Good morning, my fellow citizens, residents, and distinguished guests,
Today, beneath the skies of our beloved Federation, we gather to honour the lives and legacies of our National Heroes. Our brave countrymen, whose courage, sacrifice, and unyielding vision charted the path to the St. Kitts and Nevis we know today. We come not only to lay wreaths at their memorials but to lay our hearts before them, in gratitude for the timeless gifts of freedom, dignity, and nationhood.
This year, as we mark the 42nd Anniversary of our Independence under the theme “Perpetual Progress – A Sustainable Future in View: Independence 42,” we are reminded that the struggle of our National Heroes was never for themselves alone; it was for generations yet unborn, for us. Their vision was not bound by their time but stretched toward the promise of a resilient, prosperous, and united people.
Our National Heroes together form the pillars upon which our Federation stands. From Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw, who showed us that freedom is born of courage and sacrifice, to Sir Caleb Azariah Paul Southwell, who taught us that progress is measured by how far it reaches into every home and uplifts every worker. Each gave us a piece of the foundation. Sir Joseph Nathaniel France reminded us that the health of a nation is inseparable from the health of its people, while Sir Simeon Daniel secured for Nevis a place of dignity and self-determination within our Federation, ensuring that our two islands would always rise together.
And in Sir Kennedy Alphonse Simmonds, our living hero and first Prime Minister, we see resilience and perseverance embodied. His steady hand guided us into sovereignty and continues to inspire us as we navigate the complexities of a changing world. Together, their vision, courage, and sacrifice form not just our history, but our charge: to protect what they built and to carry it forward into a future worthy of their names.
Yet, as we reflect on the lives of our National Heroes, we must also recognize that their struggle did not begin in parliament chambers or at constitutional conferences. It began in the fields, in the villages, in the quiet acts of resilience of ordinary men and women who believed that tomorrow could be better than today. Our ancestors, once enslaved, dared to dream of liberty. Our forebears, labourers and teachers, dared to demand justice. It is their collective strength, the unheralded heroes, that gave our National Heroes the foundation upon which to build.
Today, our challenge is not the yoke of colonialism or the denial of sovereignty. Our challenge is how to secure a future that is both prosperous and sustainable, how to ensure perpetual progress. That means stewarding our natural resources wisely, embracing renewable energy, and safeguarding our environment for generations to come. It means transforming our economy so that it produces opportunities for all, while protecting the most vulnerable among us. It means building a society where healthcare, education, housing, and justice are not privileges, but rights that every citizen can count on.
Let us remember: sustainability is not only about energy or the environment. It is also about people. A sustainable future is one where no young person feels left behind, where workers earn fair wages, where entrepreneurs can innovate, where families can thrive, and where our culture and heritage continue to flourish as living testaments to who we are.
As we stand here today, at this sacred ceremony of remembrance, let us resolve to live as our National Heroes lived – with courage, conviction, and hope. Let us pledge to build upon their sacrifices by writing the next chapters of our national story with courage, purpose, and determination.
For we are the inheritors of their vision. And we are the stewards of their dream. When future generations look back at us, let them say: we honoured the past by securing the future.
On this National Heroes Day, may we all commit to being heroes in our own time, not by seeking glory, but by serving faithfully, by building diligently, and by loving deeply this nation that God has entrusted to us.
May our National Heroes continue to inspire us.
May our Federation continue to rise in perpetual progress.
And may Almighty God bless St. Kitts and Nevis, today and always.
Thank you.
