What is the BCT?
On May 11th 2023 I tweeted out a nostalgia riddled question and then every morning for the following 49 days, seemingly the entire Bahamas came together for a question of the day to take part in what we’ve affectionately titled, “The Bahamian Citizenship Test.”
It all started with the Mahatma Rice jingle. See for yourself:
The next thing I knew, it was featured on Our News Bahamas’ 7 o’clock news!
And caught the attention of none other than the Prime Minister of The Bahamas!
Everyone worked so hard, of course we had to have a commencement ceremony with every bit of the pomp and pageantry that comes so naturally to Bahamians:
What’s next?
Now that the inaugural Bahamian Citizenship Test is all done, you may be wondering, “What’s next, Ashleigh?”
The Bahamian Citizenship Test was born out of something so random, yet so genuine, and that is a deep love for Bahamian culture and Bahamian people. In my wildest dreams I never expected an innocent question to spiral into thousands – including the Prime Minister – participating and having a serious desire to learn and share more about our country and heritage.
Thanks to the talents of The Bahamas’ Finest Woman in Tech – Sowmya Thottambeti – we’ve created a fun Instagram filter that will keep the spirit of the Citizenship Test alive. Click ✨here✨ to try it out! Don’t forget to tag us! @bahamiancitizenshiptest @scottie.poppin
We have so many exciting things in the works! I say “we,” because what started off as one turned into a team of 6 incredible Bahamian women scattered across the country and the world. We’re taking a moment for some well-deserved rest after graduation, but watch this space! We’ve only just scratched the surface of cultural work that we can contribute to.
See you next semester. 🇧🇸
P.S. The GoFundMe doesn’t close for summer! Donate here.
Ashleigh Sean Rolle 