Hopetown, a village in West Berbice, approximately 97 kilometres from Georgetown, was bought by the Blaire brothers, who pooled their money to purchase the village. It was said that the men loaded their pennies and other savings on to a wheelbarrow and pushed it all the way to Georgetown, a journey that took four days. They named the village ‘Hopetown’ in pursuit of hope for a better life after slavery. After the community was purchased, it was divided into Fybrace, St. John and Number 22 Village where farming and bartering…
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Conga Drums of Union Village
Over the years, in celebration of Emancipation, the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) honours many villages that have a common history of being purchased by freed slaves. This year, the Association honours Union Village No. 53 on the Corentyne River, Berbice with special focus on Conga drums. Conga drums of Union Village Drums provide the soundtrack to the rhythm of life in a village that maintains most of the small, close-knit, communal way of life. Union Village, a name evocative of the unity of its founders who purchased the…
Read MorePreserving African heritage in Guyana
The African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) is celebrating its 24th anniversary this year, and since its establishment plays a pivotal role in the preservation of Guyanese African culture. Founded in 1993 as a non-governmental organisation constituted to promote equity, equal access, accountability, shared governance and citizen’s participation at the local and national levels, the organisation was officially registered under the Friendly Societies Act of Guyana in 1995. All Guyanese of African descent, regardless of class, religion or political affiliation, are eligible to be members of ACDA. ACDA has members…
Read MoreNotable exhibits features proudly at African Heritage Museum
The African Museum of Heritage in Barima Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown is said to be the first of its kind in the Caribbean, and there are many fascinating artefacts on exhibition at the museum that tells of our historical and cultural connections to Africa. The exhibits include paintings as well as everyday items and ceremonial artefacts that symbolize mostly West African art in daily African life and culture: from combs to iron and wooden masks to the carved door and sculptures. A visit to the museum will prove worthwhile…
Read MorePromoting Culture and Community Development
The Miss Emancipation pageant, launched in 2012, aims to showcase the beauty of African culture while promoting community development, edifying patrons on African heritage, challenges and solutions. It is a highly-anticipated occasion that takes the form of an “African gala”. It is one of few occasions in which Guyanese adorn themselves in their African attire showcasing the richness of the culture. The show takes the format of an Introduction Segment, where delegates introduce themselves adorned in beautiful African wear, reciting a spoken-word introduction written by them on the Emancipation theme…
Read MoreThe Shaping of Guyanese Literature
‘Years of High Hopes’ (part two) By Petamber PersaudBy Petamber Persaud Extract of an interview with Dorothy Irwin, Georgetown, Guyana, March 2017. Ms Irwin compiled and edited the book “Years of High Hopes: A portrait of British Guiana, 1952-1956” from family letters, mostly written by her mother.DI: … I thought it is wrong for me to be the only one to know of this – the people who wrote them were not around, the people who received them were not around, it was just me reading them and that’s no…
Read MoreDiscovering yourself
By Ashley Anthony As a young woman just having finished CAPE, the first question off the tip of the tongue of every person I encounter is the same; “So, what’s next?” This is a deceptively simple question. It seems as though, by the age of 18, we are expected to know what we want to do for the rest of our lives. I think the truest tragedy that we face as young people is ignorance. There is a great pressure for us to know what our next step is without…
Read MoreAfrican Proverbs
Proverbs are an integral part of African culture, notes the BBC. Passed on from generation to generation for centuries, they are still in wide use today and are very much part of everyday speech. Proverbs are used to illustrate ideas, reinforce arguments and deliver messages of inspiration, consolation, celebration and advice. The great Nigerian author Chinua Achebe once wrote: “Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten.” Here are a few proverbs to ponder on: “Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable” – (Kenya) “Wood already touched by fire…
Read MoreEmancipation
By Anu Dev… No slavery can be abolished without a double emancipation, and the master will benefit by freedom more than the freed-man – Thomas Huxley On August 1st, we celebrated Emancipation Day! Slavery was abolished 183 years ago. 183 years! But yet, oftentimes, I wonder what has happened to the promise of that seminal event. Studying Caribbean History back at Queen’s, we spent a lot of time learning about conditions on the sugar plantations during slavery and after Emancipation. It was a descent into horror. It was an…
Read MoreHonouring an African Country: Democratic Republic of Congo
The African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) honours an African country annually in celebration of Emancipation Day. This is done because most Guyanese of African descent cannot trace their ancestral roots to a particular African nation. In choosing a particular African country to highlight every year, ACDA seeks to educate young and old about African countries and to remind them that Africa has 54 countries and is not a single country like China or India or the United States. Traditionally, ACDA honours an African country every Emancipation Festival by building…
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