Errol Walton Barrow (January 21, 1920 June 1, 1987) was a Caribbean statesman and the first Prime Minister of Barbados. Born into a family of political and civic activists in the parish of Saint Lucy, his sister Dame Nita Barrow also became a social activist, humanitarian leader and later Govenor General of Barbados. January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1920 (MCMXX) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dame Nita Ruth Barrow (November 15, 1916 December 19, 1995) was a nurse and humanitarian activist from Barbados. ...

Errol Barrow served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He enlisted in the RAF on December 31st 1940 and flew some 45 operational bombing missions over Europe. By 1945 he had risen to the rank of Flying Officer and was appointed as personal navigator to the Commander in Chief of the British Zone of occupied Germany, Sir William Sholto Douglas. The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ... Europe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... William Sholto Douglas (December 23, 1893 - October 29, 1969) was a senior figure in the Royal Air Force up to and during World War II. Born in Hedington, Oxfordshire he was educated at Lincoln College, Oxford. ...

After the war he studied Law at the Inns of Court and economics at the London School of Economics concurrently, matriculating in 1949 and 1950 respectively. He also served during that time as Chairman of the Council of Colonial Students where his contemporaries included Forbes Burnham, Michael Manley, Pierre Trudeau, and Lee Kwan Yew, all destined to become political leaders in their home countries. The Inns of Court, in London, are where barristers train and practise. ... The London School of Economics and Political Science, often referred to as the London School of Economics or simply the LSE, is a specialist university in London and is regarded as the worlds most prestigious social science institution. ... Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (February 20, 1923 - August 6, 1985) was a Guyanese political leader. ... Michael Norman Manley (December 10, 1924 – March 6, 1997) was the fifth Prime Minister of Jamaica (1972 - 1980, 1989 - 1992). ... The Right Honourable Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau PC, CC, CH, QC, MA, LL.D, FRSC (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was the fifteenth Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 3, 1979, and from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984. ... This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, etc. ...

He returned to Barbados in 1950 and was elected to the Barbados parliament in 1951 as a member of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP). Feeling the fever of anti-colonialism he had inculcated during his student days in London, he quickly became dissatisfied by the incremental approach to change advocated by the party stalwarts. In 1955 he founded the Democratic Labour Party as a progressive alternative to the BLP. He became its leader in 1958 and the party won parliamentary elections in 1961. Barrow served as Premier of Barbados from 1961 until 1966 when, after leading the country to independence from Great Britain, he became Prime Minister. He served continuosly in that capacity as well as stints as Minister of Finance, and Minister of Foreign Affairs for the next ten years. The Democratic Labour Party is the opposition party in Barbados. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ...

During his tenure the DLP government accelerated industrial development; expanded the tourist industry to reduce the island's economic dependence on sugar; introduced National Health Insurance and Social Security; and expanded free education to all levels.

Barrow was a dedicated proponent of regional integration, spearheading the foundation of the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) in 1965. Eight years later CARIFTA evolved into the 13-nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM), when Barrow, together with Forbes Burnham of Guyana, Dr. Eric Williams of Trinidad and Michael Manley of Jamaica enacted the treaty of Chaguaramas to bolster political and economic relations between the english speaking Caribbean territories. The Caribbean Community and Common Market or CARICOM was established by the Treaty of Chaguaramas which came into effect on August 1, 1973. ... Dr. Eric Williams Dr. Eric Eustace Williams (September 25, 1911 – March 29, 1981) was the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. ... Trinidad (Spanish, Trinity) is the largest of the 2 islands which make up the country of Trinidad and Tobago. ... Chaguaramas lies in the North West Peninsula of Trinidad west of Port-of-Spain; the name if often applied to the entire peninsula, but is sometimes used to refer to the most developed area. ...

After another landslide victory in 1971, the DLP returned to the electorate in 1976 for a mandate after two years of bitter controversy over constitutional amendments put forth by the government. Barrow, who had invited public comment on the amendments verbally lashed out at those who had been critical of what he viewed as a minor procedural change in the appointment of judges. A general economic downturn which affected most countries in the hemisphere contributed to a shift in public sentiment resulting in the party's election defeat.

As an indomitable advocate of Caribbean sovereignity he fiercly opposed interference in Caribbean affairs. As opposition leader in 1983 he spoke out forcefully against the U.S. invasion of Grenada and he was scathing in his critisicm of other Caribbean leaders who kow-towed to Washington in the hope of getting economic handouts.

"Mr. Seaga (Prime Minister of Jamaica, Edward Seaga) thinks that the solution to Jamaica's problems is to get President Reagan to play Santa Claus. I do not believe in Santa Claus." The Right Honourable Edward Philip George Seaga (born May 28, 1930) was Prime Minister of Jamaica for the Jamaica Labour Party from 1980 to 1989, and served as leader of the opposition 1989 to January 2005. ... Order: 40th President Term of Office: January 20, 1981–January 20, 1989 Preceded by: Jimmy Carter Succeeded by: George H.W. Bush Date of birth: February 6, 1911 Place of birth: Tampico, Illinois Date of death: June 5, 2004 Place of death: Los Angeles, California First Lady: Nancy Reagan Political...

In May of 1986 after 10 years in opposition Barrow was re-elected as Prime Minister in a landslide victory in which the DLP won 24 of 27 seats in the House of Assembly. The campaign was notable for an address he gave at a political rally some two weeks before the election which came to be known as the 'Mirror Image' speech. In it, Barrow rhetorically asked Barbadians what kind of a future they saw for themselves when they looked in the mirror; contrasting a life of menial labour as an emmigre in the developed world, or staying and building a strong and independent Barbados to rival other small states like Singapore.

Sadly, a scant year after his re-election, Prime Minister Errol Barrow collapsed and died at his home on June 1st 1987. He was 67 years old.

Posthumously declared a National Hero, Barbados honours his legacy as the 'Father of Independence' by marking his birthday January 21st as a national holiday. His visage is insribed on the $50 Bds bill, and the official government of Barbados website proclaims:

He found Barbados a collection of villages, and transformed it into a proud nation.

[1] [2] ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... John Michael Geoffrey Manningham Adams (1931 - 1985) was a Barbados political figure. ... Sir Harold Bernard St. ... ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford (born March 24, 1937) is a Barbadian politician. ...