BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE 40th Anniversary of African Liberation Day was celebrated under the theme ‘Prejudice We Oppose’ at the Independence Square on Saturday (May 25).
The Nyahbinghi Theocracy Order-organised event saw among those in attendance, Rastafarians and a number of other black conscious individuals.
Presentations were made through speeches, songs and poems.
Public Relation Officer of the Nyahbinghi Theocracy Order Ras Dabo Penny, who was also the coordinator and Chairperson of the event, spoke with SKNVibes and explained the significance of the day’s proceedings.
“This is the 40th Anniversary Celebration in St. Kitts and the 50th Establishment of the Organisation of the African Unity which took place in Addis Ababa on the 25th May, 1963 when Haile Selassie gathered six other independent leaders of Africa to establish the Organisation of African Unity to fight for the liberalisation of the continent from colonial rule.”
He touched on the significance of togetherness of the black race globally.
“A people without the knowledge of the past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots, as Marcus Garvey told us. So we come here every year to celebrate African Liberation Day in solidarity with the Africans who are struggling globally. As you know, the struggle continues...whether you’re in Brazil, the United States, the Caribbean or even on the continent, the struggle to eliminate poverty, ignorance, deprivation and discrimination. And so the struggle continues because we see how people are still slipping back because of a mindset that seems to be back with the plantation, and thus bear the significance of African Liberation.”
Ras Dabo encouraged the need for black people to be psychologically free within.
“We need to liberate our minds from the chains that were placed on them by our former colonial masters.”
Performers included Jungles, Ras Dabo Penny and Ras Khalid, who all sang songs that spoke to liberation, while recitals of poems were done by Jungle and Jahme.
Speeches were delivered by St. Kitts’ first Black Power President Earl Clarke, Senior Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Michael Blake and Secretary of the Organisation for African Heritage Dwight Starrod.
Saturday’s event was the finale to the African Liberation week of activities.
A large selection of Reggae music was played by Raggamuffin Sound System for the more that four-hour event.
