Tag Archives: Emancipation Day

Africa, General T&T, International, Nigeria, Politics, Race and Identity, Racism Watch

Introducing A Black Supremacy Agenda into T&T/Nigeria Relations

10 Comments

By Stephen Kangal
August 03, 2012

Stephen KangalPatriotic Trinbagonians, including the ESC must show their outrage and disgust against the statement made by The President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, at the Emancipation Day Celebrations when he accorded racial precedence and exclusivity to Afro-Trinbagonians in our national quest for attaining the good life (The Promised Land). This unfortunate statement was made at a function organised by the Emancipation Support Committee (ESC) that received a Government subvention of $4m and at which the Indo- T&T Prime Minister of T&T and Cabinet Ministers were in attendance.
Continue reading Introducing A Black Supremacy Agenda into T&T/Nigeria Relations →

Africa, General T&T, Race and Identity, Racism Watch

Raced Memories

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
August 01, 2012

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeFor anyone black and slightly conscious, Emancipation Day should be as exciting as Independence Day. One only has to look at the spontaneous response of Africans on the first Emancipation Day to realize how united we were at the gloriously liberating moment. Listen to Governor George Hill as he reported to the Secretary of State on August 7, 1834:
Continue reading Raced Memories →

Caribbean, Education, General T&T, International, Race and Identity, Racism Watch

Modern science owes much to African civilisations

6 Comments

8/7/2011 – barbadosadvocate.com

EmancipationIt saddens me to the core whenever I read articles such as the letter to the editor, written by Michael A Dingwall in the August 4 edition of this newspaper entitled ‘Black, but proud of what?’. If there is nothing for you to be proud of, maybe you should look in the mirror, and if you still cannot see anything to be proud of, do a little research into African history – there is plenty to know.
Continue reading Modern science owes much to African civilisations →

Africa, General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics, Race and Identity, Racism Watch

With Respect to All

27 Comments

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
August 03, 2011

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeIf one opened the dailies the day after Emancipation Day one could not miss the photographs of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism sitting proudly in their African threads on either side of Kafra Kambon (Express, August 2nd) with a headline that proclaimed: “PM: No more last minute funding.” Just to reinforce her concerns, she cooed: “As a testimony to the recognition in the Emancipation Support Committee, I have requested a convening of an inter—ministerial team charged with the review of all festival—based commemoration to ensure matters of funding and production will no longer be matters of last minute intervention. We stand committed to the success of this intervention and the Minister of Multiculturalism Winston ‘Gypsy’ Peters will head this very special committee to ensure that you get the funding and support you need at the appropriate time.”
Continue reading With Respect to All →

Caribbean, General T&T, Race and Identity

Emancipation: some creation myths

7 Comments

By Selwyn Ryan
August 15, 2010

EmancipationI overheard someone complaining on a call-in programme during Emancipation week that people of African origin in Trinidad were a different breed from those in other islands of the Caribbean.

It was not clear whether the caller meant to say that the Trinis were a worse or a better breed. I think he meant that they were an inferior breed, since, like Prof Courtenay Bartholomew (Express, August 11) he had some critical things to say about us blacks here in Trinidad. The caller was however quite correct about Trinidad blacks being different from their Caribbean counterparts. Culture and cojuncture and not genetics were however responsible for the differences.
Continue reading Emancipation: some creation myths →

Africa, Culture, General T&T, International, Letters, Race and Identity

Emancipation Celebration?

4 Comments

EmancipationTHE EDITOR: After four hundred years of shackle slavery, and the worst kind of atrocities ever inflicted on any race of people bar none, all because of their melanin and without any apology and compensation, and therapy for Post Traumatic Slavery Syndrome, I am totally puzzled and confused with the reason for the celebration of Emancipation.
Continue reading Emancipation Celebration? →

Culture, Features, General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics, Race and Identity

A Society in Transition: A Community at the Crossroads

16 Comments

Emancipation Lecture 2010

By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
Posted: August 04, 2010

EmancipationThis lecture was delivered on July 31, 2010 at the Center of Excellence, Macoya, Trinidad

This evening we are pleased that Professor Maxwell Richards, the president of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and his wife Ms. Jean Ramjohn Richards, newly elected prime minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and her worthy colleague Mr. Jack Warner have consented to join us this evening at our tenth annual Emancipation Day Dinner. We are also pleased that Mr. Keith Rowley and his wife have been able to share this important day with us. I especially want to welcome Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar to congratulate her on her victory and to say to her that we at the National Association for the Empowerment of African People and most African people in this society genuinely compliment you on your elevation as the first woman prime minister of our land. We share in the sentiments of Indo-Mauritian author Leel Gujadhu Sarup who observed: “I feel good about her victory. As someone who has researched indentureship, this result bring tears to my eyes. There are no limits for an Indian woman to prove her worth.”
Continue reading A Society in Transition: A Community at the Crossroads →

Africa, Culture, General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics, Protest, Race and Identity, USA

Emancipation: When Freedom Come

1 Comment

Head of the Emancipation Support Committee Kafra Kambon, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism Winston Peters
Head of the Emancipation Support Committee Kafra Kambon, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism Winston Peters
Emancipation Day Celebrations 2010 in pictures

Kamla: Emancipation about struggle, triumph
PRIME MINISTER Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday urged the nation to not only see Emancipation Day as merely a public holiday but rather to reflect on the struggles of the ancestors of Afro-Trinbagonians who rose up from the chattel of slavery to take their rightful place in a free society.
Continue reading Emancipation: When Freedom Come →

Africa, Culture, General T&T, Media, Race and Identity

President’s Emancipation Day 2010 Address

3 Comments

President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Professor George Maxwell Richards
President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Professor George Maxwell Richards
Message from His Excellency Professor George Maxwell Richards TC, CMT, Ph. D, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on the Occasion of Emancipation Day 2010.

On the occasion of Emancipation Day 2010, I send greetings to all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, as we consider what this day means to us.
Continue reading President’s Emancipation Day 2010 Address →

Culture, General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics, Race and Identity

Prime Minister’s Emancipation Day 2010 Address

2 Comments

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar
Message to the nation from the Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar on the occasion of the celebration of Emancipation Day 2010

Fellow citizens. Today our nation commemorates the 172nd Anniversary of Emancipation in Trinidad and Tobago. That historic act on August 1, 1838, destroyed the moral and legal basis of a system, which allowed human beings to be classified as chattel and denied the most basic human rights.
Continue reading Prime Minister’s Emancipation Day 2010 Address →