“From Dat Time”: The Oral & Public History Institute is located in the Harry C. The Institute was established in 2013 as part of the College of the Bahamas’ process of transitioning to university status. “FDT” documents the historical experience of Bahamians mainly through the use of oral history methods. It develops scholarly, curricular and recreational materials in a variety of media. It invests in building a cohort of academic and public historians. Its work, conceived in the context of the University’s nation-building mandate, is intended to do more than advance the research of academic and independent investigators. Its work is also intended to affirm the value of the experiences of community elders. Its work is intended, too, to expand historical resources that are available to primary- and secondary-school teachers and students and to the wider community. Currently the Institute’s research programme focuses on four themes: Bahamian participation in World War II, national politics in the postwar era, the evolution of the nursing profession, and the development of the sportfishing industry. Ramble Bahamas, the Institute’s main publication vehicle, is a digital platform that can be viewed on computers and mobile devices. Presenting Bahamian history to general audiences located throughout the archipelago and around the world, Ramble emboldens public engagement with the past. A team comprised of Director Tracey Thompson, Fellow in Research and Technology Jessica Dawson, Fellow in Research and Law Andrea Moultrie, Fellow in Research Tom Karrow, Special Assistant to the Director Francine Russell, Research Associate Virginia Ballance, Research Associate Tonya Gibson, Media Associate Andrew Seymour, and University students Marlon Miller, Ryan Rolle, and Pavel Bailey drives the work of the Institute. An Advisory Group led by Dr. Patrick Roberts and Dr. Doswell Coakley together with a number of community partners facilitate the efforts of the team.
