Who was the Bahamian Sir Randol Fawkes?

Answer 1

Sir Randol Francis Fawkes Sir Randol Francis Fawkes often referred to as The Father of Labour for the work that he did in establishing the trade union movement in The Bahamas, was born on March 20th, 1924, Nassau, Bahamas. He was called to the Bahamas Bar in April 1948. In June 1951, he married the former Jacqueline Rosalie Bethel of West End, Grand Bahamas. There are four children of the union: Francis, Rosalie, Douglas and David. During the 1950's and 1960's, Sir Randol was in the vanguard of almost every progressive movement: - the Citizens' Committee (1949), The Bahamas Federation of Labour (1955). After his first election to the House of Assembly in 1956, Sir Randol consistently served on the Select Committees for Labour Relations and Constitutional Reforms. Association of The Bahamas with the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Court of Appeal also bear his mark. In January, 1956, as President of B.F. of L., he led the General Strike, which resulted in major constitutional and labor reforms. In March, 1958 while on a lecture tour of New York City he was cited by the Caribbean League of America and the Abyssinia Baptist Church "in recognition of his outstanding civic contribution to Bahamian life and times." Later in the same year, the National League of Beauty Culturists similarly honored him in Nassau. In 1961, he successful piloted through the House of Assembly, the Bill which established Labour Day as a public holiday. He was re-elected to the House of Assembly in 1962 and in 1963, Sir Randol represented the Labour Party at the Constitutional Conference in London, England. He was the first representative to raise the question of independence for The Bahamas on the floor of the House of Assembly. In September, 1966, he pleaded the case before the United Nations urging its assistance for the Bahamian people in their stride towards self-determination. In 1967, his was the decisive vote that broke the 18-18 deadlock between the two major parties: the United Bahamian Party and the Progressive Liberal Party. As a consequence, Majority Rule was then ushered into the country with formation of a PLP-Labour Coalition government. From January, 1967 to April, 1968, Sir Randol served as Minister of Labour and Commerce in the first PLP-Labour Government. In 1972, he returned to the private practice of Law. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the trade union movement and to the country, knighthood was conferred on Sir Randol by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth in 1978. Sir Randol documented his memoirs in a book titled: The Faith that Moved the Mountain.