As a part of the 50th Majority Rule exhibition, I embarked on the task of painting a full colored portrait of Sir Alvin Braynen from a black and white photo that was taken in 1967. Here is the outcome.
On the morning of Black Tuesday, April 27,1965, Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield led a huge crowd that marched from Windsor Park to Parliament on Bay Street. They gathered outside the House of Assembly where the opposition members were strongly opposing the UBP’s revision of the Boundaries Draft Order. Here is my interpretation of this event.
Sir Randol Francis Fawkes was instrumental in bringing about majority rule.
During the 1967 General elections, of the 38 seats contested, the ruling UBP won 18 seats and the PLP won 18 seats. Sir Randol Fawkes, leader of the Labour party, won 1 seat as did independent candidate Sir Alvin Braynen. Sir Alvin became the speaker of the house, therefore, he could not exercise his vote. Sir Randol threw his vote behind the PLP, creating a coalition government. It was the first time that the Bahamas was run by a black government (“majority rule”).
