The University of the West Indies (UWI) will host its Dame Eugenia Charles Memorial Lecture tonight, on the topic “Upgrading to first-class: The role and contributions of Dominican women in the Caribbean Reparations Movement.”
The event will begin at 7:00 pm at UWI’s Open Campus auditorium where the Secretary-General of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) and chair of the Open Campus Council, Dr. June Soomer, will be the featured speaker.
Dr. Soomer told the state-owned radio station today that she intends to educate people on the fact that enslavement was not gender-neutral and women fought for their freedom from the beginning.
She wants her audience to go with the message that it is time for black women to take their place in society.
“I am sure in Dominica you don’t know the names of the people who worked on the plantations, these young women who, at fourteen, were bearing children and whose children would always be enslaved because they were not white women,” she explained.
She believes that women were at the bottom of the scale, treated the worst and “we were exploited not just for our reproduction.”
According to Dr. Soomer, focus will also be placed on Amerindian women as it has never been spoken of in previous lectures.
She said Amerindian women need to be given a voice as their faces are not seen in history.
“You get the impression when you read some books that women were just there…but we worked hard alongside men in the fields… we were involved in resistance; we were involved in rebuilding society,” Soomer stated.
She added that Dame Eugenia Charles, Dominica’s first female prime minister, was able to span both the pre and post-independence period as a leader at a time where women were not capable of accomplishing certain goals.
“I want women to know that they can be leaders, not only in this country but in the region,” Soomer remarked.
The UWI is expecting a bumper attendance and as such will be preparing a second room to allow individuals to view the lecture simultaneously with those in the auditorium via technology should the room be inadequate.
This is the first time the lecture will be held since Hurricane Maria in 2017.
I wish DA had a prime minister like Eugenia today. She was “the Iron Lady of the Caribbean.”
The winners of conquest aways write the History that needs telling. Take Dominica as an example, the Cardre of Women experts that struggled side by with their leader Balah have been historically swept under the Capet by descendants of former White Slaves/Indentures who today call themselves Historians. The African Woman have suffered in her beauty from the dawn of her tumultuous passage, while continuing to rise in this mordern day of superfluous. Within Her own rights, the African Woman is unsurpassed, History have shown us that no other Women, from any Universal Ethnic Group have servive the perils She have had to under go, this is what have made the African woman the Strongest and most Accomplished in all aspects of our Humanity. Reparations for Her Peoples Calamity is in Her everyday to do list,and many of us Truly believe She will cross the line a Winner among All.
Well stated, the struggle continues for justice for her.
First and foremost, when it comes to celebrating our queens, empresses and princesses, we must start with the Motherland, Africa, since that’s where our very first females originated. A lot of time we are just concerned about the West, where we live and don’t give credence to the female slaves who went through hell on the slave ships to make it to the Caribbean. We have to educate our sisters, yes but let’s not forget who we are collectively as a race of people.
This is a great effort in bringing some light at this time to our sisters, especially after the rough journey we’ve had for the past months.
PEACE
1st of all why have Dame Eugenia Charles in your business, she was a conservative politician.
2nd, who gets paid reparations, the Caribs and negros?
3rd, is it right to get paid for the work of your ancestors, work you didn’t do? when socialists like yourself are anti inheritance because you hate the rich? Hypocrisy much?
4th, who exactly is going to pay these reparations?
5th, lets say for example Britain and France pays us ‘reparations’ which would no doubt be misused like BAM and CBI funds. Are we gonna feel entitled to beg them for grants 5 years down the line?
6th, Since we are the generation who would be getting these ‘reparations’, would our grandchild be entitled to these funds- is it a one time or recurring welfare thing?
7th, while crying for ‘reparations’ what exactly do you call the +$1 billion in foreign aid the UK has given Dominica since independence? And likely to continue giving in the next 30-40 years?
Don’t forget the EU. Guadeloupe and Martiniqe have black people too but they part of France. Do they have to pay reparation also? Slavery is unforgivable but this thing is not helping either but only make matters worse. Who is to distribute that reparation, our government I suppose? You see the problem there already.
To Hell with Euginia Charles! She caused Dominica to be in the mess we in today when she told us to get rid of UWP at all cost. I supported he for 25 years but right now all the good things she accomplished she took them to the grave with. So I don’t want to hear about her today and according to Skerrit himself, “Go to hell”.
Wow!!! What a beauty!
Young lady you are the epitome of a beautiful black woman. Plus you are educated? Hmmmmmm…. some lucky guy is in heaven
. Lucky for him