The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

TWO giants, both instrumental in fuelling The Bahamas’ unique connection with the United States of America, recently took their wings. Dr William “Bill” F Pickard and Dr Enid Curtis-Pinkney played instrumental roles in fostering long-lasting ties between Bahamian and American communities.

This week, as the 28th Annual International African American Hotel and Investment Summit and Trade Show takes place in Miami, their memories will shine brightly. The Summit, hosted by the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD), brings together some of the brightest minds in the hotel industry, and creates opportunities for greater investment and partnership.

NABHOOD president Dr Andy Ingraham, an Eleuthera native, would have loved to welcome Drs Pickard and Pinkney once again for one of the most power-packed weeks in the city of Miami. The NABHOOD Summit is followed by the 11th annual International Multicultural & Heritage Tourism Summit & Trade Show and the 3rd annual Bahamas Diaspora Pioneer Awards Dinner. These three events will take place from July 24 - 28, 2024 at the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida.

    Dr William Pickard
  

Dr Pickard, one of America’s most successful black entrepreneurs, supported NABHOOD’s Summit over the years by presenting on panels that helped to elevate the mindset of participants and give them practical tools and tips for entrepreneurial success. A big proponent of tertiary education, Dr Pickard has impacted the lives of thousands of young people by providing scholarships, mainly for Historically Black Colleges and Universities throughout the USA.

This benevolence also extended to Bahamian students. Dr Pickard’s support for the education of Bahamians began with a beautiful story. Former Governor General Sir CA Smith and Dr Pickard met on a beach in Grand Bahama some fifty years ago. They struck up a friendship that stood the test of time. A part of the reason for this success was because they made a commitment to work together to create scholarship opportunities for young people.

Students chosen from The Bahamas and from Michigan would not only receive scholarships, but they would gain valuable internship experience together and in the process, they would gain strong friendships and alliances.

This spirit of friendship between Sir Cornelius and Dr Pickard is one that is impressed upon the scholarship recipients, all high achievers, because strong alliances set early on in one’s professional career is one of the keys to success. Over the years, the Smith Pickard Scholarship focused on areas such as hospitality, through a partnership with the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD); climate change and agriculture.

In September of 2023, the Smith Pickard Foundation hosted a luncheon at Wild Thyme Restaurant to celebrate the five latest scholarship recipients - three Bahamians and two Americans - all giving testimony of the tremendous impact the scholarship has had on their lives. Two of the students are focusing on Agriculture, including Aron E Francis, who was the valedictorian of the Bahamas Agriculture & Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) Class of 2020.

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) President Dr Larry Robinson, and the Dean of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Dr Robert W Taylor, a Bahamian son of the soil, expressed sincere gratitude for the work of the Smith Pickard Foundation to invest in agricultural education for Bahamian students.

The Smith Pickard Foundation also assisted Dr Ingraham in supporting scholarships for Bahamian students in other areas, including aviation and early childhood education.

Dr Pickard’s affinity for The Bahamas was so great that he served for a time as the honorary consul for The Bahamas in Detroit. In this position, he helped to forge important ties, partnerships and linkages that aided Bahamians in education and in business pursuits in the state of Michigan.

Further south, a tiny lady with a firecracker spirit was making sure people all throughout Florida knew about The Bahamas. Dr Enid Pinkney was an advocate for the Bahamian American connection. She made sure that communities throughout Florida were aware of the impact Bahamians had on the formation of their communities.

Miami’s charter, first signed to officially make it a city, included the signatures of Bahamians, who were the majority in the group signing the charter. Areas like Flagler, Lemon City, Key West and many others owe their foundations to the early Bahamian settlers.

Dr Ingraham referred to Dr Pinkney as a “South Florida Diaspora Trailblazer and former educator who has left a legacy of commitment to community and The Bahamas.

“Her enduring dedication to the community and the preservation of Bahamian heritage has left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing her,” Dr Ingraham said.

“Dr Pinkney was not only a beloved educator, but also a visionary leader who tirelessly worked to uplift and empower her community. Her career spanned several decades, during which she inspired countless students with her passion for learning and her unwavering belief in their potential. Her influence extended beyond the classroom, as she played a pivotal role in various community initiatives aimed at fostering cultural pride and unity. A staunch advocate for the preservation of Bahamian heritage, her family is from Exuma and was instrumental in numerous projects that celebrated the rich history and traditions of the Bahamas.”

Dr Pinkney was a first-generation Miamian of Bahamian parentage. She graduated from Booker T Washington High School before enrolling in Talladega College. She earned a Master’s degree from Barry University and received an honorary Doctorate from Florida International University.

When she was in her 70s, she bravely stood in front of bulldozers to save the Hampton House, where Dr Martin Luther King practised his speeches, where Malcolm X came to relax, and Muhammad Ali freely celebrated. The building eventually became an historic landmark in April 2002.

I had the opportunity to dance to Junkanoo with her during the Bahamas Diaspora Pioneer Awards Dinner 2023, not knowing that it would be the last time I would see her. She saw my 50th anniversary Independence pin from the National Independence Secretariat. She loved it, and I pinned it on her as she told me how important it is to keep Bahamian history alive in South Florida, especially in the face of the increase and extent of other cultures with larger populations.

She received her award that evening and thanks to the Bahamas Diaspora Association, she got her flowers that night, while she still lived.

When you read of the lives of these two great individuals, you will be inspired. You may also ask how they found the time to do so much in their lives. They utilised their passion and their faith to fuel them to do extraordinary things. Hopefully, they are now dancing together to the cowbells, whistles and goat skinned drums that are playing for them, because they touched the lives of so many Bahamians.