Black History celebrations an opportunity to build consciousness year-round

By Anesta Henry

The University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus is committed to researching and celebrating all aspects of African history throughout the year and not just during Black History Month. 

This assurance has come from Dean of the Faculty of the Social Sciences Professor Troy Lorde as he delivered remarks at the opening of the university’s African Awareness Month of activities on Thursday.

Lorde said he is fully aware of the debates surrounding whether or not largely African societies like Barbados and others in the Caribbean should be celebrating a special month devoted to African awareness. 

He said there is also a view that by adopting a largely North American event, just as has happened with Thanksgiving and Halloween, “we are reinforcing our dependency,” rather than bringing our own independent questions about our identity to the table.

“Our response to these perspectives is that we recognise and accept all the concerns raised about the potential dangers of confining African awareness to one month and one day. Indeed, we say that our celebration this month is part, but not the totality of our commitment to Africa, African culture, and its place in global development. This really represents for us an additional moment for consciousness building,” he said.

Dr Lorde indicated that the research agenda of many of his colleagues directly addressed the place of Africa in global development. 

According to him, academics at the Cave Hill Campus undertake research on Pan-Africanism, African History, African Philosophy, African Political Thought, African International Relations among others. 

Calypsonian  Chrystal Cummins-Beckles singing The Lion King 2 He Lives In You.

“We stand here, not as mimics or victims of hegemony, but as free agents participating in a global movement of African Awareness to which we are fully committed,” he said.

Professor Lorde also stated that the month of activities at the campus is an activity which is of immense importance to the institution, not only for the opportunity to participate in what has now become part of a global celebration of the lives and contributions of peoples of African descent, but also because it affords the students and staff the opportunity annually to draw closer to neighbouring schools and communities.

Creative and performing arts students at Cave Hill Campus delivering a dance presentation.

He was also pleased that the campus is able to hold its activities in person, considering that since late 2019, the ravages of COVID-19 made it impossible to host face-to-face gatherings. He made clear that while the pandemic might have disrupted the institution’s ability to meet in person, it never diminished the faculty’s commitment to valuing the African contribution to global civilisation. 

Dancers from Ellerslie Secondary School delivering an African dance performance.

“We might reclaim and enlarge it as we move forward in this challenging 21st century that still lies ahead of us,” he added.

During the two-hour ceremony, held in front of the Cynthia Wilson Arts Lecture Theatre, there were presentations in song, dance, poetry, and steel band music, from students of St Stephen’s Nursery, Ellerslie Secondary, calypsonian Chrystal Cummins-Beckles, UWI models, and the UWI Cultural,  Creative and Performing Arts students, among others. anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

Students from various primary schools attended the African Awareness Month Activities at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.