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Last Updated: Feb 6, 2017 - 2:32:04 PM |
The Right Honorable Perry G. Christie (back left) and the inductees into the Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Walk of Fame in Atlanta Georgia at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. (Photo: Tourism Today)
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ATLANTA, Georgia -
Prime minister to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie was among ten 2014 honourees added to the
International Civil Rights Walk of Fame during the 2014 Trumpet Awards on Friday, January 24th at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site,
National Park Service, in Atlanta, Georgia.
The
program preceding the induction ceremony was held at the Ebenezer
Baptist Church and was hosted by Frank
Ski with WHUR FM (96.3) Radio in Washington, DC. The program and
unveiling of the footprints was free and open to the public.
Christie was honoured along with
Bishop John Hurst Adams, The Honorable Roy Barnes, Dr. John Carlos, Dr.
Tommie Smith,, Dr. Norman C. Frances, Harry E. Johnson, Sr.,
Representative Calvin Smyre, Thomas N. Todd and Rev. Jasper W.
Williams, Jr.
The
International Civil Rights Walk of Fame was created in 2004 to give
recognition to the foot soldiers of justice who sacrificed and struggled
to make equality a reality for all. This extraordinary display has
become one of the most visited tourist attractions in the city of
Atlanta and has enriched the heritage of the civil rights movement. The
shoes used to create the footprints will also be on display during the
unveiling program.
The International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, now in its tenth year, is
sponsored by the Trumpet Awards Foundation, Inc., and was created and
designed by Xernona Clayton, founder and executive producer of the
legendary Trumpet Awards. Ms. Clayton states, “This walk of fame tells a
phenomenal story about the legacy of this nation. It is a permanent
testimony to those who have dedicated themselves to progress of our
people and to this nation. Many of the shoes we use in the display
remain on exhibition within the Visitors Center for those who visit the
King Complex.”
The Right Honourable Perry G. Christie bringing remarks at the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame (Photo: Tourism Today)
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning.
It is on momentous occasions such as this one, under the gaze of the Almighty God and before a crowd of witnesses, that men look on their lives retrospectively, and are truly humbled. At this moment, standing in the shadow of a great man, the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who once ministered in this church, I am truly humbled.
As I think of the change that Dr. King helped to bring about in this nation, and worldwide, in his brief but powerful life, I feel privileged to be named among past recipients of this great honour; illustrious persons of iconic stature such as Rosa Parks, Congressman John Lewis, and Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Now, I join my fellow countrymen – the father and founding Prime Minister of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, the late Sir Lynden Pindling, Sir Sidney Poitier and Bishop Neil C. Ellis – in this distinction.
As I reflect on the events of my own life, I am not only humbled but astonished at what God has done for me and through me. I have been shaped by the events of the era of the great Civil Rights struggle. I have adopted as my heroes the great freedom fighters of the United States, those of my own country, and those around the world. My heart swells with both gratitude and humility at the thought that I will be included in this International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.
As we stand in this hallowed place, it is only appropriate that I should reflect on the fact that legendary American figures like Dr. Martin Luther King and Congressman the Reverend Adam Clayton Powell found refuge, solace and inspiration in the fabled island of Bimini in The Bahamas, which propelled them onwards in their great achievements. At the same time they inspired a generation of leaders in The Bahamas, which have lifted our people to achieve their rightful place in the sun.
And let us not forget either that even before Dr. King and Reverend Powell the Bahamian-American connection was given brilliant expression in the pioneering civil rights leadership of such towering figures as W.E.B. Dubois and James Weldon Johnson both of whose grandparents were Bahamian; and in the entertainment and cinematic culture by such iconic figures as Bert Williams and Sir Sydney Poitier, both of whom were Bahamians.
Let there be no doubt, then, that Americans and Bahamians are joined together both by blood and other common bonds.
Prime Minister Christie's shoes for the Walk of Fame exhibit (Photo: Tourism Today)
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Indeed it is fitting that I recall what I said in accepting the Trumpet Award when it was bestowed upon me more than 10 years ago in this same great city of yours. This is what I said, in part, back then:
“We in The Bahamas are separated from you in America by an accident of geography. An expanse of water runs between us. But I am reminded tonight that that same expanse of water reverses into the Atlantic and into history all the way back to the ancestral homeland from which we all hail and from whence we made our way in chains across the Middle Passage to the centuries of both abject sorrow and joyful promise in the New World. We are all of us children of the African Diaspora. And let us never forget that the boat that dropped you off here in America is the same boat that dropped us off first in the land that lies just across the water that rolls between us still.”
Out of this shared history and humanity, we have developed common aspirations and ambitions. My life’s ambition, in more than 40 years of public service, has only been to serve others, to help uplift the downtrodden, and to make life better for others. I know that those of you here in America who are also involved in politics or in the civil rights and empowerment struggles share much the same sense of mission and purpose.
Towering above all things, however, is the binding, healing spirit of love. I believe profoundly that it is love - God’s love manifested in and through each of us - that will truly change the world and lead men to overcome their prejudices so that, in the words of Lincoln, we free “the better angels of our nature”. Dr. King himself believed this, famously declaring: “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
Truly, then, if we all would all just stick with love, what a wonderful world we would have.
May we all, therefore, be guided by the Scripture which teaches us: “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
I cannot help but reflect now, on the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, when I had the privilege of speaking to a throng of individuals from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Then, we all rejuvenated ourselves with the memory of Dr. King’s words from 1963. Now, on an occasion such as this, we seek once again to renew our resolve to battle every type of racism, bigotry, prejudice and injustice with every morsel of our mortal and spiritual strength.
We shall let freedom ring from the sun-soaked shores of The Islands of The Bahamas to the highest peaks of North America, from the sands of South Africa to pyramids of Egypt, from the hills and valleys of Europe to ancient villages of Asia and beyond. We shall let freedom ring.
This must be our refrain all the days of our lives, until we are called home – or until the dream is accomplished all around the world for all people.
Thank you for this prestigious honor.
© Copyright 2014 by thebahamasweekly.com
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