Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
And his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement in the Bahamas.
“Please allow me to express my personal appreciation to you for your determined courage and dedication to the cause of Freedom and Human Dignity. I am sure that your name will long live in the annals of your nation’s history for your willingness to suffer and sacrifice for a cause that you know is right.”
“Any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them and the social conditions that cripple them is a spiritually moribund religion awaiting burial.”
STREET ARTISTS PAY A VIBRANT TRIBUTE TO THE PIONEERS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
Under the leadership of Lend A Hand Bahamas, a powerful community art initiative unfolded in Lewis Street, Nassau—the very neighborhood where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stayed during his 1958 visit to meet Bahamian labor leader Sir Randol Fawkes.
Artists and youth transformed walls into vibrant murals that honor civil rights pioneers and community heroes. The theme—“I Have a Dream. I Am the Dream. We Are the Dream”—echoes Dr. King’s legacy and ties it to Bahamian struggles for justice.
The house where Dr. King resided was formally recognized, and the surrounding area became a canvas for storytelling through art.
It’s said that King later penned his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech while visiting Bimini.
The project united local artists, students, and organizations like Transforming Spaces, the U.S. Embassy, and the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, creating a mosaic of voices and visions.
Beyond beautification, the murals sparked pride and dialogue in a historically underserved area. Children from the neighborhood actively participated, becoming stewards of their own cultural narrative.
During the 1958 sedition trial, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King visited The Bahamas to give support to Sir Randol Fawkes.
