Next Thursday marks Emancipation Day, a significant occasion for Saint Lucians, particularly those of African descent. On this day, we commemorate the end of chattel slavery and the dawn of freedom from servitude.
Within the pages of this year’s Emancipation Supplement, readers can explore how slavery profoundly impacted not only Saint Lucia but the entire Caribbean. Our ancestors endured immense struggles before witnessing their liberation.
We urge Saint Lucians not to forget the hardships their forebears faced in securing freedom, a freedom built from their blood, sweat, tears and deaths, so that today we can now embrace lives of liberty, we can now chart our own destinies, not based on our skin colour but rather on our character and the legacy left us by those who came before us.
August 1st holds special significance for all Saint Lucians, regardless of where they now reside. It’s a day for celebration—a time to reflect on our origins and future paths. Therefore, as we strive for excellence in various fields—sports, science, business, politics, and governance and more—let us also remember the land that gave us birth. Let us remember not only to protect it but to leave it in as pristine a condition as we can for our descendants – future generations.
On August 1, 1838, a momentous event occurred—the formal end of the inhumane institution of slavery within the British Empire. From then on, our ancestors escaped the brutal treatment inflicted by slave owners. However, 186 years after 1838, there is this belief, in some circles, that many of us remain mentally bound by the legacy of slavery. If so be the case, we appeal to those in mental slavery to break free from these mental chains and live as liberated individuals.
The disparities which persist between former slave-owning nations and those that served as slave settlements, example Saint Lucia, should not deter us from striding forward shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world. As we celebrate, let us not forget the resilience of the Brigands and other freedom fighters who fought for their freedom in the heyday of slavery. We honour their courage and dignity. Their sacrifices echo through generations. These uprisings must remain etched in our collective memory.
Also, let us not forget that emancipation did not arise only from a change of heart by slave masters but more importantly through the persistent revolt of the enslaved. Therefore, as a nation, let us redouble our efforts to erase the stains of slavery and make Emancipation a reality—a beacon of freedom, equality, and justice for all Saint Lucians, regardless of race, ethnicity, or culture.
SALUTE!!!!!