Despite a very early start time and a bit of inclement weather, hundreds of persons filled the streets to support the march in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Majority Rule.
The match started promptly at 7am from Windsor park on Wulff Road, travelled north on East Street, on to Bay Street and south on Balliou Hill Road to Southern Recreation Grounds. Leading the group was Prime Minister Perry Christie who was flanked by Cabinet Ministers and other parliamentarians.
Many made this a family event with school aged children in tow , helping make up the very diverse crowd bringing together persons from every aspect of Bahamian society.
At the Southern Recreation Grounds the Prime Minister Christie addressed the gathering on the significance of Majority Rule saying, “the government is not asleep at the wheel.”
He told the crowd,”January 10th must be commemorated and celebrated by all of us because it truly represents one of the great defining moments in our evolution as a people.
“I will simply say with the exception of the Emancipation from slavery in 1834, Independence in 1973 there is no event of more consequence and historical importance than the obtainment of Majority Rule, recognized as January 10th 1967,” Mr. Christie said.
The Journal spoke with several Bahamians while marching along Bay Street to get their views on the significance of the day and the march itself, including PLP Cabinet Ministers Obie Wilchombe and Jerome Fitzgerald.
“I think the march represents the appreciation of Bahamian people that they truly appreciate the work done by the founders of our country, the founding fathers who certainly sacrificed so much and did so much to take us to 1967.
“Now we only not have an opportunity to celebrate what they did but reflect on the results of what they did and reaffirm the commitment to what they did,” Mr. Wilchombe said.
“It’s a very significant day in our history and it’s obvious that the people of The Bahamas have recognized the importance and the significance of it, I’m very impressed by the number of people that turned out,” Mr. Fitzgerald said.
Glenisha Albury a 20-year-old student at the University of the Bahamas said she participated in order to pay homage to the persons before her.
“I came out to the march today because of people like Georgianna Symonette, Sir Lynden Pindling, Ruby Ann Darling, all of them marched for me, so that I can have a better Bahamas, so I marching to support them and commemorate them,” Ms. Albury said.
Community activist Reverend C . B. Moss spoke to the importance of inner city support in the struggle leading up to Majority Rule.
“I’m glad to be out here because of my personal involvement in the progressive movement goes back to 1964, and because Bain and Grants Town is the heart of the progressive movement and this event is taking place in Bain and Grants Town,” Mr. Moss said.
PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts had previously stressed that it was an apolitical event. Nothing exemplified this more than the presence of Opposition Senator Rodney Moncur who explained why he participated despite the event being organized by the governing party.
“I decided to march to commemorate Sir Milo Butler whose granddaughter Loretta Butler-Turner appointed me as a Senator, but essentially I am also marching to reflect on 50 years ago as a primary school student.
“Majority rule is a celebration of The Bahamian people, of democracy, of the first time the majority people, the negro people, my people came to power, it is a momentus occasion,” said Mr. Moncur.
Majority Rule was achieved On January 10, 1967, as The Bahamas achieved self-governance through democracy, with the Progressive Liberal Party defeating the now defunct United Bahamian Party and forever altering Bahamian political landscape forever in the process.
