Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has again blasted the ridiculous notion that “Colonialism had a conscience!” – this time as he launched the third annual observance in Saint Lucia of Emancipation Month.
Speaking on August 1st at the launch of Emancipation Day and Month on Soufriere, he noted it was “also a day of immense importance for our nation and descendants of enslaved Africans throughout the Caribbean – and a powerful reminder of the abolition of slavery, a brutal and inhumane system imposed on our ancestors for almost-400 years.”
The Soufriere rally was coordinated by the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF) and a National Emancipation Committee and was part of the national calendar for this month.
The Prime Minister further described the occasion was “a reflection on Saint Lucia’s sacrifices and triumphs” and remembrance of “the pain and suffering endured,” as well as “our shared history, identity and heritage that signifies the rich legacy of our ancestors.”
He therefore urged Saint Lucians to “remember it was our ancestors’ long struggles and fights for freedom that brought us the freedom and dignity we now enjoy.”
No Conscience
“If we could hear the voices of our emancipated ancestors today,” PM Pierre added, “I believe they would remind us that colonialism had no conscience, because freedom is not just the absence of chains, but the presence of opportunity, good governance, respect and justice for all.”
He also said, “Our ancestors would expect us to challenge oppression in all its forms, and promote a message of hope, resilience and responsibility; they would urge us to embrace education, to empower ourselves and our communities; and to build a society where every person can realize their full potential.”
Enkindling Our Consciousness
Three years ago, in his first address to the nation on August 1, 2021 – six days after being elected on July 26 – Prime Minister Pierre declared his incoming administration would observe three consecutive Emancipation Month celebrations (2022, 2023 and 2024) under the theme ‘Enkindling Our Consciousness’.
Placing the continuing theme in a historical context, he quoted a 1901 issue of the ‘Jamaican Advocate’, which declared that: ‘Emancipation Day is the day on which to recall the history of our fathers and to contemplate the destinies of our children.’
The Prime Minister suggested, “If we accept this as the self-evident reason for observing Emancipation Day, then our theme of ‘Enkindling our Consciousness’ has indeed served its purpose.”
That is so, he explained, because “there is no doubt that with the success of the three Emancipation Day activities to date, these celebrations have made us realize and recognise that the annual holiday is too-important for appreciating our past, understanding our present and planning our future, to be spent in idleness and irrelevant activities.”
The Emancipation Project
The prime minister said Emancipation Month observances over the last two years “have made us think about its significance and we have come to realise that Emancipation was not just an event of 1834, but a process that began then – and that continues today.”
He also opined: “The 1833 Emancipation Act was the commencement of a social and nation-building project that is our inheritance to continue and advance.”
PM Pierre said his government, through these celebrations and the governance policies it’s been implementing, “is playing its part in this advance.”
He “firmly” believes that “The governance mantra of my administration – ‘Putting People First’ – encapsulates the very essence of the Emancipation Project”, because, “it also means ensuring the rights and freedoms our ancestors fought for are upheld and respected,” as well as “creating opportunities for everyone, regardless of their background, to thrive and succeed.”
The Prime Minister added: “It is about recognizing the aspirations and potential of every Saint Lucian,” as well as “a call to action, for our country to advance the well-being and upliftment of all members of our society, that requires us to address the systemic inequalities that persist in our society and to work to dismantle them.”
Government’s Actions
He explained further, “That is why my administration begun these celebrations two years ago, to ‘enkindle’ in ourselves the appreciation of and desire to honour the sacrifices of our enslaved ancestors” and “to instil in us the obligation to continue building the new post-emancipation society in a manner of which they would be proud.”
The Prime Minister said “our ancestors would be proud if we build a society in which the engines of our economy are in our hands” — which is why his administration “has been the first government to establish programmes like The Youth Economy and the MSME Small-business Loan/Grant Facility, that empowers our young people, and the aspiring business class, to become successful and prosperous entrepreneurs and business people on whom our economy will depend.”
Satisfying our Ancestors
Continuing his theme of ‘Satisfying our Ancestors,” Prime Minister Pierre said: “Our ancestors would also be very proud if we continue to agitate and demand Reparations from the countries which enslaved them so-brutally for 400 years.
“As we celebrate this Emancipation Day and complete this theme of ‘Enkindling our Consciousness’,” he added, “let us resolve to always remember that period of our history when the sacrifices of our enslaved ancestors laid the basis for the freedoms that we take for granted today.”
He urged attendees: “Let us always remember that Emancipation Day is not just a celebration of the past, but a beacon for the future.”
“Together,” he added, “let us strive to build a future that reflects the dreams and aspirations of those who came before us and fought for our freedom; and let us do so with pride, unity, purpose and unwavering determination.”
It was indeed a fitting start-off for the last of the first three Emancipation Months designated by the Prime Minister even before parliament was summoned and his Cabinet was appointed in 2021 – and from the look of things, 2024 won’t likely be the last!