Barbados - Not a fantasy Realm but a genuine, democratic Republic.

 
By Stanley Collymore    
 
You're infinitely more than just a  
homeland to me, for in essence  
you are distinctively my truest
inspiration, the natural fulcrum of  
everything that constructive and  
quite markedly beneficial, in my  
life, are the instigative force of  
each positive and meaningful  
aspiration that has obviously  
done; remarkably enticingly  
still does, and so assuredly  
will carry on doing so well  
into my upcoming future.  
 
Additionally too, you're the  
forge and anvil that quite  
intimately, scrupulously  
and rather skillfully permanently  
fashioned the crucially separate  
but basically distinctive strands  
effectively, of my own parental  
genetic and similarly ancestral  
DNA, into specifically what I've  
vibrantly, unquestionably and  
dutifully, individually become:  
a fully fledged member of my  
familial Collymore Klan but in
essence also, still an outright  
and loyal Bajan; all the same.  
 
A term, synonymous to so many  
people, past and present, who  
for the enduring and positive  
good of our country have actually,  
both individually and collectively,  
shaped the course of our nation.  
A nation, and a beloved one, we  
know as, and are very proud to  
refer to as Barbados. And also,  
where, in colloquial jargon our  
navel strings so appropriately  
respectively, either physically  
or spiritually - are delightedly  
undeniably blessedly buried;  
a compellingly magnificently  
redoubtable and proud fact.  
 
And from St. Lucy to St. Philip;  
St. Joseph to St. James and  
the areas in between let  
us all in reverence and gratitude  
solemnly pause, and thankfully  
reflect in humble supplication  
how far, we've come; and the  
multiple sacrifices attendant  
with the numerous, positive  
assistance which our proud  
Black ancestors, regardless  
of whatsoever, their status  
in life or origin all indelibly  
made, to the ongoing and  
progressive development  
of our, Barbadian Nation.  
 
And in their names, our own and  
those, as presently unborn, but  
crucially destined to be future  
Barbadians - let us quite gloriously  
celebrate with Pride and Industry  
but never forgetting, the chilling  
cum calamitous adversities that  
were enforcedly occasioned to  
us by slavery which shaped us  
fundamentally into decisively,  
who and specifically what we  
now so indisputably are as a  
nation and very approvingly  
fitting for the 21st Century;  
a characteristic progressive  
bedded with a meritocratic  
knack democratic Republic.    
 
(C) Stanley V. Collymore  
29 November 2021.  
 
 
Author's Remarks:    
On the 30 November 2021, St. Andrew's Day - St. Andrew is the Patron Saint of Barbados - my ancestral homeland of Barbados will be celebrating both the 55th anniversary of its attainment of Independence on this day in 1966, while significantly too on this auspicious day the Government and citizens of Barbados will voluntarily and quite approvingly relinquish 396 continuous years as an English realm and have Barbados become a Republic.  
 
It's a move towards republicanism that I've longstandingly and wholeheartedly supported and will neither make apologies nor court any explanations, least of all on this actual momentous and celebratory occasion, for my decisions and actions, other than to say, read my published works and you'll be able to acquaint yourselves with them.  
 
Instead I will be avidly celebrating with my fellow Bajans, as I likewise pay tribute to all those who in so many diverse and similarly also not uncommonly multitudinous and exceptionally courageous ways, and quite invariably at great sacrifice to themselves, enabled us who are present to be where we presently are right now. Thank you enormously and God's eternal blessing be upon you.  
 
To our exceptionally brilliant Prime Minister: the Right Honourable Mia Mottley, our first ever female Prime Minister with the added distinction of being the only leader of a Barbadian political party to win every seat for their party - yes you read that correctly -  every single one of them, in a General Election to the Barbados Parliament, in that institution's 382 year old continuous history - the Barbados Parliament was established in 1639 and has been going continuously ever since; is older than the formation of several European countries including Germany, the white British dominions of Australia, New Zealand and Canada and, of course, the USA. And the only parliament that globally is continuously older than the Barbados one is the House of Commons in London.  
 
Mia Mottley's landslide victory - no hyperbole needed as it was simply that - was reinforced by the fact that in her Barbados Labour Party manifesto she categorically stated that on her winning the 2018 General Elections, Barbados would become a Republic. And she won those elections as I said by a literal landslide and has kept her word. Furthermore, after my article in 1989 which triggered the national debate, my political party the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) along with Mia's party held an Official National Commission on the matter and it was unanimously decided that Barbados should become a Republic. So why needlessly have a pointless referendum?  
 
And Mia Mottley kept her word, as she's always politically done; a true chip off the old block, and I'm here referring to her late grandfather: a very astute politician, a renowned Barbadian philanthropist and a businessman who used his money beneficially and altruistically, and not for political ends, to help countless poor Black Bajan families and enable their children to get food, a roof over their head and a grammar and university education that they otherwise would not be able to afford, when whites through egregious political gerrymandering controlled Barbados politics; and any white adult could vote, even white visitors to Barbados, but when it came to Black adults they had to be earning a stipulated wage else they were denied the right to vote in their own country. Fast forward to the USA in 2021 and its voting restrictions; and Australia wanting to deport indigenous Aborigines. Couldn't make that up! Could you? White privilege rules OK?  
 
It was Errol Walton Barrow a Royal Air Force distinguished World War Two veteran and the Father of Barbados's Independence that changed all that. On return home post World War Two he founded the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and when he became Premier of Barbados Barrow made sweeping changes. My family could afford my Grammar School fees but all such fees were scrapped and education throughout Barbados became universally free for everyone who was Bajan from kindergarten to postgraduate university studies. A first rate National Health Service was instituted, free to all Bajans wherever they were born; and like the free education mandate is still going strong. Voter restrictions were abolished and the voting age lowered to 18, long before Britain even contemplated doing so.  
 
Mia Mottley's grandfather was the Premier and Prime Minister that Barbados during his time deserved but never got because of white privileged control of my homeland. Errol Barrow made amends for that and became my friend and mentor; just like Mia's grandfather was and other politicians of both the DLP and the Barbados Labour Party (BLP).  
 
When I became eligible to do so I happily joined the DLP but like most Bajans our loyalty is first and foremost to Barbados. Showed very graphically in the fact that when Mia Mottley won her landslide, massive numbers of supporters of both major parties and others voted for her. Because like her late grandfather and also the likes of Errol Barrow , Owen Arthur, Homey Corbin, David Thompson and Josh Haynes, who like her grandfather are no longer with us, these were stalwart and also loyally patriotic Bajans, and evidently Mia Mottley is from the same mould.    
 
And taking into consideration that it was our Black women who kept our race intact during the systemic emasculation of Black men during slavery, it's only fitting that as our Barbados - the Birthplace place of the Transatlantic Slave Trade - now maturedly transitions from being a realm to a Republic, with its own Head of State, that appropriately both our President, Dame Sandra Mason and our Prime Minister the Right Honourable Mia Mottley are women!