DLP’s Griffith says Barrow’s legacy must be lived, not just remembered

Democratic Labour Party St Lucy candidate Ian Griffith on Wednesday called on Barbadians to actively live the legacy of National Hero Errol Walton Barrow.

Speaking on Errol Barrow Day as he addressed a wreath-laying ceremony in Checker Hall, Griffith said national reflection must translate into concrete action, particularly in times of economic and social challenge.

He urged citizens to recommit to the principles of justice, dignity and inclusion that defined Barrow’s leadership.

“Every day after this ceremony, we must ask ourselves are we just celebrating or are we preparing, are we just remembering the legacy or are we living it? So as we lay these wreaths, let it not be only as an act of tradition, let it be a commitment, a promise, a declaration,” he told the gathering which included DLP political leader Ralph Thorne.

Griffith, the first-time political candidate added: “. . . May the legacy of Errol Walton Barrow live on through what we do next. Remember the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.

“And today I stand with the people of this great parish, just as Errol Walton Barrow stood with this great nation, Barbados. He [stood] in dignity. He stood for justice. He stood for opportunity for all. He stood for people and a country first before fame, that we too would stand not only in comfort and convenience but in challenge and controversy, until justice is real, until fairness is felt, until inclusion is lived and until every Barbadian knows they belong and have a purpose in building the future of this country.”

Griffith also declared solidarity with the people of St Lucy, including farmers, fishermen, labourers and church leaders, whom he said continue to carry the burden of community development. 

“A country cannot be built only in Parliament,” Griffith said, adding that true nation-building happens in “communities. A country is built in households. A country is built in the struggles that people carry silently every day.”