James Alexander George Smith McCartney (Jags) was born to Sally and Fernandez McCartney on June 30th, 1945 on Grand Turk. He was born with a serious heart condition and was not expected to lead a healthy and active life. However, from a very early age he was active in athletics. It was not until he was a teenager in high school on Grand Turk that he began experiencing problems with his heart.

Prompted by the seriousness of his medical condition and the absence of a heart specialist in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Jags was sent to Jamaica to receive the medical attention he needed and complete his secondary education at Happy Grove High School. He continued to be active in sports especially swimming and running.

During his years in Jamaica, he was inspired by the political activities of great leaders such as Hon. Norman Manley and Sir Alexander Bustamante and studied much about the work of leaders like Marcus Garvey and Martin Luther King Jr. After Jags graduated from high school, he returned to the Turks and Caicos Islands where he developed programs which involved the local youths of Grand Turk.

Like many Turks and Caicos Islanders, he migrated to he United and then the Bahamas where he became interested in politics. There he associated himself with the progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and during the 1967 elections he campaigned on their behalf. Later, he and one of his colleagues organized the first major strike at the Grand Bahama Hotel to gain better working conditions for the employees there. He continued to encourage workers to form unions and fight against the oppression under which they worked. He helped to stage many peaceful demonstrations. These activities inspired him to write a book “A Black Boy in the Bahamas”.

In 1971, Jags McCartney returned to the Turks and Caicos. Elections were due the following year and he decided to contest a seat which he lost. Immediately following his defeat he began preparing for the 1976 elections. He started by forming the Junkanoo Club where young people could gather and discuss many current topics. It was from this group the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) was formed in 1975. The Junkanoo members were called “Black Power Boys”.

Jags had a burning desire to improve the social conditions of the Turks and Caicos Islands. He tried to fight for new land reforms that would allow Turks and Caicos Islanders to own land. He wanted more young people to go abroad to receive higher education and return home to hold good jobs in the islands. In September 1976, the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) won the elections and Jags McCartney, its leader became the first Chief Minister of the Turks and Caicos Government. This victory began a new era for the Turks & Caicos Islands.

Hon. McCartney served his people well. He was committed and dedicated and he defended what he believed in. He felt that all men should be free and share equal opportunities in life. He felt that the poor needed to enjoy a happy life and to do this he fought the ills of the country and in the history books known as the First National Hero of the Turks & Caicos Islands.

J.A.G.S. & His Dream

- by Oswald Skippings

JAGS DREAM LIVES ON!
IN TRUTH AND IN FACT, IT HAS NEVER DIED SINCE THE DAY IT WAS BORN

AS SUCH, JAGS WILL NEVER DIE,
FOR AS INCREDIBLE AS IT MAY SEEM, OUR NATIONAL HERO LIVES ON,
ALTHOUGH TO THE DUST HIS BODY HAS LONG GONE
IF THIS TRUTH YOU DARE DISPUTE THEN YOU ARE LIVING A LIE
FOR IN US WHO ARE GENUINE, NATIONALISTIC AND PATRIOTIC, JAGS SPIRIT LIVES ON DEEP DOWN INSIDE

WHO IS THIS MAN THEY CALLED JAGS?
HOW DID HE SET US FREE?
QUESTIONS FROM THE MOUTHS OF THOSE WHO ARE ILL INFORMED OR BLIND AND CANNOT SEE

ONE INGREDIENT OF THE MAKEUP OF THE MAN CALLED JAGS
IS THAT HE HAD A WILL & A WAY TO DELIVER HIS PEOPLE FROM POVERTY AND RAGS,
SO THAT OUR MINDS WOULD NO LONGER BE IN BONDAGE AND ENSLAVED

JAMES ALEXANDER GEORGE SMITH MCCARTNEY WAS THE NAME HE BARE
HE WAS HUMBLE, BUT HE NEVER LET HIS WOUNDED HEART SUFFER FEAR,
HE WAS A GIANT WHO WALKED AMONG MEN TALL, RESOLUTE AND STRONG,
HE FOUGHT AGAINST THE EVILS OF RACISM AND OPPRESSION IN EVERY SHAPE OR FORM

THE ROAD WAS TRAITOROUS & TREACHEROUS, THE WAY WAS HARD, THE JOURNEY WAS LONG.
BUT THAT DID NOT STOP HIM FROM PURSUING RIGHT AND STAMPING OUT WRONG

HE HAD A DREAM WHICH HE FOUGHT HARD TO MAKE A REALITY,
FROM COLONIAL OPPRESSION HE WANTED HIS PEOPLE TO BE LIBERATED AND SET FREE.

THEY SAID WE WERE NOT QUALIFIED, SO WE COULDN’T GET WORK,
NOT BEYOND CLEANING THEIR OFFICES, YARDS OR WASHING THEIR CARS AND TRUCKS.
OR OTHER MENIAL JOBS LIKE COOKING THEIR MEALS OR BEING NANNIES TO THEIR FAMILIES,
EVEN THEN ONLY IF WE WERE LUCKY OR HAD STRAIGHT HAIR AND MILKY SKIN,
WOULD WE BE TRULY SORT OF EMBRACED AND BARELY WELCOMED IN.

JAGS INSISTED ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND IF WE WERE NOT QUALIFIED HE WOULD ENSURE THAT WE WOULD BE TRAINED,
HE DIDN’T STOP UNTIL BETTER JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIS PEOPLE WERE OBTAINED.

DO YOU THINK A MAN, IN HIS OWN HOMELAND,
SHOULD HAVE TO FIGHT SO HARD TO DEFEND HIS ABILITY TO HOLD HIS HEAD HIGH AND TO STAND?

JAGS WAS TIRED OF BOWED DOWN HEADS AND LOWERED EYES,
AT THE FEET OF COLONIAL OPPRESSORS WHO WOULD SEE US OSTRACIZED?
HE GOT TIRED OF NOT BEING ABLE TO WALK THE STREETS,
WITHOUT BEING HARASSED BY BRAINWASHED POLICE,

HE GOT TIRED OF NOT BEING ABLE TO EAT IN CERTAIN RESTAURANTS IN HIS HOMELAND
HE GOT TIRED OF TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDERS NOT BEING ABLE TO WALK OR SWIM AT OUR OWN BEACH.
SO HE FOUGHT AND PUT EVERYTHING WITHIN HIS PEOPLES’ REACH
YES! MY FRIENDS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT JAGS McCARTNEY'S OUTSTANDING LEGACY
IT'S THE EXCEPTIONAL GOOD THAT HE DID, SO WE COULD ALL BE FREE,
IN OUR OWN BEAUTIFUL BY NATURE TURKS AND CAICOS COUNTRY.

IM NOT USING MY COMPUTER KEYS OR THE INK IN MY PEN,
TO SEE VIOLENCE RETURN ONCE AGAIN TO THIS LAND,
I'M NOT ENGAGING THE TONGUE IN MY MOUTH
TO REIGNITE THE TENSIONS AND HOSTILITIES THAT WERE RAMPANT ABOUT

BUT TODAY WE CAN FIGHT WITH OUR MINDS,
WE CAN REKINDLE THE FIRE OF UNITY THAT JAGS LEFT BEHIND
USING GOD’S BREATH AND OUR VOCIFEROUS OUTCRY
TO LET THE WORLD KNOW OF THE ABUSIVE MODERN GENOCIDE
THAT HAS MORPHED INTO PRESUMPTUOUS DIPLOMACY AND HAS BEEN CONSTITUTIONALIZED

LET THEM KNOW THAT THE TURKS AND CAICOS PEOPLE NOW GROAN
BUT THAT WE ARE A PEOPLE WHO JAGS MADE PROUD AND STRONG,
THAT HE TAUGHT US TO STAND UP AND FIGHT AND NOT TO SETTLE FOR INJUSTICE AND WRONG,

THAT JAGS INDOCTRINATED US TO STAND FOR JUSTICE FREEDOM AND EQUALITY,
BECAUSE THIS IS OUR BLESSED LAND AND WE HAVE AN INALIENABLE RIGHT TO BE FREE!

SO TODAY, WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR CHALLENGE TO THE FREEDOM TRACK,
I WANT YOU TO RUN WITH PRIDE WITH YOUR HEAD HIGH AND DON'T LOOK BACK,

I WANT YOU TO RUN IN REMEMBRANCE OF THIS GREAT LEGEND OF A MAN,
OUR NATIONAL HERO, HONORABLE JAGS MCCARTNEY THE PEOPLE'S FRIEND
THE ONE WHO GAVE HIS LOVE, LIFE AND LIMB TO LIBERATE THIS GREAT LAND!!!
SO LET'S UNITE AND DO IT TOGETHER HAND IN HAND
LET'S BE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS KEEPER AND EACH OTHERS FRIEND
LET'S NOT GIVE UP THE FIGHT UNTIL OUR STRUGGLE ENDS AND WE ARE FIRST CLASS CITIZENS IN OUR NATIVE LAND

LET'S ALL EMBRACE AND REVIVE JAG'S DREAM, FOR THATS THE ONLY WAY TO GO
IN TRUE REMEMBRANCE AND HONOR OF OUR NATIONAL HERO!
FROM MENTAL SLAVERY, FREE YOUR ENSLAVED MINDS FIRST
THAT IS THE HANGOVER FROM THE COLONIAL & THE SLAVERY CURSE

INGITE YOUR PRIDE, LET IT FLOW LIKE A MIGHTY RIVER FOR ALL TO SEE
DARE TO GO WHERE YOU ARE FORBIDDEN TO, FOR THAT IS TRUE FREEDOM AND LIBERTY
DARE TO BE A VISIONARY AND PURSUE YOUR AMBITIOUS DREAMS
GIRD UP YOUR LOINS WITH SELF PRIDE AND FORGE AHEAD WITH SELF ESTEEM

ASCEND THE EVER ASCENDING LADDER THAT WILL TAKE YOU WAYYY BEYOND THE SKY
AND DON'T BE HANDICAPPED BY THE PROVERBIAL SKY IS THE LIMIT, THEY ONLY SEEK TO MEDIOCRITIZE

KNOW YOUR PROWESS AND CARVE OUT YOUR COVETED PLACE IN SOCIETY
WIELD YOUR HAND OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AND ETCH YOUR INDELIBLE MARK IN HISTORY
THAT IS THE VERY ESSENCE AND INSIGNIA OF THE JAGS MENTALITY
THE DETERMINATION NOT JUST TO SURVIVE, BUT THE WILL TO EXCEL IN HUMANITY

DARING TO BE BOLD, FEARLESS AND AUDACIOUS
WILLING TO SACRIFICE FOR THE LIBERATION OF OUR TURKS AND CAICOS
LETTING NOTHING STAND IN THE WAY OF PROGRESS
NEVER SUCCUMBING TO DEFEAT BUT COMMITTED ALWAYS TO ACHIEVING SUCCESS
LABORING, PERSEVERING, PRAYING, WHILE TRUSTING IN THE GOD OF OUR SALVATION
TO BRING US PEACE, PROSPERITY AND FREEDOM IN OUR BLESSED NATION!

THEN FINALLY!

HEAR THESE WORDS OF WISDOM THAT I DARE TO TELL,
WHILE IN TRIBUTE YOU BADE JAGS FAREWELL
DONT EVER LET HIS FERTILE AND POTENT DREAM OF HOPE TO DIE
AND NEVER BADE HIS IMPREGNATED, VISIONARY DREAM GOODBYE,
BUT LET'S JOIN HANDS ACROSS DENOMINATIONAL AND PARTY LINES
BLACKS, WHITES AND PEOPLE OF ALL RACES AND KINDS
LET'S UNITE IN LOVE AND NOT IN PSUEDO INFATUATION
AND BUILD OUR COUNTRY INTO ONE PROGRESSIVE AND PROSPEROUS NATION

NO MORE PREJUDICIAL, RACIAL OR ETNIC EVASION
BUT A HUMANITARIAN MIND OF ONE FAIR, INDISCRIMINATE PERSUASION
BE IT BLACK, CAUCASIAN, HAITIAN OR ANY OTHER ORIGN OF NATION
AS LONG AS WE’RE APART OF A DEDICATED AND COMMITTED TURKS AND CAICOS EQUATION
LET’S SHOW LOVE, RESPECT AND SINCERE APPRECIATION

IN CONCLUSION MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!
FOR EVERY AVAILABLE VOCATION
LETS EDUCATE AND OTHERWISE EQUIP OURSELVES IN PREPARATION
IF WE ARE TO EVER BREAK THE CHAINS OF OPPRESSION AND ARISE FROM THE SLUMS OF DEGRADATION
NO MORE MENTAL SLAVERY, BUT GENUINE EMANCIPATION
YES!
THAT WAS THE ESSENCE AND SUMMATION
OF THE RIGHT EXCELLENT JAMES ALEXANDER GEORGE SMITH'S DETERMINATION
FOR HIS BELOVED TURKS AND CAICOS NATION!