Today in History: March 2

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – On this day in Bahamian history, Enoch Pedro Roberts died in Nassau in 1976. He was 81-years-old.

Roberts was an educator, artist, musician, craftsman and poet. His career as an educator began when he joined the board of education as a teacher-in-training at the Boys Central School in 1917.

His profession took him to different islands in the colony, teaching in schools on Andros, Bimini, Eleuthera and New Providence.

In 1970, Roberts retired from teaching after 61 years. Two years later he was awarded the Queen’s Certificate and Badge of Honour. In 1974 he was made a member of the Order of the British Empire.

The public primary school on Lincoln Boulevard, in Englerston is named in his honor.

On March 2, 2012, it was judgement day for one of two police officers charged with manslaughter in the death of Desmond Key, who was severely beaten while in police custody several years prior.

Constable Tavares Bowleg was acquitted three days prior, but his supervisor Corporal Donovan Gardner was found guilty.

In a nearly packed courtroom Justice Vera Watkins summed up the case as a small crowd had gathered outside.

Prosecutors allege police beat Key with a baseball bat while in a cell of the Grove Police Station on June 17, 2007.

In 2016, four Constitutional Amendment Bills on gender equality were passed in the House of Assembly in what was described as an “historic day.”

After the vote was taken, then Prime Minister Perry Christie stressed the importance of the act.

Three months later, on June 7, 2016, a constitutional referendum was held on the controversial bills. All four proposals were rejected.

On this day in 2022, millions of Christians around the world marked the start of Lent with Ash Wednesday, as local parishioners returned to churches for the first in-person services since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.