ABSTRACT
Gambian independence, on February 18, 1965, was a time for countrywide celebration. At villages up and down the river, people slaughtered large animals, prepared feasts, and danced into the night. The grandest celebrations were in the capital. Bathurst was packed with visiting dignitaries, the duke and duchess of Kent the most easily recognized. Because Niumi was just across the river, large numbers of its residents put on their best clothes and boated over to see or participate in drama festivals, wrestling matches, or drumming and dancing contests. A Berending youth group was featured, performing traditional dancing in Bathurst’s Box Bar Stadium. Many from Niumi were in the crowd at MacCarthy Square on the night of February 17 when, as midnight approached, the Union Jack came down and Gambia’s red, green, and blue flag inched up the flagpole. The fireworks that followed lit faces full of contentment. It might be a rocky road ahead, but Gambians would now be driving their own vehicle.1
