Christopher Columbus, Lord Horatio Nelson and many others are significant characters in our history and must continue to be remembered in our history books and other historical records but they are the heroes of our colonial masters and not necessarily ours.
It is for that reason that I support the growing chorus of those who argue that statues and other similar iconic representations be systematically removed from public spaces where they are displayed and placed in museums. This does not mean that we must erase the names from every public place. In fact, it will be impossible and quite unnecessary to do so.
But why should we persist with street names like Baden-Powell, Kitchener and Buller; formidable military men who helped the British win the Boer war and also suppress the native peoples of South Africa?
And what about Chacon. Don Jose Chacon was reputed to be a sadistic governor of Spanish ruled Trinidad who took apparent pleasure in hanging and flagellating members of the native tribes in the St Joseph square.
I submit that after almost 60 years as an independent nation we have grown enough locals who could and should populate the spaces made vacant by the removal of those Eurocentric icons.
To name a few, we have Dr Eric Williams, renowned historian and political leader who brought us out of colonialism, Albert Gomes who dared to speak out for calypsonians and the steelband movement when it was almost suicidal for people of his background to do so, Sat Maharaj who devoted his life to the advancement of indo-Trinidadians and Indian Culture in T&T, and Sir Solomon Hochoy, renowned public servant and first Governor General of T&T.
We must also encourage our historians and other social commentators to write text books for use in our schools. This way we will develop a proud and socially aware population and eventually become a true nation.