Illuminating Grassroots Efforts
When I wrote “Get Involved: Stories of Bahamian Civil Society,” my mission was to illuminate how grassroots efforts—”philanthropy from below”—shape communities and inspire enduring social change. I aimed to celebrate the unsung heroes who drive development without substantial financial backing by fostering resilience, pride, progress, and unity within our communities.
In the book, I explore the idea of “philanthropy from below” as a counter to dominant ideas of philanthropy as only associated with giving large sums of money. While giving large sums of money is valuable to many nonprofit organizations and communities, philanthropy from below focuses on community responses to social problems in the absence of significant monetary sources. The book recognizes the plethora of philanthropic leaders who have used their passion and commitment to social change in creating institutions and practices to improve and advance their local communities.
A Vibrant Book Launch at NAGB
Last month, the book was successfully released at the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas (NAGB) in Nassau, thanks to a partnership between the NAGB, One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF), and Baha Archives. The event went beyond a traditional book launch; it was a vibrant gathering of artists, historians, advocates, and everyday citizens, all united by a shared interest in preserving Bahamian identity and tackling social issues through creativity and cohesive engagement.
The gathering provided a platform for a discussion of how arts and culture, often overlooked in conversations about national development, play an essential role in fostering resilience, identity, and social consciousness. These elements, after all, are just as vital as health, education, or economic development in building a society where people feel connected, seen and empowered. Arts and culture also enhance other areas of development, such as health, well-being, and education, and provide economic opportunities for creators across diverse artistic genres.
While using The Bahamas as an example of how philanthropy from below has evolved in all cultures, the evening at the NAGB focused on the book’s exploration of how artists and art have also shaped our national and regional philanthropic story over time. Interwoven in the presentations were live examples of how Bahamian artists have and continue to use their work to educate, provoke, and inspire ideas about who we are as a people and what kind of society we aspire to become.
The book offers numerous examples, including the stories of artists and arts advocates like Jackson Burnside, Meta Davis Cumberbatch, Antonius Roberts, Brent Malone, and writers like Marion Bethel and Ian Strachan. Artistic leaders like Jackson Burnside were particularly
interested in founding and supporting vital cultural institutions like the NAGB and other organizations that showcased the talents and perspectives of emerging artists and documented our cultural heritage.
NAGB’s Exhibit: “A Small Remainder of Teeth
At the start of the event, NAGB’s Associate Curator, Letitia Pratt, provided guests with a guided tour of “A Small Remainder of Teeth,” NAGB’s newest exhibit curated by Letitia. The exhibit provided a timely chronicle of how artists in the Bahamas depict, inform, and challenge us to think about the threat of climate change and its impact on our daily lives and land. The exhibit showcased artistic depictions of emotional responses, such as anger or fear, in light of the threat of destruction caused by climate change and attending ecological catastrophes, including ravaging hurricanes.
Letitia described each artist’s work while challenging the idea of earlier artistic depictions of The Bahamas as merely a peaceful tropical paradise. She prompted the audience to consider and address the potential new realities and threats we may face as a nation due to the impact of climate change.
Following the tour, there was a panel conversation discussing how the artists featured in the exhibit and those documented in the book challenge us to think about national development in new ways and prompt us to address social concerns that affect us. Tiera Ndvolu also joined the conversation. Tiera hails from Nassau and currently serves as Curatorial Manager at Madison Square Park, a nonprofit entrusted by the City of New York, which includes a 6.2-acre public space in the heart of Manhattan. Tiera is also the founder of Baha Archives, a nonprofit with a mission to provide an online independent photographic archive “of Bahamian life and history, highlighting our collective memories and cultural traditions.”
Through Baha Archives, Tiera sources Bahamian historical photos and images from local and global archival collections, including private collections, to provide a readily available, well-curated source of Bahamian history through photography. Contributing to the event, Tiera presented a selection of photos that opened windows in time, highlighting Bahamians actively involved in nation-building activities, both small and large, from eras past.
These photographs included independence celebrations, historical images of Bahamians working in various civil service roles during the colonial era, and local artists working together to build meaningful cultural institutions. She urged the audience to recognize themselves as active participants in documenting our history. Tiera further compelled the audience to consider how their personal, family, or community photographic collections could potentially be prized artifacts that capture and tell the story of who we are and
provide vital assets essential not only for documenting individual stories but for building a rich, collective heritage.
The Panel Discussion
Yolanda Pawar, OEF’s chief communications officer, moderated the panel discussion. Yolanda guided the panelists and audience in an interactive discourse, unpacking the evening’s thought-provoking themes and identifying several of the book’s transformative ideas. Some areas of inquiry that prompted reflection from the audience included finding tangible pathways to utilize art for community healing and identifying strategies that would honor and expand on the concept of philanthropy from below to encourage local giving and volunteering.
In one evening, a commitment to partnerships brought together several organizations and diverse community members in a public and civically engaged space. The event was a powerful opportunity to recognize and reflect on the value of our unique heritage and the talented artists,, who continue to create and make significant contributions to our national development. The event also highlighted how looking through the lens of art and cultural heritage provokes us to think deeply and use our collective creative power to support one another, explore our shared values, and lead for change within our communities, ultimately echoing the ethos of philanthropy from below.
About One Eleuthera Foundation
Founded in 2012, One Eleuthera Foundation is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to transforming our local island communities into thriving, self-sufficient ecosystems. We do this by focusing on five key areas: economic ownership, meaningful educational advancement, pathways to wellness, and environmentally sustainable communities centered around our island’s unique cultural identity. We run a number of social enterprises, including CTI, our vocational school; the Retreat Hotel, a training hotel for hospitality students; and our farm and Cooling House, which trains future farmers in the best sustainability and food production practices. Through OEF’s consistent dedicated efforts, the tenacity and resourcefulness of our legacy community, and the support of donors and partners, we are creating change in Eleuthera.
