Editorial – August 3, 2012
Every year for some years now Montserrat observes Emancipation Day, August 1. It does so like many other countries in the Caribbean, but barely, on an annual basis in observance of the abolition of slavery.
Montserrat’s well published author and poet, Professor Sir Howard Fergus seemed to lament the lack of celebration in a direct and organised way.
In a ZJB news broadcast he said, “We need to celebrate this day as our folks did, ordinary folk sang first of August come again, Hoorah for Nincum Riley, they were celebrating the literate slaves who reportedly read the emancipation edict, and they were celebrating the measure of independence and freedom that emancipation brought. We must never rest on our laurels, indeed there are not many laurels, because although legally we were emancipated in 1834 or 1838, there continued to be signs of bondage from which some of our people worked hard to liberate us. There are signs that there are certain elements of authoritarianism creeping in and being exercised, which are contrary to the spirit of liberation and emancipation, which the 1st of August suggest.”
From Havana, on August 1, 2012 the Prensa Latina wrote, how, “In early morning of the eighth month of 1833, the rumor sprang from the Caribbean islands and then the drums and dance of the night were responsible for spreading the news: the slaves, after all, would be freed,” and it continued to give an account of what it recalls then.
“At dawn of that August 1 slavery was abolished by royal decree in the British territories of American overseas…”
“Unfortunately, that August of carnival, party and dance for the Caribbean, was only a simulation,” it continues, and then reminds, “Seen this way, today it seems there are little reasons to celebrate those dates, although all the Anglophone Caribbean joins each August to remember the emancipation that really did not occur.”
It speaks to the celebration, said during a symposium on the 179 anniversary of Emancipation Day, that took placed at Casa de las Americas.’It was worthy to realize that the liberation from slavery is not enough because it becomes a new starting point’.
For the ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago in Cuba, Jennifer Jones-Kernahan, the celebration should be seen as a tribute to those who died for the independence of the region.
‘This day, we also celebrate the life and work of those who fought for the liberation of our peoples’, she said.
To great extent, even by just a hint, there is concurrence with Dr. Fergus, as the Prensa Latina writes, “But 179 years after that date, the drama and history of the Caribbean are not very different. New forms of slavery, together with the oldest practices, remind that the drama of the whip and the plantation is not ancient fable.”
Meanwhile, UWI Open Campus head in Grenada Dr. Curtis Jacobs says, as we recall 178 years after our own recognized date, “…the only real thing that we possess is our individual collective integrity, we must never let anyone compromise this integrity and we must never expose it to fail, as we contemplate emancipation 2012…think about our ancestors who never compromised their desire to be free…”
The warnings are there and while some people may not be activist as it is not their nature, generally no one should lose sight of these warnings. Individually and severally, as we watch a certain kind of decay, with the selfishness and greed and the lack of integrity, even in the face of Integrity Bills, and Constitution and Commissions, we call once again for the education that is required, to check what may allow the situations, the continued signs of bondage that Dr. Fergus suggests are creeping back upon our people.
There are diverse people who continually comment, “Montserrat is falling backward, we have lost it”. Some say, “We are not hungry enough,” others say, “money is the buzz word, but no one really wants to work (honestly) for it.”
There is so very much surrounding all of this. It makes the idea of a cultural policy so important, but there is plenty work to be done, and it is not difficult if we can find integrity, recognizing how we got here.
I love this!
Hello Mr. editor, it is you and Sir Howard Fergus that are keeping Montserratians in slavery
In July, you told me that Governor Adrian Davis did not say “it is not viable to install geothermal power for Montserrat alone and that is why they are getting private investors.
I am putting it to you that the governor said it
I told the opposition leader Mr. Donaldson Romeo that the governor said it was not economical to install geothermal power for Montserrat alone and Mr. Romeo told me that the exact words the governor used, was “it is not viable to install geothermal power for Montserrat alone
Captain John and other people heard the governor saying that it is not viable to install geothermal power for Montserrat alone
You are not just putting Montserratians back in slavery; you are also giving away billions of dollars to the oppressors and are helping the British to get the Natives off the Island
It is hard on us, because we depend on you to show the governor that he is wrong, but instead, you are helping him.
Montrations must really get up, you need to compete on all levels of society as you see other countries do, that includes all types of business, sports, areas in education, heathcare and economics OTHERWISE you won’t need to wait for another volcanic eruption, you country will just die!
There is a world recession at the moment and nobody cares about any body elses external issues except their own, so wake up! you can stop there and complain to the thin air and pray to a God that has never help you while children go to bed hungry and wake up angry, society itself regresses into barbarity with no solutions just self pity.
You have to look at countries that are struggling like yours and compare it to countries who have struggled in the past but found some solutions and got on with it like CUBA, Venezula etc.
Your government can even ask advice from them and OR do business where your people can be trained so they can come back as useful people to help bring up monserrat. Thats how people come up!
Instead of praying and burying your heads in the sands when your child is ill, or on drugs and drink or just hungry for food or love and understanding from friends, family or neighbours -when there is none BUT your can still go to church. What kind of crap is that.
The Bible was written by people who wanted to enslave you and have kept your heads down with it ever since -WAKE UP!
When you eventually pull your heads out of the sand(bible) you will see all the same old problems YOU left behind!! waiting for the next generation like old garbage piling up. its not fair , its not right or righteous either. Many of you are steeped in old habits and ways that other nations would find frightening and even shocking.
If you are sitting at a computer look at other countries in videos and find out about what they do to help their young and old alike YES!
Alot of countries in the caribbean need a kick in the pants, laying down yawning while breeding to much children they can’t handle and creating exactly the same conditions they hated for themselves -what the backside is that?STUPID
Another thing my father is from Monserrat, when he was young he could build so any job on any island where they were putting up houses – he would be there and that was in tougher times in the 1950s onwards until he came to England.
You can’t pray for miracles or anything anymore, there are countries worse off, look at Greece, Japan and others who have been hit severly by natural disasters recently!
Monerrat has to get its young up and moving in what ever talent they have and encouraged to progress with it and get out on the world stage because right now, Britain, America and most western countries have a aging population so they need able and willing young and talent (in whatever) to come forward -unafraid and ready. Make connection with family where ever you can you already live abroad and start from there, they should aleast be able to tell you what the situation is and where to look, its called ‘networking’ or getting to know! Its also the age of technology and information so alot of things you can research yourself with a computer in a internet cafe’ which is like going to the library but quicker.
Get moving monserrat, i want to aleast to see you in the next olympics in all events, trade fairs, economic platforms, arts and crafts etc etc etc. Never be afraid to compete!!
COMPETE OR DIE
I love the article too. Very important, very crucial! If we are a thoughtful and an action-oriented people it could be the impetus for new thinking and a new beginning for Montserrat.
The article is very interesting, but it makes me wonder what type of emancipation are we thinking about. I mean our Montserrat forefathers were the dawnbreakers and pioneers of the abolition of mental slavery as had been demonstrated in the 1768 uprising. It clearly demonstrates the fact our forefathers were way ahead of the other Caribbean territories who were still lying dormant. So what is needed now is for the young Montserratians to ahake up the ashes and do like the Phoenix, take up the emblem and move forward.
You are correct Xacci, formal emancipation was achieved centuries ago. However, mental slavery remains. Mental slavery refers to a way of thinking of a person and /or people, whose ways of thinking and consequently actions are not in their best interest, indeed are harmful to them, and yet they continue to think and act in such self-defeating ways. We assume that people are rational and therefore seek to maximize their satisfaction. Therefore, if people continue that act in self-defeating ways we assume it is the result of “mental slavery”. That means, because of their way of thinking they are unable to free themselves for thinking and acting in ways that are harmful to themselves and others.
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