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Mary Prince to be inducted as a National Hero today

Illustration from an early edition of Mary Prince's book

Mary Prince will be inducted as the 2012 National Hero today in honour of her role in the abolition of slavery in Bermuda and the Caribbean.No new heroes were going to be inducted in 2012 after three were inducted last year, according to a statement by Minister Patrice Minors in the House of Assembly yesterday. However, the Naming and Recognition Committee received 12 letters from the public asking that Mary Prince be named a National Hero this year.Premier Paula Cox will officially induct Mary Prince in a ceremony today at 6pm at Barr’s Bay Park. The ceremony will include an interpretive dance titled ‘A Woman Named Prince,’ a dramatic reading, and musical performances.Ms Prince was born into slavery in Bermuda in 1788. Her autobiography, ‘The History of Mary Prince,’ details her experiences here and working in the salt pans in the Turks and Caicos Islands.The book was published in 1831, when slavery was still legal in Bermuda. It was the first account of the life of a black woman to be published in the United Kingdom.