Barbados Museum launches 2020 Journal

by Shamar Blunt

The Barbados Museum and Historical Society has officially launched its 2020 Journal.

Despite restraints in sourcing information for the book because of the current COVID-19 pandemic affecting territories all over the world, the co-ordinators of one of the longest published journals of its kind in the Eastern Caribbean has kept to the task of delivering annual publications for academics and everyday Barbadians to enjoy.

During its launch on Thursday at the Barbados Museum, Chairman of the Publishing Committee Dr Henderson Carter said that the yearly journal is the best source for all things historic and significant to Barbadian life.

“This journal is what I call the great storehouse of Barbadian history and culture. This is one of the places that you can go to if you want Barbadian history, Barbadian culture, Barbadian ecology. This is the place you go to because over the years we have had several good articles on Barbadian culture. So for researchers who are interested in Barbadian history, this is the place to go.

“It is also a place for our CAPE (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination) students, and our CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate) students, our university students who are doing Caribbean Studies and Caribbean history… It is also a place for the general reader who wants to understand more about our culture and our history,” he explained.

Dr Carter also pleaded with educators on the island who have studied or currently teach history surrounding the region, to contribute to future publications, as the museum seeks to bolster the amount of contributors available for such pieces of work.

“We need to continue – we need new writers, we need our teachers to come forward. There are a lot of Social Studies and History teachers out there who are good researchers and fairly good writers, we need these people to come forward.”

President of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society Sir Trevor Carmichael told the audience that the publication had become a highly sought after piece during the Christmas season on the island, because of its attention to detail and interesting subjects on local events and interests.

“This annual publication has become a landmark on the Christmas calendar, fusing within the traditional season of festivities a reminder of the richness and diversity of our ongoing Barbadian experiment and experience.

“This year is a reminder of that interplay, of that rich heritage of both the country as well as that of this museum and society,” Sir Trevor said.

This year’s publication covers a variety of topics, from the migration of Barbadians to Britain during the ‘Windrush’ period, Freedom Villages on the island, as well as a journey through the storied sugar industry on the island. (SB)