Dear Editor,

“We have put the affairs of state into the hands of a lot of young people” – so said Dr. Keith C. Rowley, sworn in as the seventh prime minister of Trinidad & Tobago on September 9, 2015. Wow! In fact, of the 21 Cabinet members of the Trinidad parliament, 17 are first time ministers. Rowley himself is 65, although his sleek panther-like Michael Jordan appearance belies that fact. The remaining four cabinet members are “sufficiently experienced” and will give the others guidance, Rowley explained.

For years, we have copied Trinidad’s carnival costumes and recently their carnival itself. Now that they have a new prime minister who seems to have a 21st century approach to leadership and governance, perhaps we can be enlightened by his example. Dr. Rowley kept his election promise and reduced the previous government's 33 minister cabinet by 35 percent.

Before you say 21 is still too many, note that Trinidad has a population of 1.328 million, approximately four times the population of The Bahamas, which has a cabinet of 16 ministers and four ministers of state – far more bloated by comparison. With that equation we could reduce our cabinet by five to seven ministers. Imagine the savings, especially in airtime, considering the drivel that comes out of the Parliamentary Channel.

Dr. Rowley is, thankfully, not an attorney. He has a (real) doctorate in geology, geochemistry and is a research scientist and volcanologist who has taught at the University of the West Indies. Nor has he been a lifelong career politician, but rather, is experienced in and has been exposed to other aspects of life.

Perhaps there is something to be said for coming late to the party: one tends to feel less entitled and to be fresher than those who have been there forever and forever. Trinidad is the third richest country by GDP per capita in the Americas after the United States and Canada. Unlike The Bahamas, it has a highly industrialized economy with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals. Most importantly, it has large reservoirs of oil and natural gas.

Do you know what Rowley said next? "There's enough for all of us to be sustained. We need to change our attitude if there isn't any more in the pot. Like Oliver, (from Dickens' novel Oliver Twist) let us not keep shouting 'Please can I have some more’. Whatever this country has to offer, everyone will share what's on the table."

Does that sound like living within your means and fiscal responsibility? Does that sound like a leader who intends to ensure that the wealth of the country will be dispersed in such a way that everyone will benefit and that there will be no free spending, fiscally irresponsible leader creating such a deficit as to cause the well to run dry? Sounds like my kinda leader!

Early in his 25 year reign, Sir Lynden Pindling is reputed to have said: "Those who have some and want more must wait until those who have none, get some."

You, dear reader, be the judge of whether that worked for us then. More importantly, have you heard any leader of our country in recent times speak about the common good? The common good meaning the intention to govern so that everyone is uplifted and most importantly the poor experience some improvement in their lives? We hear about "Making the country work for you", but what exactly do those vacuous words mean? Analyze it for yourself and determine whether you are reassured that your life will improve because of that stated intention.

Trinidad is an ethnically diverse country. Like other Commonwealth members in this region, it was "discovered" by Christopher Columbus and alternatively had Spanish, Dutch and English colonizers with the accompanying plantations supported by the slave trade out of Africa. Post slavery, Trinidad entered into indentured labor contracts with East Indians (from India). The citizenry is therefore reflective of all of this varied history in a population which consists predominately in equal parts of those of Afro-Caribbean and East Indian descent, with a smattering of European, Chinese and mid-eastern citizens.

Kamla Persad Bissessar, a former prime minister, was a light skinned East Indian. The five prime ministers before her were light skinned, whether of East Indian or Afro Caribbean descent. While Rowley led the opposition, some of the senior politicians in his party apparently took the view that although he had done an excellent job, his skin was a tad too black and therefore an issue, because Trinidad had never had such a dark skinned prime minister! Rowley overcame his detractors and went on to win the leadership, black skin and all, but his black skin has not become invisible.

Two weeks after the election, senior members of the new government called for an end to the disrespect and references ridiculing Rowley's blackness in public utterances and displays of graffiti. To his credit, Rowley said that he was too busy with the affairs of state to concern himself. Another element of the party saw Rowley's seriousness as yet another strike against his leadership.

In Rowley's defense former senator Fitzgerald Hinds said: "This country don't want no joker, no laughy-laughy, smiley-smiley thing. This country calls for serious leadership.” Point made Bahamians?

Is it possible in our country that a person's dark skin tone could be a hinderance to his leadership chances? Quite the reverse, I would submit. At least, for the past 48 years. Not the same for a white Bahamian, however, whose skin color has automatically precluded him from the leadership (and I fully comprehend the various reasons why this evolved; I came of age during the majority rule movement).

But is not a Bahamian a Bahamian regardless of the color of his skin? What is the reluctance of the two main political parties to allow a white Bahamian, if he is capable, to head the party and become prime minister? Do they believe, like Rowley's party believed, that skin color would be the major factor in the party losing an election?

Well in 2015 in Trinidad, it wasn't was it? Or is it more insidious than that? Do we cancel out our competition based on skin color before he has a chance to compete?

What about white Bahamians? Have they for too long, with the exception of a handful, abdicated their responsibility to stand up and insist on being a part of the leadership of this country ? Have they remained in their isolated social grouping, longing to have a say but nervous lest they be verbally abused for daring to have such ambitions? Is "funding" one particular party in order to be able to play a role in the governing of the country a sufficient vicarious thrill?

What of this new generation of young white Bahamians, who, more than any other, has mixed with non-white Bahamians in school, church, work and yes, at social events? Do they not consider themselves political equals, and wouldn't you parents want your children to be political equals in their own land when some of the family roots go far deeper then those of a darker hue?

And what about non-white fair minded Bahamians on both sides of the political divide? Have we been guilty of sitting idly by and allowing skin color to be the main determinant of leadership qualification? Did we take the cowardly way out by not saying enough is enough when race was used by one party in particular, election after election, to stir up the masses to vote for them, leaving the hatred to spill out after the election and to grow and grow?

And where are we today because we have denied a group of Bahamians a place in the leadership? Have we not deprived ourselves of potentially capable leaders? And have we not accepted and excused mediocre leadership because of skin color as well?

If the United States can have a biracial, or as they refer to him, an Afro American president, and Jamaica can have a white prime minister post independence, why can't The Bahamas have a white leader if he is the best man for the job?

We must refuse to allow our politicians to play the race card to their benefit, sidelining qualified Bahamians because of their skin color. And think about it, whilst they are teaching everyone else to diss white Bahamians they make sure that they send their children to predominately white schools here and abroad to ensure that they learn how to speak and behave and mix with and mimic and make friends with the very people that they are encouraging you to resent and hate.

During the hurricane disaster relief effort a lady commented on a radio talk show that she was shocked at the huge turn out of white skinned persons who were working on the ground and coordinating efforts. Many of them are Bahamians too. They love this country deeply and want it to succeed. Why is that so difficult for other Bahamians to appreciate?

And whilst we are at it, what about a female prime minister? When will we allow the exclusive male club to be breached? Trinidad had their first female prime minister in 2010. Jamaica presently has a female prime minister, elected in 2011 – her second time in office. And who can forget the colorful and forthright Dame Eugenia Charles of Dominica.

For too long we have stuck our superior noses in the air as it relates to our southern neighbors, and turned our faces to the north. In the meantime those in the south have been getting their acts together in far more intellectually sophisticated ways than we have, as we shuffled and partied and rested on our laurels from the easy revenues derived from banking and tourism.

– Felicity L. Johnson

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