Bay Street as Contested Space

Bay Street, the main thoroughfare in Nassau, The Bahamas' capital city, is a storehouse for much of that country's social memory. It has been the stage for some of the most significant events in The Bahamas' history and continues to be at the center of Bahamian cultural, economic, and political life. Understandably, Bay Street has also been a contested space. This article discusses the contested nature of Bay Street using the 1942 riot, a key event in Bahamian political history that occurred on Bay Street, and Junkanoo, an important cultural festival in The Bahamas