THE FIVE BRAVE MEN ON COLUMBUS

Donneldo Harris, T’Sean Mott, Amad Burns, Duran Saunders and Jerad Darville, aka The V Brave Men all appeared before the Columbus Statue 10 June 2020 at Government House and demanded its removal. The five men were joined in their campaign by an unlikely ally, The Tribune who argued that the statue had lost its relevance. We agree that it is time  for it to go and that the statue ought to be replaced by statues of the four marines who were killed on the HMBs Flamingo. This was their letter to The Tribune:

The Editor
The Tribune 
Dear Editor,

The 5 Brave Men, an NGO associated with the Progressive Liberal Party, takes note of your article concerning the statue of Christopher Columbus in your 10 June 2020 edition. 

Given the recent social climate, particularly in the United States of America, the topic of racism is ubiquitous and of upmost importance. The 5 Brave Men recognize this and also acknowledges the need for a national dialogue concerning colourism and racism here in The Bahamas. We believe we cannot allow this topic to linger unaddressed any longer. 

Racism is a crucial part in Bahamian history which dates all the way back to 12 October 1492 when Christopher Columbus landed on an island called Guanahani which he later renamed San Salvador. That led to  the enslavement, oppression and genocide of the aboriginal inhabitants  of these islands. 

Today, a statue of Christopher Columbus is prominently displayed on Mount Fitzwilliam directly in front of Government House; an insult to the memory of those aboriginal  people and no longer a relevant symbol for us as the Bahamian people.

The 5 Brave Men unequivocally condemn this statue for what it symbolizes and we fully support its removal. In this modern Bahamas, we shouldn’t condone symbols of racism and hatred. Rather, let us memorialize Bahamians of the past who played crucial and critical roles in establishing the modern Bahamas.

T’Sean Mott
Secretary
The 5 Brave Men
12 June 2020