Marion Bethel (born 31 July 1953) is a Bahamian attorney, poet, essayist, filmmaker, human and gender rights activist, and writer from

Nassau Nassau may refer to: Places Austria * Nassau (Groß Sankt Florian), incorporated village of Groß Sankt Florian Bahamas *Nassau, The Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas Canada *Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upp ...

.Maura, Matt
"Marion Bethel to Receive 'prestigious Regional Award' for Women"
Bahamas Information Services, The Government of the Bahamas. 16 June 2016. Web. 5 April 2017. Bethel is best known for her collections of poems, ''Guanahani, My Love'' and ''Bougainvillea Ringplay''. Her work has appeared in publications including ''The Caribbean Writer'', ''

The Massachusetts Review ''The Massachusetts Review'' is a literary quarterly founded in 1959 by a group of professors from Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It receives financial support from Five Colle ...

'' and ''Junction'', an anthology of Bahamian writing. She is also recognized for her 2012 documentary film on the

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...

movement in The Bahamas, entitled ''Womanish Ways: Freedom, Human Rights & Democracy 1934 to 1962'', which received the 2012 Award in Documentary at the Urban Suburban International Film Festivall. Her passionate involvement in the Women's Movement in the Caribbean earned her the 11th

Caribbean Community The Caribbean Community (abbreviated as CARICOM or CC) is an intergovernmental organisation that is a Political association, political and economic union of 15 member states (14 nation-states and one dependency) and five associated members thro ...

(CARICOM) Triennial Award for Women in 2014. Bethel has also received the

Casa de las Américas Prize The Casa de las Américas Prize (''Premio Literario Casa de las Américas'') is a literary award given by the Cuban Casa de las Américas. Established in 1959, it is one of Latin America’s oldest and most prestigious literary prizes. The award ...

for poetry, and has spoken at many events, including The IV International Poetry Festival of Granada."Marion Bethel"
Bahamas 2017 IWES. IWES, 23 October 1970. Web. 6 April 2017. She resides with her husband Alfred Sears in The Bahamas, where she is a managing partner at Sears & Co. She now focuses on political activism in civil society in The Bahamas and began serving on the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is an international treaty adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly. Described as an international bill of rights for women, it was instituted ...

(CEDAW) on 1 January 2017.Mitchell, Fredrick
"Bethel elected to CEDAW four-year term"
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration - Bahamas. 22 June 2016. Web. 6 April 2017.

Early life and education

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish with honors at

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

, Bethel received her Bachelor of Arts degree in law at Wolfson College, Cambridge University. While in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, she pursued her certificate of legal education at the

Council of Legal Education The Council of Legal Education (CLE) was an English supervisory body established by the four Inns of Court to regulate and improve the legal education of barristers within England and Wales. History The council was established in 1852 by the Inns o ...

and later pursued her Master of Arts Degree at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. Before taking her bar examinations in 1987, Bethel spent a summer writing a collections of poems later to be published as ''Guanahani, My Love'' (originally ''Guanahani, mi amor: Y otros poemas''), which won the prestigious Casa de las Americas Prize of Poetry, making her one of the few

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

writers to receive this award.Quintero Aguiló, María del Carmen (2014)
"Review of ''Bougainvillea Ringplay''
by Marion Bethel". '' Caribbean Studies'', vol. 42 no. 1, pp. 291–296. Project MUSE. Retrieved 28 October 2024.

Later life

While working on her first manuscript, ''Guanahani, My Love'', Bethel attended the Caribbean Writers Summer Institute at the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...

in 1991, where she worked with two well known Barbadian writers,

George Lamming George William Lamming OCC (8 June 19274 June 2022) was a Barbadian novelist, essayist, and poet. He first won critical acclaim for '' In the Castle of My Skin'', his 1953 debut novel. He also held academic posts, including as a distinguished ...

and Kamau Braithwaite.Nixon, Arthia
"Bahamas Consulate & Marion Bethel Enlighten Atlanta on Women’s Suffrage Movement at Spelman College and Allen Institute"
Bahamas Press (28 October 2013). Bahama Press, 20 October 2013. Following the death of

Southern Christian Leadership Conference The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) is an African Americans, African-American civil rights organization based in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. SCLC is closely associated with its first president, Martin Luther King Jr., ...

founder and civil rights pioneer Evelyn Lowery, Bethel's film ''Womanish Ways: Freedom, Human Rights & Democracy 1934 to 1962'' was showcased at

Spelman College Spelman College is a Private college, private, Historically black colleges and universities, historically black, Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia ...

and she met some of Atlanta's most influential African-American entrepreneurs and activists, in addition to former vice-president of

Tyler Perry Studios Very Perry Productions, LLC, doing business as Tyler Perry Studios (TPS), is an American film production studio in Atlanta, Georgia founded by actor, filmmaker, and playwright Tyler Perry in 2006. In 2019, Perry celebrated the grand opening of ...

and CEO/ President of Bobbcat Films Rogger Bobb. Later that week, billionaire Dr Bill Allen treated Marion Bethel and The Bahamas Consul General to lunch, during which Consul General Randy Rolle stated that people like her have much to contribute as it pertains to sharing the history of The Bahamas.

Career

After passing her bar exams in September 1984, Bethel was admitted as an

attorney-at-law Attorney at law or attorney-at-law, usually abbreviated in everyday speech to attorney, is the preferred term for a practising lawyer in certain jurisdictions, including South Africa (for certain lawyers), Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and the Unit ...

to the Bar of

and

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

in 1985 and The Bahamas in 1986 while practicing administrative law, company law, commercial law, contracts, conveyancing, immigration law, insurance law, and matrimonial law. From 1896 to 1994, she then went on to work in the

Office of the Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

; in 1997, she was named the Alice Proskauer Fellow at the

Bunting Institute The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, also known as the Harvard Radcliffe Institute, is an institute of Harvard University that fosters interdisciplinary research across the humanities, sciences, social sciences, arts ...

Radcliffe College Radcliffe College was a Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that was founded in 1879. In 1999, it was fully incorporated into Harvard Colle ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, while also writing ''Bougainvillea Ringplay'' during her spare time. In June 2005, Bethel began a three-part poetry workshop at the Cave Canem retreat for African-American poets, at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

. In 2012, she directed ''Womanish Ways: Freedom, Human Rights & Democracy: The Women’s Suffrage Movement in The Bahamas 1948 to 1962'', a documentary film on the struggle to gain Bahamian women the right to vote. Her passion for the Women's Movement in the Caribbean and The Bahamas became evident from this movie and she received widespread support from many

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an, and

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

n countries. Bethel was elected to serve on the Committee of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2019. Bethel was re-elected to the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women for the term 2021-2024. She currently works as a managing partner at Sears & Co. and is working on a third collection of poetry and a novel.

Writing

Before finishing her

bar examination A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associat ...

s, Bethel spent a full summer writing a draft of ''Guanahani, My Love'', her first book of poems, published in 1994, and later to be reissued by House of Nehesi Publishers in 2009. Her second poetry book, ''Bougainvillea Ringplay'', was published by

Peepal Tree Press Peepal Tree Press is a publisher based in Leeds, England which publishes Caribbean, Black British, and South Asian fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama and academic books. Poet Kwame Dawes has said: "Peepal Tree Press's position as the leading pu ...

in 2009, receiving positive review coverage, including from

Fred D'Aguiar Fred D'Aguiar (born 2 February 1960) is a British poet, novelist, and playwright. He is currently Professor of English at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Life Fred D'Aguiar was born in London, England, in 1960 to Guyanese ...

Lorna Goodison Lorna Gaye Goodison (born 1 August 1947)Ring, Deborah A. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 September 2013. is a Jamaican poet, essayist and memoirist, a leading West Indian writer, whose career spans four decades. She is now Professor Emerita, English ...

Antjie Krog Antjie Krog (born 1952) is a South African writer and academic, best known for her Afrikaans poetry, her reporting on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and her 1998 book '' Country of My Skull''. In 2004, she joined the Arts faculty of t ...

, and

Olive Senior Olive Marjorie Senior (born 23 December 1941) is a Jamaican poet, novelist, short story and non-fiction writer based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was awarded the Musgrave Gold Medal in 2005 by the Institute of Jamaica for her contribution ...

. She has been a guest star at various international events including the Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars Conference,

Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Florida, United States. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened to students in 1972. FIU is the third-largest univ ...

, in April 1996, the IV International Poetry Festival of Granada, the

Miami International Book Fair The Miami Book Fair is an annual street fair and literary festival organized by Miami Dade College. History Miami Book Fair International, originally known as "Books by the Bay," was founded in 1984 by Miami Dade College President Eduardo J. P ...

in November 1997, the Caribbean Women Writers Series at

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

in February 2002 and the XVI International Poetry Festival of Medellin in June 2006 in Medellin, Colombia. Additionally, House of Nehesi Publishers invited her as a guest poet and workshop presenter to their 5th Annual St. Martin BookFair in May 2007. Her work has been featured in ''

The Caribbean Writer The University of the Virgin Islands (or UVI) is a Public college, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university in the United States Virgin Islands. History UVI was founded as the College of the V ...

'', Volume 8, Moving Beyond, and in the anthologies of Bahamian poetry ''Junction'' and ''From the Shallow Seas''. Bethel is also a contributor to ''

New Daughters of Africa ''Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent from the Ancient Egyptian to the Present'' is a compilation of orature and literature by more than 200 women from Africa and the African diaspora ...

'' (2019), edited by

Margaret Busby Margaret Yvonne Busby, , Hon. FRSL (born 1944), also known as Nana Akua Ackon, is a Ghanaian-born publisher, editor, writer and broadcaster, resident in the UK. She was Britain's then youngest publisher as well as the first black female book p ...

Films

Bethel acted as Ms. Wells in the 2008 movie ''

Rain Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...

'' – which also featured Renel Brown,

Nicki Micheaux Nicole "Nicki" Micheaux is an American actress, known for her role as Jennifer 'Jenn' Sutton in the ABC Family drama series '' Lincoln Heights'' (2007–2009), for which she received two NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series ...

and

C. C. H. Pounder Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder (born December 25, 1952) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Claudette Wyms in the FX police drama series ''The Shield'' (2002–2008), Mo'at in the ''Avatar'' (2009–present) franchise, a ...

– and is better known for the documentary film she directed on the

movement in The Bahamas. Entitled ''Womanish Ways: Freedom, Human Rights & Democracy, the Women's Suffrage Movement in The Bahamas 1934 to 1962'', this documentary was showcased by Bahamas Consulate Office of Atlanta at

after the death of

founder and civil rights pioneer Evelyn Lowery.

Bibliography

Poetry collections

* ''Guanahani, My Love''. Philipsburg, St. Martin, Caribbean: House of Nehesi, 2009, . ** Originally published in bi-lingual edition as ''Guanahani, mi amor: Y otros poemas'', Casa de las Américas, 1994, . * ''Bougainvillea Ringplay'',

, 2009, .

Awards and recognition

In July 1991, Bethel received a James Michener Fellowship in the Department of English at the

by the Caribbean Writers Summer Institute. She was one of few Caribbean writers to receive the

for her collection of poems in ''Guanahani, mi amor: Y otros poemas'' (1994). Additionally, Bethel is the first Bahamian to receive the CARICOM award, which she was given in 2014 for her contribution towards gender justice and culture and the socio-economic development of the Caribbean. One way she has contributed to gender justice and culture is through her documentary film ''Womanish Ways: Freedom, Human Rights & Democracy, the Women's Suffrage Movement in The Bahamas 1948 to 1962'', on the struggle to gain Bahamian women the right to vote, which received the 2012 Award in Documentary at the Urban Suburban International Film Festival in Philadelphia, despite interventions on behalf of female members of parliament

Hope Strachan Cynthia Vera Hope Strachan (born 1 December 1960) is a Bahamian Progressive Liberal Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sea Breeze from 2012 to 2017. Strachan served in the Perry Christie cabinet as Minister of Financial Ser ...

and Loretta Butler. However, representative for Englerston

Glenys Hanna Martin Glenys Margaret Elaine Hanna-Martin (née Hanna; born 27 October 1958) is a Bahamian Progressive Liberal Party politician and lawyer serving as Minister of Education since 2021. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Englerston since 200 ...

states that Bethel's documentary was a "beautiful, powerful piece of work". In 2023, Bethel was elected as Vice-Chairperson and Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Committee on Women & Girls Rights.

References

External links

''www.nicobethel.net''. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
"Judge Spotlight - Marion Bethel - Bocas Lit Fest"

Bocas Lit Fest The NGC Bocas Lit Fest is the Trinidad and Tobago literary festival that takes place annually during the last weekend of April in Port of Spain. Inaugurated in 2011, it is the first major literary festival in the southern Caribbean and largest lit ...

. 20 April 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
" Marion Bethel"
caribbeanintransit.com. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
"Marion Bethel (Bahamas, 1953) , World Poetry Movement"
''www.wpm2011.org''. Retrieved 30 April 2017. Etc.. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bethel, Marion 1953 births Living people Bahamian poets Bahamian women writers Alumni of Wolfson College, Cambridge Bahamian lawyers University of Valencia alumni McGill University alumni Columbia University alumni 20th-century poets Bahamian women poets 20th-century women writers 20th-century Bahamian lawyers Caribbean literature