Dominica joins the rest of the world in celebrating Africa Day today.
Africa Day (formerly African Freedom Day and African Liberation Day) is the annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organization of African Unity on 25 May 1963. It is celebrated in various countries on the African continent, as well as around the world.
Member of the Dominica Reparations Committee, Meritta Hyacinth, said during a statement, that there is so much to celebrate in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
“We should be indeed elated to celebrate Africa Day today. There is so much to celebrate even in the midst of this pandemic, so much to celebrate in Dominica as we see our country and the leadership displayed by our people and the government to minimize our Covid-19 numbers,” she said. “So much to celebrate as we see our fellow brothers and sisters on the frontline, others coming up with innovative solutions to serve the people of Dominica.”
Hyacinth continued, “Even our teachers find ways to reach our future and the many who have tilled the soil, fish or rear livestock to feed the nation.”
She said Africa Day calls for Dominicans to understand that “Africa and we, as a people of African descent, unity can get rid of remaining traces of the colonization and apartheid.”
Hyacinth said that hidden or not, colonialism still exists and such cooperation and embracing by its people can break it.
She called on the general public to recognize Africa Day and to understand our historical link to the motherland.
“Your recognition is by first embracing that you are a people of African descent, then recognizing the achievement of people in our country who despite the odds contributed to building our nation, show appreciation and respect for our intangible and tangible history and heritage,” Hyacinth noted.
She explained that children can be taught about the heritage, history and cultural practices.
“We don’t have to allow our historical architecture to become so dilapidated and wait until it has disappeared…” Hyacinth argued, adding that Africa Day calls for that appreciation of shared history and understanding the concept of African Diaspora.
“Though many of us have never seen the motherland, our land and the continent are the victims of colonialism and have been struggling for justice to repair the damages brought about by the most horrific crimes against humanity,” she stated.
Hyacinth believes that acknowledging Africa is “indeed” what unites us.
The audio of the Hyacinth’s full statement is listed below.
People must stop feeling sorry for themselves. The world owes you nothing, and it is not what you come in into this world with but, is what you are leaving behind. Death is death and it does not matter how you go.People still killing each other so what. The statement did not mention how the african acquire the title CHIEF. Our ancestors had to pay for their keeps.The statement is looking for something for nothing.No Government owes the people nothing,he is to run a country and not the people. What brought the CHRIST to the CROSS was ,through pride. jeaslousy and cowardice.
Oh oh I hate to say this but ,,there’s always one. What was that, brain fart?
Now more than ever it’s time to embrace our culture. Realise that there must be a reasoning, no matter how pathetic, that they hate us. We are resilient, we’ve triumph despite the adversities. We’ve grown adapted to new environments. Thrived where others could not.
What reparations committee? Where was the said committee when china was brutalizing our fellow Africans claiming they were spreading covid19 in China? They beat, evicted and brutalize black people and this committee stayed moo moo
. Hypocrites!! Why not ask china to compensate for those they recently brutalized? The nerve of black people.
I think all Black People (and White) should read this highly informative book, Stolen Legacy – Greek Philosophy is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy, by George GM James. I think it should be mandatory reading at UWI and all colleges in the Caribbean and Africa. Great place start to put the pieces together.
It is mandatory at UWI, unsure under which discipline.
Yes indeed, please keep up the good works. I understand what everyone is saying, it boils down to education. There had to be a means to pass the rich History of Africa on to us all, the world and future generations. Education! There needs to be renewed thrust to include African Studies in all our schools. Mandatory like English.
I agree. Trends suggest that Africa will be the most important continent demographically and economically by the end of the century if not earlier. Cultural importance seems likely to accompany that. The more up to speed people are on African studies, the more opportunity there is for all.
We are going full circle – look what China has done to Dominica and developing countries in Africa and to a lesser extent Dominica. Look what the controllers of the CBI are doing to Dominica; The so called conscientious fellers, like Dublin, Sobers and others referring to so called colonization and liberation are just words my brother; Once we are not politically, economically and mentally independent then colonization will always be knocking on our front doors.
One day we should all rediscover our history before colonization and then our minds will be really amazed by how much we contributed to civilization.
Sound intelligence in Leadership is key. In absence of this makes no difference if this failed incompetent Skerrit and his failed questionable Labour government who has failed, we are going nowhere.
Get rid of failed Skerrit and his failed questionable incompetent Labour government out of our government then we are able to move forward away from failed incompetent Skerrit and his failed questionable Labour government.
We had enough. We had enough of comical Labour government and its failed incompetent Skerrit.
Dominica’s please rise up and smell the coffee, we need to throw out this failed incompetent Skerrit and his failed questionable Labour government.
We need change and we need that decent e, professional trustworthy reliable, UWP Team under leadership of trusted and respected Hon. Lennox Linton and his trusted competent UWP Team.
We had enough of this failed incompetent Skerrit and failed questionable incompetent Labour government. Skerrit, get lost “Go to Hell out of…
“San (return), Ko (Go) Fa (grasp from your Ancestral past in order to bring Balance to present life circumstances”. The Spirit of our Ancestors Demand such, Africa was born in every one of us. Enslavement/Capitalism/colonialism have taken a toll on our People, presently making them believe that they are native Dominicans, as oppose to Africans living on the Island. We should never forget that the sole purpose for Africans coming to Dominica and the Americas , was/is to create Wealth for the EuroAmericans. When one leave the so/called City and Towns of former EnSlave Territories now called Nations, conditions worst than rural Africa is very visual. A vast number of Africans today, Worship a Diety that don’t look like them, while seeking salvation from the very one who Enslaved them, the Chains have been removed from the Ankles and placed in their Consciousness. Mordern day Slavers have close their Borders , trapping their no longer needed PROPERTY. Reparations Now.
Bob, you don’t have to be an African to be a Dominican you know. Our Kalinago people would have first call on that. We are by and large a mongrel people Bob, a mix of all sorts of genes and I say that without shame or apologie. Does that make us African, just because the colour of our skin tends to be deeper than the average European? There are plenty of people in India for example that are darker than Africans and I say welcome to them also. I know who I am Bob, first of all a human being and I’m happy with that and my allegiance is first of all to Dominica and not Africa. No offence brother.
I will just bow my head and let this one go by. However I will say this, do some research, and you may learn the root of all life is Africa. So no matter where you are in this world, no matter what color or shade of color, everyone is indeed African first. This is indeed also true for all Dominicans as well, true for “white” people also. Deny all you want to, but we are all African first, and anything else we want to be after.
Bob, true but we can’t continue saying the same thing over and over again.
Africa is far away with their troubles, corruption, pile reserved, receiving bugbsakes and cash and their/our struggling black leaders are fleecing our people and country’s resources. There are extentensial issues to address and clean up their respective governments. Charity begins at home., Go clean it up. Africa is rich in gold, minerals, agriculture, resources and our people are poor, with suffering families, crying parents while these governments fleeced our economy and reduced our people and country to begging and pleading for votes.
Wake up my people. It’s not the West, its our own people and corrupted governments like in our Dominica.
Bob, true but we can’t continue saying the same thing over and over again.
Africa is far away with their troubles, corruption, pile reserved, receiving bugbsakes and cash and their/our struggling black leaders are fleecing our people and country’s resources. There are extentensial issues to address and clean up their respective governments. Charity begins at home., Go clean it up. Africa is rich in gold, minerals, agriculture, resources and our people are poor, with suffering families, crying parents while these governments fleeced our economy and reduced our people and country to begging and pleading for votes.
Wake up my people. It’s not the West, its our own people and corrupted governments like in our Dominica.
Our education system is steeped in handed down colonialism. We insist on retaining a system that the colonial masters abolished decades ago.
The same goes for pride of identity. In general Afro-Caribbeans fall over backwards to foreign concepts of dress and beauty.
Dominica still under colonization with those stupid laws they have…
What laws……?