The Order of National Heroes is the supreme honour within the national honours system of

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estima ...

and was established by the Order of National Heroes Act 1998 by the

Parliament of Barbados The Parliament of Barbados is the national legislature of Barbados. It is accorded legislative supremacy by Chapter V of the Constitution of Barbados.Constitution, Chapter V, Part 1; Section 35 The Parliament is bicameral in composition and is ...

. Members are referred to as National Heroes, and are accorded the style "

The Right Excellent The honorific prefix "The Right Excellent" is a form of address that is used in several Commonwealth Caribbean countries. Overview In the Bahamas, members of the Order of National Hero are accorded the style "The Right Excellent". Examples are S ...

" and the post-nominal letters "NH". The Order recognises the most prominent figures in Barbados' history. As of 2021,

Garfield Sobers Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers, (born 28 July 1936), also known as Sir Gary or Sir Garry Sobers, is a former cricketer who played for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974. A highly skilled bowler, an aggressive batsman and an excellent fielder, ...

and

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to th ...

are the only two living persons conferred with the title.

History

The first

National Heroes Day Heroes' Day or National Heroes' Day may refer to a number of commemorations of national heroes in different countries and territories. It is often held on the birthday of a national hero or heroine, or the anniversary of their great deeds that ...

was celebrated on 28 April 1998, the centenary of the birth of

Sir Grantley Adams Sir Grantley Herbert Adams, CMG, QC (28 April 1898 – 28 November 1971) was a Barbadian politician. He served as the inaugural premier of Barbados from 1953 to 1958 and then became the first and only prime minister of the West Indies Federa ...

. On the same day, Trafalgar Square was renamed National Heroes Square. Eleven people have been created National Heroes of Barbados to date, of which ten were nominated by

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

Owen Arthur and formally appointed by the

Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy ...

in 1998, in accordance with the Act. Of the original ten, only

Sir Garfield Sobers Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers, (born 28 July 1936), also known as Sir Gary or Sir Garry Sobers, is a former cricketer who played for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974. A highly skilled bowler, an aggressive batsman and an excellent fielder, ...

is alive; Sarah Ann Gill was the only woman to be created a National Hero until the singer and businesswoman

was honoured in November 2021. The Barbados National Heroes Gallery, located in the Museum of Parliament, traces the lives and contributions made by the National Heroes. In 2021, the

Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...

started a search for new National Heroes. Citizens were encouraged to nominate people who they thought qualified for the high honour. The government of Barbados ultimately chose singer

for this honour and duly awarded her the title of National Hero on the first day of the Barbadian republic. The

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

, being the legal successor to the governor-general, adopted the latter's role and duties of appointing national heroes after Barbados became a republic in 2021.

National Heroes

*''The Right Excellent''

Bussa Bussa's rebellion (14–16 April 1816) was the largest slave revolt in Barbadian history. The rebellion takes its name from the African-born slave, Bussa, who led the rebellion. The rebellion, which was eventually defeated by the colonial mil ...

(also known as Busso or Bussoe) (died 1816) *''The Right Excellent'' Sarah Ann Gill (1795–1866) *''The Right Excellent''

Samuel Jackman Prescod Samuel Jackman Prescod (1806 – 26 September 1871) became the first person of African descent to be elected to the Parliament of Barbados, in 1843. He also helped found the Liberal Party, whose following included small landowners, businessme ...

(1806–1871) *''The Right Excellent''

Charles Duncan O'Neal Charles Duncan O'Neal (30 November 1879 – November 1936)Sean Creighton and Peter Freshwater"Charles Duncan O'Neal", ''North East Slavery & Abolition Group ENewsletter'', No. 8, April 2010, p. 15. was a Barbados physician, political figure a ...

(1879–1936) *''The Right Excellent'' Sir Grantley Herbert Adams (1898–1971) *''The Right Excellent'' Clement Osbourne Payne (1904–1941) *''The Right Excellent'' Sir Hugh Worrell Springer (1913–1994) *''The Right Excellent'' Sir Frank Leslie Walcott , (1916–1999) *''The Right Excellent''

Errol Walton Barrow Errol Walton Barrow (21 January 1920 – 1 June 1987) was a Barbadian statesman and the first prime minister of Barbados. Born into a family of political and civic activists in the parish of Saint Lucy, he became a WWII aviator, combat ve ...

(1920–1987) *''The Right Excellent'' Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers , OCC (born 1936) *''The Right Excellent''

(born 1988)

References

Hero (title) Barbadian culture National symbols of Barbados National Heroes of Barbados National Hero Awards established in 1998 {{ODM-stub