has altered the course of the history of Barbados;
  2. (b)  has given service to Barbados which has been exemplified by visionary and pioneering leadership, extraordinary achievement and the attainment of the highest excellence which has redounded to the honour of Barbados; or
  3. (c)  has, through his heroic exploits and sacrifice, contributed to the improvement of the economic and social conditions of Barbados and Barbadians generally.

The blogmaster will reserve opinion, for the moment.

174 thoughts on “Rihanna, National Hero of Barbados


  1. 1/1

    Judging from how you discuss issues, it is clear you don’t do enough reading and, more often than not, your opinions are based on what you believe is fact…. or in Bajan parlance, ‘what you feel,’ instead of FACTS. And, you’ll continue to argue even though you were proven to be wrong.

    Perhaps you should expand your knowledge by doing a bit more reading, rather than confining your sources of information to rhetorical political diatribe and propaganda from the DLP’s website or social media sites dominated by DLP supporters.

    The reality is, you (or I), DO NOT KNOW whether or not “Sarah Ann Gill never said what race or category or ethnicity she would place herself.”

    Hence, to engage in a discussion on that topic can only continue based on assumptions.

    However, people of mixed African and European descent were often described as ‘free people of colour,’ a term that was applied to those in the category of mulatto and further subdivided to include ‘free browns,’ such as quadroon or mustee.

    RE: “Just be careful what u read in history books.”

    I couldn’t agree with you more. That’s why I recommend people should read several different sources of information.


  2. @John December 2, 2021 1:14 AM “If you knew your history you would know that his brother or nephew are also candidates for “his outside children”

    So you are telling me that Thomas Jefferson, his brother and his nephew were all using the poor black enslaved girl for their sexual pleasure? It is nasty man to sex with a person your brother and nephew are both sexing with.

    Eeeeeewwwwwwww!!!


  3. ArtaxDecember 2, 2021 1:42 PM

    1/1

    Judging from how you discuss issues, it is clear you don’t do enough reading and, more often than not, your opinions are based on what you believe is fact…. or in Bajan parlance, ‘what you feel,’ instead of FACTS. And, you’ll continue to argue even though you were proven to be wrong.

    Xxx
    I contend that there is no category of race called people of color
    Those Terms were associated with racist slurs
    Would not further engage with u on that issue


  4. @angela cox December 2, 2021 6:36 AM “Forgot to mention First Black Female Barbadian.”

    You know don’t you that Rihanna’s father’s mother is white don’t you? I know her as well as I know my next door neighbor. Man! the woman int even dead yet and wunna turning she into a different colour.

    Rihann’s paternal grandmother still very much alive is a white Bajan woman, likely of Irish descent.


  5. @angela cox December 2, 2021 10:40 AM “Never heard Rhianna considered herself to be of any other race group but Black.”

    So how do you account for the LIVING white grandmother who helped to raise her?


  6. I’ve never heard Rihanna claim to be black.

    I’ve never heard her claim to be white.

    She won’t foolishly do either.

    Because ALL Bajans know that she is both.


  7. @angela cox December 2, 2021 12:06 PM “Sarah Ann Gill never said what race or category or ethnicity she would place herself. Just be careful what u read in history books.”

    What is she described herself as colored in the censuses of the era, what if she is so described on her birth certificate? What if she so describes herself in her will?


  8. Historians don’t just get up one morning and write books you know. They actually search/interrogate the historical documents of the era, birth, marriage and death certificates, wills, newspapers, planta tion records of the land, the equipment, and the numbers, trades, genders etc. of the enslaved population. Only then do articles and books get written.

    Why do you think that we have a very significant Department of Archives?


  9. How do you think that i know that my grandmother’s father was a cooper at Mangrove Plantation in St. Peter. Great grandad died in 1898 more than half a century before I was conceived. I never had a conversation with him, nor with grandmother who died when I was 4, but I did interrogate the records held at the Barbados Archives.


  10. @Donna December 2, 2021 1:09 PM “Cuhdear Bajan, You are nitpicking. When read in context, it should be obvious that I did not intend to be kind to Jefferson and I was NOT looking at him NOR history through rose-coloured glasses.”

    Chill Donna.

    Even though you mentioned Jefferson. I did not mean that it was you looking through rose colored glasses. I know that you are clear eyed.

    I meant the greater point that through the hundreds of years of the enslavement of our ancestors, white fathers did not typically regard their half white children as the equals of themselves, their white wives and their white children. I meant that many. many half white children were typically enslaved by their own fathers. And that this attitude continued well into the second half of the 20th century. I witnessed it myself. I did not read it in a history book.


  11. what is all this black or colored stuff, why cant it just be a person. I dont say bell the white man invented the phone, or Fleming the white man invented penicillin or baird the white man invented the TV ,or Dunlop the white man invented the pneumatic tire, or watt the white man invented the engine or watt the white man that invented radar or buick the white man that started the car company , , I am just happy that when Theo beats the radar with that high power engine in his buick on those marl grabbing tires so he can get home safely to talk on the phone while he has the cricket on the tube laying back recuperating from VD with the help of a pennicillin shot he shouldnt care what color the man who invented it is……. he should just be happy god created scotsmen.


  12. @David, re your yesterday’s question to me, I think it is best to have a deceased national hero. The public’s expectations of that person will never fall short.


    • @Hearher

      The flipside is that a hero or heroine functioning at the peak of their trade has greater opportunity to inspire.


  13. Cuhdear Bajan December 2, 2021 2:27 PM #: “What is she described herself as colored in the censuses of the era, what if she is so described on her birth certificate? What if she so describes herself in her will?

    @ Cuhdear Bajan, you raised some very important and valid points.

    According to Wikipedia, “In the CONTEXT of the HISTORY of SLAVERY in the Americas, ‘free people of colour,’ (French: gens de couleur libres; Spanish: gente de color libre), were people of mixed African, European, and sometimes Native American descent who were not enslaved.”

    Ironically, angela cox previously mentioned, “History can DEFINE anything race or country ACCORDING to an ERA.”

    Sarah Ann Gill was born on February 16, 1795, to a Black mother and white father…….during the ERA of slavery, and, PERIOD OF TIME when the terms ‘mulatto’ or ‘free person of colour,’ would’ve obviously been used to appropriately describe her.

    Although Cox is CORRECT when she “contends that there is no category of race called people of color,” she essentially INTRODUCED a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT argument………

    …….. because, the ORIGINAL discussion was about ‘FREE PEOPLE OF COLOUR.’

    Therein lies the DIFFERENCE.


  14. ArtaxDecember 2, 2021 5:05 PM

    Sarah Ann Gill was born on February 16, 1795, to a Black mother and white father…….during the ERA of slavery, and, PERIOD OF TIME when the terms ‘mulatto’ or ‘free person of colour,’ would’ve obviously been used to appropriately describe her.

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    That birth date is on her headstone at James Street but it is wrong.

    She married Alexander Gill, a 60 year old man in 1809 when she was 14.

    The date is probably 1780.

    She had slaves in her own right when she married Alexander Gill in 1809 and inherited his on his death shortly after their marriage.

    Her father is believer do be Edward Jordan.


  15. Elizabeth is a good sport, they are always superimposing her head onto something or the other…the things i have seen already….


  16. @John,

    Wuh loss . 60 yr old pass way just after marrying 14yr okd?

    She kill he wid punani?

    Fellaz woan learn tuh stay in dey lane?


  17. @ all , and Lawson has touched on what is another challenge.

    Bakanced outlook and perspective.

    Imperative for success.


  18. @ Lawson December 2, 2021 4:14 PM
    (Quote):
    I am just happy that when Theo beats the radar with that high power engine in his buick on those marl grabbing tires so he can get home safely to talk on the phone while he has the cricket on the tube laying back recuperating from VD with the help of a pennicillin shot he shouldnt care what color the man who invented it is……. he should just be happy god created scotsmen. (Unquote).
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Come off it, ye Law(less) son! You don’t have to rub our ‘brown’ noses in the ground that hard.

    We already know that the Scots have produced most of the modern World’s great scientists and inventors; students ‘of whom’ the old philosophers of Kemet would have been most proud.

    But you must admit that the greatest Scottish ‘man’ was indeed ye ole King James V & 1 of Scotland and England respectively.

    After all, he was the ‘One’ who authorized the publication of that Book of myths and tall stories which has brainwashed an entire race of people; even up to this very day.

    Even Thoth would have been most pleased in ‘Her’.

    “When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said ‘Let us pray.’ We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.”


  19. “I dont say bell the white man invented the phone, or Fleming the white man invented penicillin or baird the white man invented the TV ,or Dunlop the white man invented the pneumatic tire, or watt the white man invented the engine or watt the white man that invented radar or buick the white man that started the car company , , “

    but what have you invented

    what kind of white boy are you


  20. CrusoeDecember 2, 2021 7:45 PM

    @John,

    Wuh loss . 60 yr old pass way just after marrying 14yr okd?

    She kill he wid punani?

    Fellaz woan learn tuh stay in dey lane?

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Read Woodie Blackman’s booklet on Sarah Ann Gill.

    You will see that all the historicity and histrionics aside, Bajans don’t know squat about the national heroes the GOB gives them from time to time to keep them stupid.

    Even the GOB is full of ignorant bitches.

    I love to expose them!!


  21. … just one more thing they got wrong in their ignorance which as you point out is common sense.

    Did you know Edward Jordan was a Quaker?.


  22. Surprise move
    POLITICAL SCIENTISTS, HISTORIAN DID NOT EXPECT RIHANNA TO BE NAMED NATIONAL HERO
    By Emmanuel Joseph
    A noted historian did not believe international superstar Rihanna would have been elevated to the status of National Hero, while three prominent political scientists, though predicting she would be named among those esteemed Barbadians at some point, did not expect it to happen so soon.
    As Barbados made the transition to a parliamentary republic in the early hours of Tuesday, the island’s 55th Anniversary of Independence, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Robyn Rihanna Fenty would become the island’s 11th National Hero.
    Speaking to Barbados TODAY before the surprise announcement in a wide ranging interview, outspoken historian Trevor Marshall said the island had enough National Heroes and he did not believe the singer, actress, philanthropist and businesswoman should be conferred the country’s highest honour, despite her achievements.
    “I am very serious about what a National Hero is. I talk about the three S’s – service, sacrifice and selflessness. I am talking about people who laid down their lives to make Barbados what it is, especially black people,” he insisted.
    “And I am one who believes we have more than enough National Heroes, and I don’t see anybody else, even Rihanna, becoming a National Hero; I would say treasure of Barbados, a Barbados icon. We can have a pantheon of persons who are treasures but Rihanna has not saved us from anything internal or external,” said the well-known historian, who admitted that he is a fan of the music icon.
    Dr George Belle, Dr Kristina Hinds and Peter Wickham, on the other hand, anticipated it would happen one day, although not in the near future.
    In fact, Wickham expressed the view that she should not be given the honour while alive.
    “My feeling is if they want to honour Rihanna in the short term, she can be given the equivalent of a knighthood while she is alive, but the idea of naming her a National Hero at this stage is something that I don’t feel we should move towards,” said the political scientist who does not support the idea of living National Heroes generally.
    The 33-year-old Rihanna, whose official title is now The Right Excellent Robyn Rihanna Fenty, is Barbados’ second living national hero, the other being Sir Garfield Sobers.
    “It might be a little bit too early for her to be a national heroine, because she is still doing so much,” added Dr Hinds.
    “So I can’t imagine what wonderful things she may be doing in 10 or 15 years that could elevate her to that level.
    She may be a candidate for the future,
    but I think there may also be people in the past who have gone unrecognised who may have made some really serious contributions to our country that we haven’t recognised.”
    The university academic added that she wanted to see that explored by those who are adequately skilled and trained, such as historians.
    Dr Belle, who mooted the idea of the popular entertainer being named a heroine, had proposed it in the context of the erection of additional statues in Bridgetown.
    “….As a demonstration of the success of young people, of entrepreneurship, of Barbadian beauty, of Barbadian success, make another statue – and make another National Hero who is already a de facto National Hero, anyhow – looking up Broad Street,” he declared. “And that statue would be Robyn Rihanna Fenty.”
    The retired Head of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill campus said he also sees a place for slave rebel Nanny Grigg among Barbados’ National Heroes, and suggested a statue of her could be placed in the area of Thickets, St Philip near Three Houses Park.
    Additionally, he said, a statue of Samuel Jackman Prescod, the first black person to be elected to Parliament in Barbados, should be erected where Lord Nelson once stood in Heroes Square.
    Dr Belle further suggested that radical West Indian journalist Clennell Wickham be named a National Hero and statues of him and National Hero Charles Duncan O’Neal be erected at Heroes Square – a place he suggested should also be renamed Parliament Square. emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb


  23. By now all can see through a political lens what this hero status for Robin Fenty was all about
    A large double dose of political opportunity laced with political gimmickry
    what a farce
    Once again OSA was right


  24. Bajans are talkers not doers
    Rihanna baby is a doer

    so keep on talking
    talk talk talk talk

    it was totally obvious to some but not all that Rihanna would be anointed the chosen one for the new Republic during otherwise boring ceremonial formalities


  25. Did Barbados expect a political demagogue to lead the country
    One who can use their political will and the weakness of the people to make knee jerk decisions
    I don’t believe so
    A country already divide a day after Barbados has become a Republic is handed another bone by which the people can fight make noises and further divide the country
    The people need to wake up and see and understand the true meaning of patriotism and fight for the medal which brings the country back to the path of integrity
    The wheels of integrity which once drove Barbados onward and upward for better has fallen off and replaced with political spite and might


  26. Gercine Carter

    2h

    I was disappointed as a Barbadian journalist, that on the night that Barbados transitioned to a republic; on the pre-dawn of Barbados’ celebration of its 55th anniversary of independence, finding myself among Barbadian journalists restricted to a standing position on the roadside of Heroes Square, in a most awkward location where it was difficult to get a good view of the proceedings; observing some local journalists repeatedly coming into conflict with police and others connected with security arrangements for the evening, as they tried to position themselves to cover the event. And this, while visiting journalists and their crews were facilitated by the BARBADIAN organisers, assigned prime vantage points with comfortable seating.

    As a journalist in this country for over 50 years, I am tired of this treatment by our own people. Monday night was proof that nothing has changed in this situation. I ask, what can be our hope in a Barbados republic, if this kind of thinking remains.


  27. Comic relief…the photo is funny.

    “Sarah Carty·Lifestyle Editor
    Tue, 30 November 2021, 4:27 pm·2-min read
    In this article:

    Charles, Prince of Wales

    He flew in especially for the occasion but it appears Prince Charles fell asleep during the ceremony to mark Barbados becoming a republic.”


  28. Another blatant disgraceful
    Concerned Citizens

    I went to Errol Walton Barrow statue yesterday and to think with all of the millions of dollars spent to put on a show for the adoring king that none of that money could be spent to clean up the bust of the father of our nation Errol Walton Barrow have a close look and see all of the paint running down his face the base of his statue need cleaning and the area need a proper facelift
    Before walking away I had a last look at the great man and realized he is crying for our beloved country because sitting at his feet were vagrants homeless and hopeless people the great man is crying we can do better


  29. “GIVE ME CONTROL OVER A NATIONS CURRENCY, AND I CARE NOT WHO MAKES ITS LAWS.” BARON M.A. ROTHSCHILD

    https://newspunch.com/complete-list-of-rothschild-owned-and-controlled-banks/

    Did you know the Central Bank of Barbados is owned by the Rothschilds?

    Not to worry though, the earth is one big happy family.

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Here is a complete list of all Rothschild owned and controlled banks. The U.S. entries might surprise you.

    Afghanistan: Bank of Afghanistan
    Albania: Bank of Albania
    Algeria: Bank of Algeria
    Argentina: Central Bank of Argentina
    Armenia: Central Bank of Armenia
    Aruba: Central Bank of Aruba
    Australia: Reserve Bank of Australia
    Austria: Austrian National Bank
    Azerbaijan: Central Bank of Azerbaijan Republic
    Bahamas: Central Bank of The Bahamas
    Bahrain: Central Bank of Bahrain
    Bangladesh: Bangladesh Bank
    Barbados: Central Bank of Barbados
    Belarus: National Bank of the Republic of Belarus
    Belgium: National Bank of Belgium
    Belize: Central Bank of Belize
    Benin: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
    Bermuda: Bermuda Monetary Authority
    Bhutan: Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan
    Bolivia: Central Bank of Bolivia
    Bosnia: Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina
    Botswana: Bank of Botswana
    Brazil: Central Bank of Brazil
    Bulgaria: Bulgarian National Bank
    Burkina Faso: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
    Burundi: Bank of the Republic of Burundi
    Cambodia: National Bank of Cambodia
    Came Roon: Bank of Central African States
    Canada: Bank of Canada – Banque du Canada
    Cayman Islands: Cayman Islands Monetary Authority
    Central African Republic: Bank of Central African States
    Chad: Bank of Central African States
    Chile: Central Bank of Chile
    China: The People’s Bank of China
    Colombia: Bank of the Republic
    Comoros: Central Bank of Comoros
    Congo: Bank of Central African States
    Costa Rica: Central Bank of Costa Rica
    Côte d’Ivoire: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
    Croatia: Croatian National Bank
    Cuba: Central Bank of Cuba
    Cyprus: Central Bank of Cyprus
    Czech Republic: Czech National Bank
    Denmark: National Bank of Denmark
    Dominican Republic: Central Bank of the Dominican Republic
    East Caribbean area: Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
    Ecuador: Central Bank of Ecuador
    Egypt: Central Bank of Egypt
    El Salvador: Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador
    Equatorial Guinea: Bank of Central African States
    Estonia: Bank of Estonia
    Ethiopia: National Bank of Ethiopia
    European Union: European Central Bank
    Fiji: Reserve Bank of Fiji
    Finland: Bank of Finland
    France: Bank of France
    Gabon: Bank of Central African States
    The Gambia: Central Bank of The Gambia
    Georgia: National Bank of Georgia
    Germany: Deutsche Bundesbank
    Ghana: Bank of Ghana
    Greece: Bank of Greece
    Guatemala: Bank of Guatemala
    Guinea Bissau: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
    Guyana: Bank of Guyana
    Haiti: Central Bank of Haiti
    Honduras: Central Bank of Honduras
    Hong Kong: Hong Kong Monetary Authority
    Hungary: Magyar Nemzeti Bank
    Iceland: Central Bank of Iceland
    India: Reserve Bank of India
    Indonesia: Bank Indonesia
    Iran: The Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran
    Iraq: Central Bank of Iraq
    Ireland: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland
    Israel: Bank of Israel
    Italy: Bank of Italy
    Jamaica: Bank of Jamaica
    Japan: Bank of Japan
    Jordan: Central Bank of Jordan
    Kazakhstan: National Bank of Kazakhstan
    Kenya: Central Bank of Kenya
    Korea: Bank of Korea
    Kuwait: Central Bank of Kuwait
    Kyrgyzstan: National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic
    Latvia: Bank of Latvia
    Lebanon: Central Bank of Lebanon
    Lesotho: Central Bank of Lesotho
    Libya: Central Bank of Libya (Their most recent conquest)
    Uruguay: Central Bank of Uruguay
    Lithuania: Bank of Lithuania
    Luxembourg: Central Bank of Luxembourg
    Macao: Monetary Authority of Macao
    Macedonia: National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia
    Madagascar: Central Bank of Madagascar
    Malawi: Reserve Bank of Malawi
    Malaysia: Central Bank of Malaysia
    Mali: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
    Malta: Central Bank of Malta
    Mauritius: Bank of Mauritius
    Mexico: Bank of Mexico
    Moldova: National Bank of Moldova
    Mongolia: Bank of Mongolia
    Montenegro: Central Bank of Montenegro
    Morocco: Bank of Morocco
    Mozambique: Bank of Mozambique
    Namibia: Bank of Namibia
    Nepal: Central Bank of Nepal
    Netherlands: Netherlands Bank
    Netherlands Antilles: Bank of the Netherlands Antilles
    New Zealand: Reserve Bank of New Zealand
    Nicaragua: Central Bank of Nicaragua
    Niger: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
    Nigeria: Central Bank of Nigeria
    Norway: Central Bank of Norway
    Oman: Central Bank of Oman
    Pakistan: State Bank of Pakistan
    Papua New Guinea: Bank of Papua New Guinea
    Paraguay: Central Bank of Paraguay
    Peru: Central Reserve Bank of Peru
    Philip Pines: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
    Poland: National Bank of Poland
    Portugal: Bank of Portugal
    Qatar: Qatar Central Bank
    Romania: National Bank of Romania
    Rwanda: National Bank of Rwanda
    San Marino: Central Bank of the Republic of San Marino
    Samoa: Central Bank of Samoa
    Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency
    Senegal: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
    Serbia: National Bank of Serbia
    Seychelles: Central Bank of Seychelles
    Sierra Leone: Bank of Sierra Leone
    Singapore: Monetary Authority of Singapore
    Slovakia: National Bank of Slovakia
    Slovenia: Bank of Slovenia
    Solomon Islands: Central Bank of Solomon Islands
    South Africa: South African Reserve Bank
    Spain: Bank of Spain
    Sri Lanka: Central Bank of Sri Lanka
    Sudan: Bank of Sudan
    Surinam: Central Bank of Suriname
    Swaziland: The Central Bank of Swaziland
    Sweden: Sveriges Riksbank
    Switzerland: Swiss National Bank
    Tajikistan: National Bank of Tajikistan
    Tanzania: Bank of Tanzania
    Thailand: Bank of Thailand
    Togo: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
    Tonga: National Reserve Bank of Tonga
    Trinidad and Tobago: Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago
    Tunisia: Central Bank of Tunisia
    Turkey: Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey
    Uganda: Bank of Uganda
    Ukraine: National Bank of Ukraine
    United Arab Emirates: Central Bank of United Arab Emirates
    United Kingdom: Bank of England
    United States: Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
    Vanuatu: Reserve Bank of Vanuatu
    Venezuela: Central Bank of Venezuela
    Vietnam: The State Bank of Vietnam
    Yemen: Central Bank of Yemen
    Zambia: Bank of Zambia
    Zimbabwe: Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe


  30. “The U.S. entries might surprise you.”

    why would it, it’s been years people have been saying they own the US Federal Reserve.///you own the banking systems you call the shots…until ya are unseated.


    • @Hants

      The fourth estate is a key player to maintain a just society. If your comment is close to the truth- one suspects that it is- we are in deep doodoo.


  31. @ TLSN December 3, 2021 10:48 AM
    (Quote):
    The boss woman runs tings in Barbados. The Guardian have written a rather flattering portrayal of our numero one leader. I am sure Tron and one or two others will be over the moon. (Unquote).
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Is this the same British Press which told by a blogger ‘going by the handle ‘Frank’ (a genuine political clown and peabrain of a yardbird) to “F*** OFF” just a couple days ago?

    The woman has been lionized by the UK Press.
    The Lioness- a symbol of real power- was rather proactive in transitioning to a de jure republic in order to avoid the coming royal confusion which will arise with the imminent replacement of the current Monarch.

    Of course the same British Press is fully aware that the Prince (like his regal namesake Charles1) will never be a popular King Charles 111 always with the spectre of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and even Jamaica) ‘ceding’ from the Realm under his reign.


  32. @David, the DLP will not be taken seriously by anyone, including journalists, until Ghosts of Christmases past are exorcised.

    That has been amply demonstrated by the calamity in the Rev running vs the incumbent leader, with the support of said Ghosts and being all but slaughtered.


  33. “The woman has been lionized by the UK Press.
    The Lioness- a symbol of real power- was rather proactive in transitioning to a de jure republic in order to avoid the coming royal confusion which will arise with the imminent replacement of the current Monarch.”

    If you read between the lines Barbados are friends of China and will be put on a blacklist by Anglo-American spies and infiltrated with propaganda.

    Now Barbados is a baby Republic it’s bloggers need to up their game to be more intellectual and deep instead of macho like me.


  34. Now tell me, why would local journalists have been sidelined by the Government? I doubt the Government had anything to do with it. Most likely stupid policemen at fault.

    Usually its the security guards and the policemen who throw their weight around like overseers.

    I have never stood for it. I would have attempted to go where the foreign press went. They would have had to arrest me. If you want change, you have to force the issue.

    Steupse! A bunch uh lily-livered yellow bellies!

    What journalists what!

    Journalist get arrested. Journalists get abducted. Journalists get killed.

    These play play journalists whine instead like puppies.


  35. Our President is no Dame

    By Garth Patterson
    Most of us grew up hearing tales, or watching movies, about King Arthur, Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table. A legendary king of that fictional kingdom who conjures up romantic images of a glorious medieval past, where English kings surrounded themselves with their elite knights in armour, who swore unwavering loyalty to their sovereign and stood ever willing to sacrifice their lives in protecting and defending him.
    Wikipedia traces the etymology of the word “knight” as being derived from Old English cniht (meaning “boy” or “servant”), and suggests that it is a cognate of the German word Knecht (meaning “servant, bondsman, vassal”). A knight, in the traditional sense of the word, is sometimes described as a “military follower of a king or other superior”.
    Chivalry developed as an early standard of professional conduct and ethics for knights, who, by the Middle Ages, were generally characterised as elite warriors sworn to uphold the values of faith, loyalty to king and country, courage, and honour. By the 16th century, knighthood had lost its significance for military purposes and had been mostly relegated to an honorific status that sovereigns could bestow at their pleasure.
    Today, knighthood is no longer synonymous with exemplary military service and is predominantly conferred on persons who distinguish themselves in ordinary civilian life. In the United Kingdom, several secular knightly orders, or societies, have been established, the membership of which comprisespersons appointed to knighthood by the British monarch.
    Modern shift
    However, despite the modern shift from military to secular importance, “knight” and “knighthood” are terms that are still popularly associated with the traditional conceptions of medieval martial service to a sovereign.
    Before becoming the President of Barbados, the Most Honourable Sandra Mason, FB, was the Governor General, who, from a constitutional standpoint, was not the head of state, but rather the representative of the Queen of Barbados. As such, she served, and represented the interests of, the Queen.
    She swore an oath of loyalty and allegiance to Her Majesty. And, as is customary with all Governors and Governors-General within the Commonwealth, upon then Justice Mason becoming Governor General in January 2018, the Queen conferred on her the honour and dignity of Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (GCMG).
    The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, as it is called, is a British order of knighthood founded in 1818. According to the Royal.UK website, it was originally bestowed solely upon those in high positions in the Mediterranean, but now recognises service in a foreign country, or in relation to foreign and Commonwealth affairs – for example, the work of foreign-service officers and diplomats.
    To be eligible for membership to this order of knighthood, one typically has to be a British citizen or of a citizen of the British Commonwealth realm (i.e. a sovereign state that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state). Honorary knighthood/damehood (i.e., without conferring membership of an order of knighthood) is, nevertheless, sometimes conferred by the British sovereign on foreigners (i.e., persons who are not citizens of a country whose head of state is the Queen), but it carries no right to be called “Sir” or “Dame”.
    The term “Dame” is an honorific title. It is the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in the British honours system, the masculine form of address being “Sir”. It is the female equivalent for knighthood, which is a term usually reserved for males. Dame Sandra, as she then was, as a full-fledged member of the Order, therefore essentially became one of the Queen’s knights, and owed fealty, loyalty, and allegiance to the Queen.
    However, with the advent of Barbados becoming a republic, it seems to me that the retention of the trappings of knighthood by our sitting President is optically infra dig – it is beneath the status and office of an incumbent head of state.
    As our President, the Most Honourable Sandra Mason has been elevated to the constitutional status of head of state and, as the embodiment of the sovereign state of Barbados, is an equal among sovereigns. Her only allegiance is to the state of Barbados, according to law. Constitutionally, she has no superior and is subservient to none. She stands as the beacon of our real transition to sovereignty and represents the hopes and aspirations of a nascent republic that is seeking to assert its rightful place at the table of sovereign, independent, nations.
    She is our ambassador to all nations, the manifestation of our dignity, pride, independence, and sovereignty and, as such, is beholden to none other, be it king, queen, or president.
    Besides, the republic of Barbados is no longer part of Her Majesty’s Commonwealth realms, and the Most Honourable Sandra Mason is no longer one of Her Majesty’s subjects, or her loyal and faithful servant.
    The Queen is no longer our head of state and, because of its new status as a republic, Barbados citizens no longer qualify for membership of an order of knighthood.
    May be retained
    According to protocol, despite that disqualification, the designation of “Knight” or “Dame” may, nevertheless, be retained, at the option of the title holder, provided he or she was bestowed the honour before the transition to a republic.
    Protocol aside, however, it is somewhat incongruous with the philosophy that underpinned the republican movement, and anathema to the pride of nationhood, for our Barbados President, our head of state, to retain the designation of “Dame”, with all the negative associations with our colonial heritage that it conjures and all the implications of service and allegiance to Britain that it implies.
    The title of “Dame” connotes the state of knighthood, and that term evokes the traditional, historical conceptions of service to a monarch; it bears the glaring undertones of that medieval bond of unwavering loyalty that was owed by monarchial knights to their sovereign. Our President should be no-one’s Dame.
    As the first official act of our republic after the investiture of our new President, Barbados conferred on her its highest national honour, the Order of Freedom of Barbados, which is meant to be the local equivalent of, and substitute for, knighthood/ damehood. Membership of that Order carries with it the right to be addressed by the prenominal title, “the Most Honourable” and the post nominal letters “FB”.
    It is this country’s most profound gesture in recognition of the recipient’s extraordinary service to Barbados, the Caribbean, the Caribbean diaspora or to humanity. In this writer’s view, it is inappropriate to interpose the prenominal “Dame”, or the post nominal letters “GCMG”, which are the bestowments of a benevolent foreign sovereign that bear the historical connotations of loyal subordination to the monarchy.
    If we are ever to break free of the emotional and psychological chains that have anchored us for too long to our former colonisers, then we must be prepared to tear away from all the symbols of colonialism. We should take pride, and hold as pre-eminent, the honours and dignities that our independent state confers.
    We should not be content with renaming our buildings, hospitals, and institutions, but must permanently erase all the symbols that would otherwise diminish us and suggest that we are anything but equals among other sovereign peoples.
    The knight of our colonial past must now yield to the dawn of our republican future.
    If it is inconceivable that the Queen, as sovereign, would ever be referred to as someone else’s “Dame”, then why on earth should the incumbent head of state of our sovereign nation be so regarded? My respectful suggestion, therefore, to anyone who might in the future have reason to address our President: drop the “Dame”, please.
    Garth Patterson is a senior counsel.

    Source: Nation


  36. The process of transition
    We are conscious that we are in a process of transition and that the journey has started and continues at a new level. Three hundred and ninety-six years of a system of government is not two years, and it is with that in mind that I am conscious that we have a responsibility as of December 1 to ensure that our nation moves as one. – Prime Minister Mia Mottley, speaking at the National Independence Honours Ceremony It is indeed extremely important that we realise that Independence was not and is not a day. And that becoming a republic on paper is not the same as becoming a properly functioning republic in reality. We are, as Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said, in a process of transition. One that will probably outlast all of us alive today.
    Because, in the words of Bob Marley, “ 400 years of slavery is not wiped away so easily”.
    The process of transition that Barbados has been going through since at least 1937, after the uprising, has been relatively peaceful, at least, on the surface. When compared with the turmoil that some of our neighbours in the region have seen and in other former colonies further afield, we can count ourselves lucky, blessed, vigilant or some combination of the three. With a sense of history and an appreciation for the centuries-long journey behind and ahead of us, we should learn to also appreciate that the process will often not be satin-smooth.
    In the same week that the international media reported that Barbados peacefully transitioned from under the British monarchy, they were also reporting that French armed forces were sent to the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique to deal with violent clashes in the streets of these territories. Still under French rule, Guadeloupeans and Martiniquais are rebelling against COVID-19 vaccination mandates.
    Long-standing dissatisfaction Even though the mandates are already in place on the mainland, the French authorities, as a result of the protests, decided to postpone implementation on the islands. But, according to reports, the unrest is also linked to long-standing dissatisfaction among the public with France’s governance. The transition process in the French islands is very different to ours.
    Europe may be going through a transition as well.
    Thousands of angry protesters also recently took to the streets in Belgium, the Netherlands and Croatia over COVID-19 restrictions. Along with economic pressure and pressure on the health care system, social division seems to be another symptom of COVID-19.
    Levels of diversity
    The Barbadian Government is trying to pull the nation together at a time when other nations almost look as if they are being ripped apart. While some may argue that this is why the timing of the transition was bad, an argument can be made that this is why it was necessary.
    With the levels of diversity and division on this small rock, the challenge of ensuring that our nation moves forward as one is hard enough ordinarily. It may be even more challenging at this time. Therefore, how we handle differences of status, opinion, origin, age, race, class, religion, group and political affiliation will be extremely important. It will take more patience in communication and more investment in engagement than we are perhaps accustomed to.
    I believe that these are integral aspects of the process to transition as smoothly as possible through the “new level”.

    Adrian Green is a communications specialist. Email: Adriangreen14 @gmail.com

    SOURCE: NATION


  37. “The Guardian newspaper appears to have completed its survey.”

    Was the survey commissioned by the Guardian newspaper?

    Was the survey conducted by UWI on behalf of the Guardian?

    Or, was it conducted by UWI, with Professor Cynthia Barrow-Giles, who was reported to be the ‘lead investigator,’…….”the early results of which were shared with the Guardian?”


  38. The Order Of National Heroes

     

    To determine a person’s eligibility,

    Here are a few points requiring scrutiny.

    Examine their performance in their service to us,

     

    Outstanding service which positively altered the course of Barbados. 

    Redounded Barbados with honour through extraordinary achievement,

    Demonstrated visionary and pioneering leadership or management.

    Exemplified excellence in noble pursuit,

    Restructured and improved economic and social conditions to contribute,

     

    Order where there was chaos, unifying our people;

    Forming bonds from among them and not from some towering steeple.

     

    Native preferred, but it doesn’t have to be,

    And there is no creed required, gender or ethnicity.

    Their actions should be in the pursuit of benefits to us and not personal gain,

    It must be selfless exploits and sacrifices not done for glory or reign.

    One may not know another’s motives so the line is thin,

    National heroes are selected by the powers who are in. 

    Although consensus is made simpler with modern technology, 

    Letting the opinions of the public speak online, electronically.

     

    Have Government’s selections put for public poll,  

    Electorate choosing from a list should be the Nation’s goal.

    Riches can buy you most anything, but remember the “Eye of the needle”

    Our admiration and love for a person doesn’t necessarily list them with heroic people.

    Every cheer was genuine, shout outs real and we loved the shows,

    Should this however translate to eligibility for The Order Of National Heroes?

     

    By Khaidji

    http://www.BajanBooks.com 

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