by Kristen Ku

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Aug 2, 2023

Belize marked its third year of celebrating Emancipation Day, a significant occasion for Belizeans of African descent and others in the community who honor August 1, 1838, as the date of the physical emancipation of Africans enslaved by European colonizers. This year, a decision was made to observe the public and bank holiday on July 31, but some organizations chose to carry out Emancipation Day activities on the actual date on which Emancipation took place: August 1.

Kremandala and the UBAD Educational Foundation (UEF) organized a number of events which took place in the City on August 1.

One of those included an Afrikan Emancipation Day Breakfast Concert, held on the compound outside the Civic Centre, commencing at the early hour of 5:00 a.m. The event was open to the public, with free breakfast provided, and featured performances by various Belizean artists and groups, including Bussa B Band, Man At Work, Blue Steel Sounds, Unlimited, TR Shine, DJ Dalla, Tony G, and Prince Kevin.

Organizer Winston Harris, also known as “Brick City”, expressed his satisfaction with the concert in an interview with Kremandala reporters stating, “It’s something different but not something new due to the time. But it turned out pretty good because, at the end of the day, it’s a first of its kind.”

He acknowledged that although the turnout was not as large as other events held in the city, it was expected due to its weekday timing. However, he remained optimistic about the future.

“I didn’t expect a big turnout but I expect people to pass through because it’s free. This is set up mainly for the early birds, those who workout and who go to work early, so they can stop in and get some coffee. But I can guarantee you that next year will be a big turnout. It’s the first of its kind, and it’s good to bring new things to Belize,” he said.

Katie Numi Usher, co-host of KREM’s Wake-Up Belize morning show, spoke highly of the event, emphasizing the importance of it taking place on the actual day of Emancipation. “As we know, we had the day which was commemorated yesterday, which was the 31st of July, but it was important for KREM to do it on the day itself,” she said.

She highlighted the vibrant atmosphere with great music, live performances, and food booths, adding that the event’s success was a testament to the commitment to preserve and honor the African heritage in Belize.

In an effort to consistently advocate for the Afrikan ancestors, Chairperson of UEF, YaYa Marin Coleman, in a previous interview, expressed the importance of continual awareness and advocacy in keeping Afrikan ancestors alive, especially through various community actions.

This is why, in addition to the breakfast concert, a Belizean National Drum Call took place on Marine Parade in front of Golden Bay from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., featuring an opening drum call, the pouring of libations and the release of flower petals onto the water. Attendees were encouraged to wear all white as a symbol of unity and solidarity.

Libations serve as a symbolic act of calling upon and recognizing the cosmos as a part of human existence, representing a deeper connection with the universe, and in this instance rekindled the memory and the spirit of our Afrikan ancestors.

Following another drum call and some refreshments, the “UBAD Educational Foundation (U.E.F.) 1st Afrikan Emancipation Jubilee Day and 2nd Afrikan Reparations Awareness Day March from Marine Parade to Battlefield Park” was carried out in altered form, as a vehicle procession, due to morning “showers of blessing”. Participants headed in vehicles to Battlefield Park where, after the rain subsided, a historic photo was taken of some members holding up the UEF Emancipation Day banner at the corner of Church and Albert Streets, the site of a proposed Emancipation Institute in 1889.

Later in the evening, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., UEF hosted the 10th annual “Free Yo Mind” Community Reasonings at the Ministry of Youth Building, featuring guest speaker, Belizean nurse and activist, Penelope “Penny” Casasola. After an opening drum call and libations, individual participants took turns in recounting the family names of their forebears over the past few generations, which soon revealed some surprising shared ancestral links among those present. With forms provided by UEF chairperson YaYa Marin Coleman, participants were encouraged to seek further knowledge from their living elders so as to fill in their individual family tree and so become more aware of the many family ties binding us all together as a people. There was some difficulty with the audio of the recording she did with her grandmother, but Sista Penny recounted again the story told to her back in 1984 by her then 94-year-old grandmother, who said her own grandmother had described to her how as a 15-year-old girl she had been taken from Afrika on a slave ship and eventually landed on these shores.

These events held on August 1 demonstrated Belize’s commitment to honoring and preserving the rich Afrikan heritage and history in the country.

Emancipation Day served as a reminder of the past struggles, the resilience of our Afrikan ancestors, and the continued journey toward a more united and empowered future for all Belizeans.