Wynter Crawford
The Six Roads Roundabout in St. Philip will soon be known as the Wynter Crawford Roundabout.
The re-naming comes as Government seeks to honour his significant contribution to the development of that parish as an elected member of the House of Assembly.
Wynter Algernon Crawford (1910-1993) is said to have been "one of the giants of the movement for political and social enfranchisement that culminated in the independence of Barbados in 1966".
He founded a weekly newspaper, The Barbados Observer in 1934 and was its publisher for 41 years of its existence. The newspaper was seen to give a clear voice to the concerns of the underprivileged. It was radical in nature, boldly identifying and attacking ???conservative’ forces and racial discrimination, while vigorously promoting ???progressive’ causes. It also campaigned for socialist rearrangement of society, for self government and independence.
Mr. Crawford was also a founder and leader of the West Indies National Congress Party. As a parliamentarian, he represented the parish of St. Philip and worked for its development for a continuous period of 26 years.
His achievements for that constituency included getting a bus service to St. Philip for school children, the establishment of a branch library and the Princess Margaret Secondary School, the construction of an access road for fishermen at Long Bay Beach, and the restoration of King George V Memorial Park as a playing field and recreational centre.
His major parliamentary interventions spanned from 1940 to 1961, where he called for the nationalisation of the sugar industry and campaigned against the unjust treatment of peasant farmers and small cane growers.
During this time, Mr. Crawford championed educational issues, including the free supply of school books and stationery, as well as milk and biscuits for school children. He also made contributions on labour, the cost of living, war and the fishing industry.
Among his most important proposals was the creation of the Hilton Hotel, the Flour Mill and the East Coast Road, for which construction began in the 1940s.
From 1961 to 1965, Mr. Crawford simultaneously held a number of key ministries – Trade, Industry, Labour and Development, and Commerce and Tourism. He was also named Deputy Premier of Barbados. As a Minister, he advocated the establishment of the National Insurance Scheme and proposed the adoption of the Puerto Rican model of economic development. As Minister of Development after 1961, he played a crucial role in the formulation of the policy that created the various industrial estates and attracted several industries to the island.
In 1980, Wynter Crawford was awarded a Companion of the Honour of Barbados (CHB), for his sterling service to the country.
So, as plans are finalised for the re-naming ceremony on Saturday, August 29, Barbadians who traverse the Six Roads area will see a lasting memorial to this outstanding son of the soil.