Minister for Culture Youth Sports and Community Development Hon. Greta Roberts highlighted that during the Emancipation celebrations for 2023, there will be a number of activities hosted by the cultural division.
The Division of Culture officially launched the 2023 Emancipation celebrations on June 28, at the Old Mill Cultural Centre.
“In celebration of our triumphs, we feature other events by the cultural division as well as independent promoters and cultural stakeholders; a time for education and empowerment,” she said at the launch.
“We have organized a series of events surrounding the establishment of the Kalinago territory bearing in mind their contribution made towards our emancipation, we also have Calypso Day, the Panning Harmony concert, and the Emancipation lecture series in collaboration with the University of the West Indies open campus.”
The minister said Emancipation celebrations promote greater consciousness of our history and understanding of the origin of our culture.
“Many have asked why celebrate something likened to the most dreaded part of our existence [but] the fact remains that this is our story, these are our roots and cannot be forgotten as we seek to build a greater consciousness among the people of our regions”
She said this celebration, therefore, will shed light on Dominican culture; how we act, the foods we eat, our clothing, dances, music, and languages.
Minister Roberts further mentioned the influence of the 2023 Emancipation celebrations as the division intends to promote understanding, foster dialogue, and inspire positive change through various planned activities and programs.
“We opened today with our craft exhibition as we remember the skills of craftsmen of the past. Over the years emphasis has been placed on fine art but today we highlight our craft makers and showcase their talent and skills through their beautiful creations.”
Roberts later touched on the Golden Drum Awards which she stated is the most prestigious award by the cultural division given to individuals.
“The Golden Drum is the most prestigious award by the cultural division given to individuals who have significantly contributed in the fields of arts and culture for 20 years or more,” the minister expressed.
“Such is our richness as it relates to culture and there is never a shortage of nominees. The Division of Culture and the National Cultural Council have always had the task of making the final selection so I assure you especially those who have not made the selection that your time will come.”
These individuals are nominated by the general public, staff of the cultural division, and the National Cultural Council.
When will you and the women of Dominica emancipate yourself from this CM. When will you start asking questions? Topics: electoral reform, unaccounted CBI money, unaccounted PetroCaribe money, misuse of state funds…
Dominica French colony: 1715–1763
Spain had little to no success in colonizing Dominica and in 1690, the French established their first permanent settlements in Dominica. French woodcutters from Martinique and Guadeloupe begin to set up timber camps to supply the French islands with wood and gradually become permanent settlers. They brought the first enslaved people from West Africa to Dominica. In 1715, a revolt of “poor white” smallholders in the north of Martinique, known as La Gaoulé, caused an exodus of them to southern Dominica. They set up smallholdings. Meanwhile, French families and others from Guadeloupe settled in the north.
In 1727, the first French commander, M. Le Grand, took charge of the island with a basic French government; Dominica formally became a colony of France, and the island was divided into districts or “quarters”.
Already installed in Martinique and Guadeloupe and cultivating sugar cane:
Con.
In 1727, the first French commander, M. Le Grand, took charge of the island with a basic French government; Dominica formally became a colony of France, and the island was divided into districts or “quarters”.
Already installed in Martinique and Guadeloupe and cultivating sugar cane, the French gradually developed plantations in Dominica for coffee. They imported African slaves to fill the labor demands replacing the indigenous Caribs.
Slavery was abolished on the island of Dominica and throughout the so called British Empire in 1833; by then Dominica had become the object of more than a hundred years of struggle between the French and British.
Today, Dominica’s struggle is bad politics; Roosevelt Skerrit politics: It is one thing to crave political power, gain it; but without economic power the people of the country can only exists in economic slavery: How can Dominicans escape economic slavery when the nation economy is based on the sale of passports?
What Emancipation celebration? The truth-averse despot (Roosevelt) and his plantocracy have Dominicans in captivity with his modern day plantation politics.
Dominicans are not allowed to engage in a peaceful walks on the streets of Roseau without the heavy presence of military forces. Opposition figures are dragged before the court for an eternity for peaceful public meetings. Police brutality is a common occurrence. I could go on ad infinitum.
Dominica is being re-colonized presently by the Chinese this time around. The indigenous inhabitants are once again being oppressed and enslaved to a life of beggars and servile poverty.
Imagine 2023 Emancipation Day there is little or nothing to celebrate in Dominica. It is widely claimed that slavery was abolished in 1834 in the Caribbean British colonies. However, it is alive and well in Dominica in 2023 this time under a black dictator.
It has been celebrated each year in February since after slavery was abolished in 1834. Don’t you take to the streets on Monday and Tuesday right before Ash Wednesday? What did you think you were celebrating right around that time each year? How many celebrations do you need each year? Stop writing garbage on DNO that has no impact whatsoever on Dominicans.
In terms of skill, the work of master craftsman Louisius Desire will be a hard act for follow. He came to Dominica from Haiti in 1981 and devoted his life to teaching young Dominicans the art of woodcarving.
I consider myself fortunate to have known Louis in the years when he taught from his workshop at the Old Mill. A figure carved by one of his students has pride of place in my collection.
Good luck for this year’s celebrations I look forward to taking part. Increased consciousness should bring about increased participation, which will serve as a guide as to whether we must increase awareness on emancipation.
WOW. Emancipation celebrations in DA? It’s one thing to celebrate Dominica’s culture but emancipate means to liberate oneself therefore the minister should have provided more clarity on the subject if she wanted us to understand the nature of our captivity.
This is the year 2023. Why do we insist on looking in the rearview mirror? The past is yesterday’s news. We cannot forget but let’s for a moment stop applying all this energy on yesteryear and instead focus on being creative for the development of a brighter Dominica.
What’s next. Juneteenth celebrations? You never know.
@Mark, I was wondering why you don’t go back to any bank for the money you put there last month and prior. Is it yesterday’s stuff and you’re not dwelling on the past as the past is yesterday’s news?
Emancipate yourself from psychological slavery; by removing that dirty wig off your head!
If God wanted you to have long hair, he would have put the recessive gene that cause long hair in your deoxyribonucleic acid: While you talk fart about emancipation, you indulged in buying the stinking wig the white oppressors, and Chines manufactures, put into your face as a dangling carrot; impressing upon you that wig is better than your natural that God given to you.
Commonsense should tell you, unless you are biracial of some kind it is almost impossible for a Black person like you to be born with such long:
How can you speak of emancipation, when to this day that wig have you in bondage!
Can’t you see you are brainwashed to believe you look better under a pile of trash on your head, rather than your natural God given hair?
And by the way wigs do smell bad after it become saturated with perspiration; when you sweet it stinks!
Boy, boy, did not know you had mauvais lange. You sound like Don Lemon. You have been emancipated because you were able to move to America without any restrictions. You have been free to write all your garbage on DNO without any police interference. Why are you so jealous of her wig? Let us see you don your toupee just for a day. Why would you accuse her wig of smelling and saturated with perspiration? Aren’t your underclothes smelling and saturated with perspiration and odour as well? Have some respect for the young lady and keep your dirty as. quiet, both you and Ibo.
But can’t you see you think, and conduct yourself like a fool?
Everything you write seems to be pulled out out of thin air: you are so random: I suspect that you are plagued by some sort of psychiatric issues which I can’t help you with. What the hell what I wrote have to do Lenon?
He is homosexual, I am not; I have not wrote anything about homosexuality here, so what garbage are you talking?
I am dealing with the mentality of a Dominican, talking fart about emancipation, when she presents herself as one still in bondage! The wig on her head represents psychological slavery!
In the mind of some black women who affixed wigs to their head, do so because they believe it makes them appear better “more beautiful” than if they accept their natural hair.
Man shut up, you are ignorant, I doubt you finished elementary school, all you do is spew dog feces out of your mouth; nothing you submit or contribute on DNO makes sense!
You are ……semi-illiterate!