In the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet, the fair maiden enquires, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.”

Juliet’s point is well taken, as she poses that immortal question, expressing her love only for Romeo, but none for his Montague family name.

Someone told me recently that Accra Beach on the south coast of Barbados was named after the Ghanaian capital Accra. I like the sound of that and I seriously hope this is the case. Accra Beach is one of my favorite beaches on the island and I have fond memories of my many visits there. It is believed that the Barbadian population is eighty percent descended from Ghanaians, so it would be very appropriate if there’s a little piece of West Africa along the Bajan south coast.

So should Bajan, or for that matter other Caribbean modern day decision makers, be more revolutionary in naming the newer housing developments, new towns, districts or renaming some of the existing towns and villages to reflect their African heritage?

In fact, it is suggested by many that the more place names we adopt from the mother continent and incorporate them into our Caribbean geography the better.

With place-names like Worthing, Hastings, Dover Brighton and Folkstone; it is easily understood why the ‘old colonials’ felt the need to transplant the English south coast to a tiny tropical island thousands of miles away. The assumption is that they were homesick after a long journey across the Atlantic Ocean, and felt the need to remind themselves of their homeland.

But the English connection does not stop there, because further inland the English traveler can find a plantation called Yorkshire, along with a Newbury, St Helens, Windsor, Eastbourne, Lancaster, Cheltenham and even an Oxford and Cambridge, among many other very recognizable place names, from not only England but Scotland and Ireland too.

Decision makers have kept the flame of empire burning bright and held on to the old worn-out ‘Little England’ tag, which says so much of what Barbados was in the past.

For the modern day Barbadian, regardless of his hue, there is a brighter identity to be attained and whether Nelson’s statue still has a ringside seat at the proceedings; maybe a high wind of change is on the radar for our new towns and districts this century.

Would swapping the English rose for an African one smell just as sweet?

Shakespeare would agree I’m sure.

Gus Garcia · London, United Kingdom

Gus Garcia is a freelance journalist living in London whose love of travel frequently brings him to the Caribbean, and his home island, Barbados. Gus is currently rediscovering the Caribbean and intends to conquer as much of the region as possible with his camera, and his pen.

gus@antillean.org