Profiles: Heroes, Role Models and Pioneers of Trinidad and Tobago - by Nasser Khan

vi INTRODUCTION Dear Readers, This year 2022 is an important one in our country’s history as together we celebrate sixty years of Independence from Britain (England) which we gained in 1962. No doubt you have learned about this proud time in our nation’s history. Our singing of the National Anthem, for example, reminds us of that very proud day, August 31 st 1962. Do you know who composed our National Anthem and who is called ‘The Father of our Nation’? You will find the answers to these and many other questions in the pages of this book. For a county like ours to have reached where it has today, through the periods of being “discovered”, fought for or “settled” upon, slavery, indentureship, labour movements, the joining of Trinidad with Tobago in 1889, to its independence in 1962 and the more modern era, involved many heroes, pioneers and role models over all those years. For example, during the early years from around the 1770’s until the early 1900’s, such heroes, pioneers and role models included Roume de St. Laurent, Gros Jean, John Jacob Thomas, Jonas Bath and Emmanuel Mzumbo Lazare, important people who have faded into history and some of you probably have never heard about. Through the pages of this book, it is hoped that you will find inspiration, knowledge and encouragement through the profiles of our many heroes, pioneers and role models (about 400 of them) , whose profiles are presented to you for easy reading and reference. Photographs of most of the subjects are included where available. Heroes, Pioneers and Role Models of Trinidad and Tobago are those who have made important contributions to our country’s development, who have paved and continue to pave the way for others to follow. Such people include our national leaders, those in public service, politics, medicine, science, law, education, business, social work, sports, labour, economics, culture, arts, radio, television, literature, agriculture, religion, oil and gas, the environment, engineering, architecture, fashion and beauty pageants. Emphasis is placed on those born in Trinidad and Tobago and those born elsewhere and who have spent some part of their lives here making important contributions to our country’s development. Of course those selected and those not selected will lead to much discussion and opinions. Therefore apologies are made for any errors