Prescod disappointed with low turnout at Emancipation Day celebrations

Special envoy on Reparations and Economic Enfranchisement Trevor Prescod is concerned about the low turnout at Tuesday’s Emancipation Day celebrations.

He said an attempt must be made to encourage Barbadians to attend the celebrations in large numbers, given its importance.

“How could a people who lived in slavery from the 17th century, including Government ministers, don’t find it significant to be here this morning? I ain’t dealing with no politics. Nobody from the opposition is here this morning, the day of our freedom. Look around you; tell me what you see; who is here? 

“There should be thousands of people even flying in from overseas being here with us this morning. Barbados stands at the centre of this criminal act of slavery, and what we are here to do this morning is to redeem ourselves,” Prescod declared as he delivered welcoming remarks.

Emancipation Day celebrations

He added: “There are brothers who sacrificed their lives knowing physically they could not win the victory, but they knew they could make the breakthrough. Look at what our people have done for us, and it is important that you honour them and do not betray the trust and the sacrifices that these people made to make us who we are”.

Prescod applauded Pan-Africanists, and other groups, who gather annually on Emancipation Day to keep the wreath-laying ceremony and celebrations alive. However, he stressed that all Barbadians must accept the responsibility to observe the significance of August 1.

Part of the crowd at Emancipation Day celebrations

“You are flocking to Broad Street . . . to celebrate Christmas Day, and you want Old Year’s Night and New Year’s Day morning and all these things, but you don’t respect August 1; it is wrong. And I want to thank the Prime Minister [Mia Mottley] at least for understanding the importance of it. She always gave us this support, and this was the right time to restore it [Emancipation Day celebrations] to glory. 

“I am pleased with you who turned out this morning but not pleased with the others who did not come, and while I would not like to be here to indict anyone to do anything, I am here to speak the truth, nothing but the truth,” he said. 

Attending the cultural explosion organised by the Ministry of Culture under the guidance of community and cultural practitioner Rodney Grant were Minister with Responsibility for Culture Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight, Senior Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Dr William Duguid, Minister of Labour Collin Jordan, Minister of State for Foreign Trade and International Business Sandra Husbands, Special Advisor on Elder Affairs Cynthia Forde, Barbados’ Ambassador to CARICOM David Commissiong, Bishop of Barbados Reverend Michael Maxwell, and Cuban Ambassador to Barbados Yanet Stable Cardenas as well as several other specially invited guests. (AH)