“I Am A Hurt Bahamian”

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – A local preacher, who sued the government over the use of The Bahamas national flag, says he is frustrated about not being recognized and compensated as the designer of the flag.

Now he says he’s prepared to take action.

Bishop James Darling explaining how he feels after decades of pleading with the government for what he says he is owed.

Bahamian history has credited the late Reverend Doctor Hervis Bain as the designer of our national flag, something darling claims simply isn’t true.

This “board game”, Darling says he designed in his mother’s backyard with spare boards of wood and old spray paint cans in 1964 when he was 10.

Darling has even taken his battle to court.

He began proceedings against the attorney general for copyright infringement by a writ of summons on March 10, 2010.

Darling claims he has held the copyright for the design called fun in The Bahamas since 1964.

As he was just 10-years-old when his sister wrote a letter to the Registrar General’s Department requesting the copyright on his behalf.

He alleges copies of his designs were taken from the registrar’s office where they were copyrighted, and then used for the flag’s design in 1973

Darling brought several court documents and letters from former prime ministers acknowledging him as the flag’s designer, along with promises for payment.

Tired of approaching the situation diplomatically, darling says he’s now prepared to take a drastic step.

The 70-year preacher says while it hurts him as a Bahamian, he feels after all these years, he has no choice.

Our News contacted the family of the late Rev. Dr. Hervis Bain who declined to comment but made reference to one of Bain’s books – To all and singular: Bahamian national symbols.