Bahamas News
Expect an Excellent Read from Mother Pratt’s NEW BOOK, From the Pit to the Palace
By Shanieka Smith & Deandrea Hamilton
Staff Writer
#TheBahamas, March 12, 2022 – Her life demonstrated that “you begin in the pit, but you don’t have to end in the pit.”
Cynthia Mother Pratt, most popularly known as Mother Pratt, a Bahamian born, who grew up in an inner-city called Coconut Grove, came from extreme poverty but modestly walked her way up to becoming the second in command as the Deputy Prime Minister and the first female Minister of Defense for The Bahamas.
Her target with this inaugural book is young people, and her message is that their start does not determine their end.
A gated community, money, or privilege were not Mother Pratt’s easy climb out of the pit. It was her internal desires, hard work, discipline, humility, and determination. It was not until age 34 that Mother Pratt went to university; she sat, learnt, and graduated with 17 and 18-year-olds.
“Nonetheless, I wanted to achieve my goal,” she said.
At the time Mother Pratt went to school, students had to leave at age 14 if their parents could not afford the fees. She said she grew up in the lower class; that then and now is a major discouragement for people in similar situations. This was where the inspiration for one of her three literary contributions, From the Pit to the Palace, originated.
“I want the masses to know, the world to know, that there is a woman who God brought from the pit, the gutter, so to speak and who emerged to the very top. If it happened for me, it can happen for them,” she said passionately.
From the Pit to the Palace, an autobiography of Mother Pratt was published in January 2022. According to Mother Pratt, the book is for everyone – young and old.
“You have many adults who tend to give up on life because things didn’t work out for them. They believe that they are a failure, and that is why the book will explain, and encourage, and enhance, edify, to tell them that there is hope,” she expressed.
To reinforce Mother Pratt’s humble nature and soul message from her autobiography: she still resides in an inner-city after all she has accomplished.
And Dr Cynthia Mother Pratt has accomplished a lot. While her first term in service to people was in the teaching profession and as a sports coach, Mother Pratt and her escalating popularity attracted leaders in the political arena.
“They had to almost pry me into first of all getting involved in politics, period, I never was interested; never been to a meeting. But what had happened at the time, I was at the college in Bahamas, I was assisting the director and there
with student activities – part-time lecturer, and I got a message there from the sitting Prime Minister that he would like to meet with me,” she expressed.
There was an invitation extended and suffice it to say, there was a big fat ‘no’ at the onset, but the Progressive Liberal Party and Perry Gladstone Christie, would not take no for an answer. Persistence paid off for Christie and an attempt, bound to fail from Mother Pratt’s perspective, turned into a 10-year career in politics, starting in 2002 until she retired in 2012.
A deputy party leader, the first for a woman in The Bahamas; a deputy prime minister who would go on to hold the prime minister’s post during a time of illness for Mr Christie and numerous other ceiling shattering accolades. Yet none seemed to change her heart, which was first and foremost for God, then for family.
Mother Pratt has six children: three boys, an adopted son, who is now deceased and one biological daughter. She also has eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Pratt’s husband, Joseph Benjamin is also deceased.
“They [my children] reminded me the other day, they said, mommy, we have never really had you for ourselves as our mom because you were always looking after somebody else. And at one time, I had six children in my house until at one point and my husband got to the point where he says Cynthia, don’t bring another one in here,” she chuckles as she reminisces.
Global prizes were also not unusual for Mother Pratt, but one presented to her in 2019 is truly cherished as it bears the name of one of history’s most valiant freedom fighters. At a ceremony at her church, Prayer and Praise Assembly in Coconut Grove, the little girl from ‘the Grove’ was awarded the Nelson Mandela Award for her long-standing commitment to community building, and it cemented that a book to chronicle this achievement must be penned. And so it was.
“The thing about my growing up is that I was never satisfied with where I was. I always wanted to belong and when I say belong: belong to those who are trying to get to another level. I was not satisfied with one thing; when I got that I was never satisfied because I knew there was something better. And so I knew then there was something pushing me to say you can achieve it, you can do it, says Mother Pratt.” She added that she was never afraid to fail.
On her porch is where she shared these fascinating nuggets and cherished memories with us; her front porch in the Grove. An area which she served and represented in parliament, and an area though often considered a shady side of Nassau town, is treasured as her launch pad, a stepping stone and the birthplace of her desire to be more.
“The inner city is where we live, but we have to make it what it is. The community does not build us; we build the community,” she said.
Dr. Pratt, who is admittedly social media shy adds that “if you really want to make something of your life, you need to dig deep, pull your bootstraps up and know that if Mother Pratt could make it, then I can as well.”
This former sports coach, who earned the name because she became such a positive force to young people, made it clear that little opportunities present themselves, and it is only fitting that young people grab on to them. The first step, she said, is to believe in yourself.
“[Opportunities] are there, but you have to go out and get it. And in other words, God would have given them manna from heaven, but they had to go and get the manna. And that is how you’re going to achieve because you must want to change.
I can’t make you do it, but you must want it from within and then grab a hold of opportunities when they present themselves because it may not be there tomorrow.”
From the Pit to the Palace is now available on Amazon at a cost of $20 dollars. It can also be found in Bahamas-based bookstores.
Undoubtedly, expectedly, the book authored by Mother Pratt will be a raw, real, humourous and inspiring account of a life that continues to be well-lived.
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Next U.S. Ambassador? Walker Pledges Business-Driven Approach as U.S. Looks to Counter China in The Bahamas
Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
The Bahamas, September 16, 2025 – For the first time since 2011, the United States is on the cusp of sending an ambassador to The Bahamas — and the nominee, former football star turned entrepreneur Herschel Walker, is promising to bring his business instincts to the diplomatic table.
Speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week, Walker underscored that his background in food-service companies and small business leadership has prepared him to think practically about investment. “I know how to run a business, how to create jobs, how to make payroll. Those lessons translate into building relationships and building trust,” Walker said.
Walker, who was nominated by President Trump in December 2024, faced the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 11. As of now, he has not yet been confirmed; his nomination remains under review, pending a committee vote before it can move to the full Senate. If approved, he would become the first U.S. ambassador to The Bahamas since 2011.
For years, U.S. officials have stressed security and counternarcotics cooperation with The Bahamas, including through “Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos.” But in areas like infrastructure, medical care, and long-term investment, Washington has often been absent.
Hospitals and clinics remain under-resourced, and hurricane recovery has been slow in many islands. Chinese state-backed firms, by contrast, have shown up with financing packages and construction deals — a presence that has raised alarms on Capitol Hill.
“Only 50 miles off our shore, The Bahamas is too important for us to ignore,” warned Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders during Walker’s hearing. They called China’s inroads “strategic, not charitable,” suggesting Beijing’s long game is about ports, proximity, and political leverage.
Walker positioned himself as a nontraditional but pragmatic envoy. He argued that his business career, rooted in private sector success, equips him to champion American investment in The Bahamas.
He pledged to:
- Promote U.S. companies interested in medical and infrastructure projects.
- Support an environment that encourages American investors to see The Bahamas as more than just a beach destination.
- Highlight opportunities for partnerships that improve public services, healthcare, and resilience against hurricanes.
“I’ve built businesses. I know what it takes to attract investors and create opportunity. That is exactly what I intend to bring to our relationship with The Bahamas,” Walker said.
The Bahamas is not just a tourist paradise. It’s a frontline state in migration, drug interdiction, and hurricane response. More than six
million U.S. visitors travel there annually, making stability and safety a U.S. domestic concern as much as a foreign policy one.
And yet, with the ambassador post vacant for 14 years, the U.S. has often looked detached — opening space for China’s ambitious Belt and Road agenda. The fear is that infrastructure deals signed today could give Beijing leverage in the region tomorrow. Walker’s confirmation would symbolize a course correction, signaling Washington’s intent to re-engage not only in security but in the economic future of The Bahamas. Not everyone is convinced Herschel Walker is the right man for the job. His nomination revived controversies from his 2022 Senate run, including past allegations, public gaffes, and doubts about whether he has the diplomatic polish the post demands. Some senators and analysts questioned whether celebrity and business experience were enough for a role requiring nuance in foreign policy and geopolitics.
Critics argued that The Bahamas, sitting just 50 miles from Florida and facing intense Chinese interest, deserves a seasoned diplomat rather than a political ally.
Walker confronted those doubts head-on. “People have underestimated me all my life — in academics, athletics, and business,” he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “And I have always proven them wrong, through discipline, determination, and by outworking everyone.”
He admitted he had never served as an ambassador but countered that his career prepared him in other ways: building businesses, managing payrolls, and connecting with people from all walks of life. He framed his business background as a strength, promising to use it to encourage U.S. investment in healthcare, infrastructure, and hurricane resilience projects in The Bahamas.
Rather than sparring with critics, Walker leaned on confidence and persistence: “I know how to build trust and find common ground. That’s what this relationship needs.”
If confirmed, Walker would have to balance his role as diplomat with expectations of being a commercial cheerleader for U.S. firms. His emphasis on entrepreneurship suggests a willingness to push U.S. businesses toward opportunities in healthcare, ports, and post-storm reconstruction — areas where Bahamians say they need the most support.
For Bahamian officials, the question will be whether Washington is prepared to back words with financing. U.S. private sector dollars, paired with aid and development partnerships, could help shift the tide against Chinese influence.
For Walker, the test will be whether his business acumen can translate into diplomatic wins — giving Bahamians alternatives to Beijing, while deepening the U.S. role in the Caribbean.
Analysis: If Walker delivers, this appointment could mark a turning point: a U.S. strategy that recognizes that in the Caribbean, investment is diplomacy.
