The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

A GROUP of clergymen has banded together to support the renaming of the Paradise Island Bridge in honour of Sir Sidney Poitier.

While there are other Bahamians deserving of similar honours, spokesperson of the group, New Covenant Baptist Church Bishop Simeon Hall yesterday said to name the bridge after an Oscar winner would have great ramifications.

He said that Mr Poitier had contributed financially to the Baptist community in the early building phases of the Jordan Prince William’s School.

“We believe in this instance,” Mr Hall said, “the government is right to honour Sir Sidney and we support this initiative.

“As members of the Baptist community our support has a subjective basis in that our record shows that when Baptists were marginalised by the class prejudices of the day Sir Sidney Poitier made invaluable financial contributions to help us erect the Jordan Prince Williams School at its present site on Zion Boulevard.”

The clergymen includes Shelton Higgs of the New Covenant Baptist Church, Paul’s Baptist Church pastor J Carl Rahming, Destiny Baptist Cathedral’s Delton Fernander, Samuel Green of the Yamacraw Baptist Church, Philip McPhee, Mount Calvary Baptist Church and Gregory Minnis of Jerusalem Ministries.

They said to place the name of a famous Bahamian born personality at its gateway speaks volumes.

The government recently announced that to mark the country’s 40th year of independence the Paradise Island bridge would be named after the icon.

The re-dedication, which would come in a joint venture with Atlantis, is scheduled to take place on November 2 through 3 with a ceremony, a concert and fireworks.

Additionally, the Government has also committed to building a new Centre for the Performing Arts that will also be named in Sir Sidney’s honour.

The Jennifer Hudson concert has prompted some controversy.

One letter writer wrote to The Tribune saying: “Please tell me how Jennifer Hudson performing at a concert next month has anything to do with reclaiming our heritage?”