Linda Dorsette-Munroe is one of 20 Bahamians -- 11 females and nine males -- who will celebrate their 44th birthdays on Independence Day.
They were born on July 10, 1973, at a time when the population was estimated at 189,900 according to the Department of Statistics.
As she prepares to celebrate her 44th birthday, Dorsette-Munroe thinks about the day of her birth and said it makes her feel special and blessed. But this Independence Day born baby also admits that her life hasn't always been rosy.
"Sometimes it's been good and sometimes it's been bad, because there were times when I didn't have a job and I didn't know where I would get something from for my children, and all of that."
Dorsette-Munroe has five children -- three girls and two boys ranging in age from 11 to 23.
During unemployed periods she said her life was rough. Today she is employed as a contract security worker.
"I've had life struggles like everyone else and always was out there seeking a job, but sometimes it just didn't happen," said the daughter of Margaret Johnson and Zacharius Dorsette.
Slavery was officially abolished in The Bahamas in 1838. Many former slaves remained on the land and eventually became landowners themselves.
Although all residents of The Bahamas were free, the islands remained a colony of the United Kingdom, although much of the day-to-day governing of the country was actually based in The Bahamas. This was a major factor that led to a peaceful negotiation for independence.
In 1964, after decades of debate and legal maneuvering, Great Britain granted The Islands of The Bahamas limited self-government. In 1969, The Bahamas finally became a British Commonwealth, which effectively ended colonial rule.
The Bahama Islands gained total independence from Great Britain and became a sovereign nation on July 10, 1973, ending 325 years of British rule.
One minute to midnight on July 9, the Union Jack was lowered for the last time as the official flag of The Bahamas. One minute after midnight on July 10, a reported crowd of 50,000 saw the black, turquoise and gold flag of The Bahamas raised.
Dorsette-Munroe has two specific memories of being included in independence celebrations over the years as someone who was born on the day.
"I always remembered at the age of 10, it was the first time I heard Priscilla Rollins sing "Independence Morning" [which was released to commemorate The Bahamas' attainment of independence]. I was at ZNS for an interview, reflecting back on July 10, 1973, along with three other persons that shared the same birthday, and it made me feel special and honored. The last one I remembered was when the country celebrated its 40th anniversary and I celebrated my 40th birthday, they gave us VIP tickets to attend the celebration at Clifford Park. The next day we were invited to Government House for the independence luncheon."
While she feels special, Dorsette-Munroe's children derive the most joy out of the fact that their mother is an Independence Day born baby, and they will parrot that fact to anyone who will listen to them.
"I always know that my children feel special to know that their mother celebrates on Independence Day, because they talk about it and they say 'mommy you're a celebrity, you born on July 10, 1973' -- and they would tell other people my birth date, so I know they feel special about it," she said.
But life has not always been easy. Dorsette-Munroe, a 1990 graduate of the then H.O. Nash Secondary School, said she struggled academically as a student and did the best she could, but she wants more for her children and encourages them to work hard.
"I tell my three that still in school to embrace every opportunity and do the best that they could to achieve whatever they can achieve," she said. "It's a whole lot different from my day because they require a whole lot more. In order for them to graduate they have to have a certain amount of BJCs [Bahamas Junior Certificate] and BGCSE's [Bahamas Government Certificate of Secondary Education exams], and they have to make the passing grade in order to get the National High School Diploma that the government has now implemented."
Dorsette-Munroe has plans to celebrate her 44th birthday in style and plans to do it right, as the celebration will be double fold. She celebrates her first wedding anniversary to husband Brian Munroe on Sunday, July 9. Having her wedding on the eve of her birthday, she said, was in no way intentional.
"I had another date set up for the wedding, but it didn't work out, and when I was left to choose another date, when I realized July 9 was a Saturday, I went with that date," she said.
As she prepares to celebrate her birthday and the country's 44th independence as well as her first wedding anniversary, Dorsette-Munroe said she gives God thanks and praise. And she sends birthday greetings to everyone who will celebrate a birthday on Independence Day.
"I hope The Bahamas in these next 44 years would turn back to God. That we would stand up for righteousness and we would continue to lift up the name of Jesus in all things, and He would see us through," said Dorsette-Munroe.

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