Edward Francis Small

Edward Francis Small (29 January 1891 – January 1958) be Gambian statesman wey people dey describe am as de "trailblazer of Gambian political consciousness." One of de few educated Africans wey dey insyd de Gambia Colony den Protectorate during de early 20th century, Small be de person wey start de country ein first trade union (Bathurst Trade Union), de country ein first political party (Rate Payers' Association), den e be de first citizen wey dem elect go de legislature. E too be delegate plus leader for de National Congress of British West Africa (NCBWA).Keita, Abdou Jeli. "EDWARD FRANCIS SMALLS MONUMENT IN LIMBO". www.foroyaa.gm. Archived from the original on 2011-10-03. Retrieved 2025-08-06.Faal, Dawda (February 15, 2008), The Road to Independence, Daily Observer. Archived February 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.

 Early life den education 
Small dem born am insyd Bathurst insyd 1891, ein poppie be John W. Small den ein mommie be Elizabeth Thomas. Thomas, wey be Sierra Leonean immigrant, be from de Aku people, same way John too be. By de time wey dem born Small, Africa already dey under de partition wey happen for de 1884 Berlin Conference. Small start ein education for Gambia, but because high school no dey, e for move go Freetown, Sierra Leone, for ein secondary education. E go Methodist Boys' High School for Freetown den for 1910 e start dey teach for one school there, then e come back Bathurst for 1915 to continue ein work as teacher.

 Missionary work 
Small join de Wesleyan Methodist Mission for Bathurst. E earn respect from de Mission people, so dem send am make e go open mission for Balanghar, wey by den be one vibrant trading town plus holiday resort. E spend 18 months for there, before dem send am go Sukuta after e get physical confrontation plus one white trader over bell ringing. De Divisional Commissioner support de white trader for de matter, wey make dem move Small go Sukuta. Since dat time, people dey describe de incident as one "imperialist maneuver [insyd] getting rid of an unwanted person".

 Nationalism den pan-Africanism 
Small ein aim be to empower de ordinary people of Gambia, especially farmers den workers. As one of de few educated Africans wey dey de territory, ein aim be to empower dem plus knowledge den information. E organise evening classes for village people, den e found de first nationalist newspaper for de country. E use dis one reach ein followers even when e dey exile for Senegal. E start de Gambia Native Defense Union (GNDU) together plus other Akus. E too start The Gambia Farmer's Cooperative Association for 1917, den de Bathurst Trade Union for 1929. For 1920, e attend one conference for Accra, Gold Coast, wey e deliver speech about de right of West Africans to self-rule. De result of de conference be de formation of de National Congress of British West Africa, den Small set up de Gambian branch when e return.

Insyd 1922 Small start one newspaper, de Gambia Outlook and Senegambian Reporter, wey dem publish for de first time for Dakar (Senegal) for May of dat same year. E be one of de early newspapers wey carry Pan-African/Senegambian philosophy. For 1929, ein trade union organise de country ein first strike. Ein campaign slogan for most parts be "no taxation without representation". For de 1930s, Small start de Rate Payers' Association (RPA), wey turn into de country ein first political party wey control local politics for Bathurst. De RPA win all six seats for de municipal council wey dem open to African candidates for de 1936 elections.

Small too create one political network during ein visit to de French West Africa (AOF). For June 1931, Small carry ein mission go Dakar plus ein secretary Boubakar Secka. By dat time, Senegal get rising interest for communism plus pan-Africanism. During ein visit, Small meet plenty Senegalese activists wey get communist, anti-colonial den pan-African ideologies. De room wey e rent for Rue Félix Faure turn into meeting place where Small dey discuss ein political ideologies. Some of de people Small meet for AOF be Ernest Cherry, one man wey dey involved inside de League for de Defence of de Negro Race (LDNR), wey get connection to de French League against Colonial Oppression; Fofana Coulibaly, one former teacher from French Guinea wey get extremist ideology plus anti-French sentiments; den Raphael Mensah, one man "wey dey insyd de list of people wey dem dey suspect say dem be sympathizers of de revolutionary movement." Small too get connection plus English-speaking blacks like William Winston, one of de people wey dey involved for de Garveyist incidents of 1922.

Small get appointment to de Legislative Council on 31 December 1941 represent Bathurst Municipal Council. For 1947, dem hold de first direct elections for one seat on de Legislative Council. Small, wey ein trade union support am, win de election, e beat I. M. Garba Jahumpa plus Sheikh Omar Faye. After dat, dem appoint am go de Executive Council on 11 December 1947, den dem appoint am again go de council on 18 January plus 12 June 1951. E continue to dey inside Gambian politics till e die for January 1958.

Plus Ibrahim Muhammadu Garba-Jahumpa, Small attend de 1945 World Trade Union Conference for London, England.

 Legacy 
Small ein trade unionism inspire Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof, wey later organise den lead de Bread and Butter Demonstration of 1959 wey clear de road for Gambian independence.Exclusive interview with Foroyaa Panorama ("Tribute To Alhaji A.E. Cham Joof"), Foroyaa, 16 May 2011.Joof, Cham (1959), The Root Cause of the Bread and Butter Demonstration.Joof, Cham, Party Politics in the Gambia, 1945–1970, pp. 53–56.

 References 


Category:1891 births
Category:1958 deaths
Category:Gambian people
Category:Human
Category:20th-century journalists
Category:Gambian Creole people
Category:Gambian journalists
Category:Gambian Methodists
Category:Gambian nationalists
Category:Gambian pan-Africanists
Category:Gambian people of Sierra Leonean descent
Category:Gambian trade unionists
Category:Members of de Legislative Council of the Gambia
Category:People wey komot Banjul
Category:Gambian revolutionaries