Edward Francis Small | |
|---|---|
| Member of theLegislative Council forBathurst | |
| In office 31 December 1941 – 1958 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 January 1891 Bathurst,British Gambia |
| Died | January 1958 (aged 66–67) |
| Political party | Rate Payers' Association |
Edward Francis Small (29 January 1891 – January 1958) was aGambian statesman who has been described as the "trailblazer of Gambian political consciousness."[1] One of the few educated Africans in theGambia Colony and Protectorate during the early 20th century, Small founded the country's first trade union (Bathurst Trade Union), the country's first political party (Rate Payers' Association), and was the first citizen elected to its legislature. He was also a delegate to and leader of theNational Congress of British West Africa (NCBWA).[2][3][4]
Small was born inBathurst in 1891, the son of John W. Small and Elizabeth Thomas. Thomas, aSierra Leonean immigrant, was of theAku people, as was John. At the time of Small's birth, Africa had already been partitioned by the 1884Berlin Conference. Small was initially educated in The Gambia, but due to the lack of a high school, had to relocate toFreetown, Sierra Leone, for his secondary education. He attendedMethodist Boys' High School in Freetown and in 1910 began teaching at a school there, moving back to Bathurst in 1915 to continue working as a teacher.[1][5]
Small joined the Wesleyan Methodist Mission in Bathurst. He earned the respect of the Mission people and was sent to open a mission in Balanghar, then a thriving trading town and holiday resort. He spent 18 months there, before being sent toSukuta following a physical confrontation with a white trader over bell ringing. The Divisional Commissioner sided with the white trader in the dispute, resulting in Small's removal to Sukuta. The incident has since been described as an "imperialist maneuver [in] getting rid of an unwanted person".[6]
Small aimed to empower the ordinary people of Gambia, especially farmers and workers. As one of the few educated Africans in the territory, he aimed to empower them with knowledge and information. He organised evening classes for village people, and founded the first nationalist newspaper in the country. He used this to reach his followers even when in exile in Senegal. He founded the Gambia Native Defense Union (GNDU) alongside other Akus. He also founded The Gambia Farmer's Cooperative Association in 1917, and theBathurst Trade Union in 1929. He attended a conference in Accra, the Gold Coast, in 1920, delivering a speech on the right of West Africans to self-rule. The result of the conference was the formation of theNational Congress of British West Africa, and Small set up the Gambian branch on his return.[1][5]
In 1922 Small founded a newspaper, theGambia Outlook and Senegambian Reporter, which was published for the first time inDakar (Senegal) in May of that year.[7] It was one of the earlier newspapers with aPan-African/Senegambian philosophy. In 1929, his trade union organised the country's first strike. His slogan for much of his campaigning was "no taxation without representation". In the 1930s Small founded in the Rate Payers' Association (RPA), which was effectively the country's first political party and dominated local politics in Bathurst. The RPA won all six seats on the municipal council open to African candidates in the 1936 elections.[3][8][4]
Small also created a political network during his visit to theFrench West Africa (AOF).[9] In June 1931, Small took his mission to Dakar accompanied by his secretary Boubakar Secka. Senegal at the time, had a growing interest incommunism andpan-Africanism.[9] On his visit, Small met several Senegalese activists with communist,anti-colonial and pan-African ideologies. The room he rented on Rue Félix Faure became a meeting place where Small would discuss his political ideologies. Some of Small's AOF acquaintances included Ernest Cherry, an individual involved in theLeague for the Defence of the Negro Race (LDNR),[10] with ties to theFrench League against Colonial Oppression; Fofana Coulibaly, a former teacher fromFrench Guinea with extremist ideology andanti-French sentiments; and Raphael Mensah, a man "on a list of individuals suspected of being sympathizers of the revolutionary movement." Small also had links with English-speakingblacks including William Winston, one of the people involved in the Garveyist incidents of 1922.[9]
Small was appointed to theLegislative Council on 31 December 1941 representing Bathurst Municipal Council. In 1947 thefirst direct elections were held for a seat on the Legislative Council. Backed by his trade union, Small was victorious, defeating I. M. Garba Jahumpa and Sheikh Omar Faye. He was subsequently appointed to the Executive Council on 11 December 1947, and was later reappointed to the council on 18 January and 12 June 1951. He continued to be involved in Gambian politics until his death in January 1958.[11][12][13][14]
AlongsideIbrahim Muhammadu Garba-Jahumpa, Small attended the1945 World Trade Union Conference inLondon, England.
Small's trade unionism inspiredAlieu Ebrima Cham Joof, who went on to organise and lead theBread and Butter Demonstration of 1959 that paved the way forGambian independence.[15][16][17]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
