BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – INDUBITABLY, there are thousands who over the decades and centuries have served St. Kitts and Nevis with distinction, and mention is often made of some of these individuals and their contributions to the Federation’s advancement are highlighted.
Honour is given to a percentage of these individuals and in recent times these accolades include the Star of Merit, the Medal of Honour and the highest of the land, the National Hero honour.
As it stands, the Federation has five National Heroes, all of whom are men, and social activist G. A. Dwyer Astaphan has concurred with the Prime Minister’s recent expression of his hope that women would make it onto the short list.
Speaking recently with this publication, Astaphan said he would have to dedicate some thoughts to compiling a list of women he feels should be named National Heroes. He however said that the name Betto Douglas immediately popped to mind.
“The national hero thing, I see a lot of names bandied around and while I agree that all of those names I hear mentioned deserve an honour, the honour of National Hero has to be of a very rear and specific type…the very high level.
“There is a lady called Betto Douglas of fond memory who has played a tremendous role in the history of this country. She lived many, many, many moons ago and she was a fighter against colonialism, indentureship and all of those things. Betto Douglas is somebody who comes quickly to mind as certainly a good candidate for National Hero.”
In the early 1770s, Douglas was born into slavery and was the mother of two sons. She was a mulatto slave who worked on the Romney Plantation.
She was one who legally fought to secure her freedom and of her offspring. Having secured her sons’ freedom, she endured a lengthy court battle to secure hers.
Douglas had faced illegal and cruel treatment. She was under threat of being flogged and at one point imprisoned in the stocks for a six-month period.
Unable to endure any further such treatment and having received no justice from the court for her manumission, she made and acted upon a decision to abscond.
Astaphan said one’s elevation to the status of National Hero should not be based upon a gender criterion.
He suggested that Kim Collins should also be named a National Hero.
“I could see Kim Collins being made a National Hero after his career is finished, because he has more than anybody of this land put the name of St. Kitts and Nevis on the map and he is a former World Champion in his field, in his profession. I could see a man like Kim Collins and I could see Betto Douglas being National Heroes.”
