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GET UP! TURKS & CAICOS NEEDS WORK, NOT WORDS
By Deandrea Hamilton
GRAND TURK, Turks and Caicos Islands — One of the most stirring moments of the 2026 Right Excellent J.A.G.S. McCartney Memorial and Wreath Laying Ceremony came not from a veteran politician or government leader, but from a young Turks and Caicos Islander whose message landed with conviction, urgency and unmistakable patriotism.
National Youth Parliamentarian, Howard University scholar, CARIFTA medalist and Turks and Caicos Society of Young Leaders founder Antwon Walkin delivered a speech that challenged citizens to move beyond rhetoric and recommit themselves to the difficult work of nation-building. Walkin, one of the twin grandsons of former Deputy Chief Minister Hon. Hilly Ewing, was among the featured speakers at the J.A.G.S. McCartney Memorial observance.
Speaking under the theme, “Honouring Our Pioneers, Advancing the Nation,” Walkin reminded listeners that the two ideas cannot
“To honour our pioneers is not to freeze them in history or reduce them to symbols,” he said. “It is to take responsibility for what they left behind.”
Walkin’s address formed a highlight of the ceremony held at the J.A.G.S. McCartney Memorial Site in Grand Turk and streamed live across the islands.
Drawing inspiration from the children’s choir’s rendition of We Are Out to Build the Turks and Caicos, Walkin focused on a warning contained within the song itself — that anger and selfishness can spoil the nation.
“The greatest threats to our nation are not always external,” he said. “We tend to look so far away for the enemy, but sometimes they are right beside us.”
The grandson of former Deputy Chief Minister Hon. Hilly Ewing, Walkin spoke passionately about the lessons handed down by his grandfather, who taught him that nothing was more important than God, family and country.
But family, he explained, extends beyond bloodlines.
“In the Turks and Caicos Islands, family is much broader than we sometimes realize,” he said, arguing that national progress depends on citizens seeing one another as partners in a shared future rather than rivals divided by politics, personal interests or island loyalties.
Repeatedly, Walkin returned to a central theme: the country’s future cannot be built through speeches, slogans or ceremonial observances alone.
“Today is not a day for despair. It is a day for decision,” he declared.
“The future cannot be built on symbolism alone. It must be built on action.”
The young leader challenged listeners to confront what he described as barriers that continue to slow national progress, including inefficiency, division and a culture that too often settles for less than its potential.
“I’ve seen so much potential delayed by process, so many dreams deferred by inefficiency and so many young people disconnected from systems that should inspire them,” Walkin said.
Then came one of the speech’s most memorable lines.
“I will not be part of the generation that watched decline. I will be part of the generation that interrupted it.”
The declaration drew visible reactions from the audience and underscored the energy that has helped make Walkin one of the country’s emerging young voices.
Throughout his remarks, he highlighted the achievements of Turks and Caicos Islanders who have excelled on regional and international
He pointed to citizens who have distinguished themselves in business, aviation, sports, public service and international leadership, saying their accomplishments prove that success is not foreign to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Walkin also challenged citizens to think differently about prayer and national development.
Referencing Jamaica’s National Anthem, he noted that the anthem is more than a song — it is a prayer for wisdom, justice, truth and vision.
“The Turks and Caicos Islands needs to reclaim vision,” he said.
He questioned whether citizens are merely praying for relief from challenges or actively working toward the future they hope to see.
“My mother always told me you can’t pray for something you’re not willing to work for,” Walkin said.
It was perhaps the clearest expression of the message woven throughout his address: faith must be matched by effort.
As the ceremony honoring National Hero J.A.G.S. McCartney drew to a close, Walkin urged citizens not to surrender the promise of the nation to mediocrity, doubt or selfishness.
“Nation-building has never been for the timid,” he said.
“It has always belonged to those bold enough to imagine more, brave enough to demand more and disciplined enough to build more.”
For many in attendance, it was a speech worthy of the occasion — one that honored the legacy of the country’s first Chief Minister while issuing a direct challenge to the generation now entrusted with carrying that legacy forward.
Developed by Deandrea Hamilton • with ChatGPT (AI) • edited by Magnetic Media.