Emancipation process continues

by Maxwell Haywood

August 1, 2016 marks 178 years since black people in the English speaking Caribbean countries were freed from chattel slavery. Since early in the first decade of the 21st century, St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) dedicated the month of August as Emancipation month. The first day of August is Emancipation Day. This celebration and remembrance of emancipation is indeed a profound aspect of our existence and should be embraced as such.{{more}}

Power of resiliency

The question that normally comes to mind when celebrating Emancipation is how far we have come from that inhumane system of chattel slavery and colonial rule. Notwithstanding the horrors of that long experience, much progress has been made due to the resilience of black Vincentians who were formerly enslaved in SVG — but much work remains to be done.

Today, in 2016, the Vincentian nation has reached this far by not helplessly depending on their former slavers for their development. They had to build from no financial wealth, no business enterprises, no land, no physical infrastructure, no political democratic systems, and no critical mass of formally trained and educated persons. They did not throw up their hands and surrender. They never gave in to the feeling of helplessness in the face of such adversity.

The distress from living in such situations was not enough to paralyse their visions and actions for more freedom. They ensured that the powerlessness under slavery did not continue after emancipation. They vowed to bounce back from the backwardness of chattel slavery, which was extremely disruptive of black people’s lives, culture and history. To rise above the legacies of these disruptions has been no easy task. Howevern they pressed on and they have demonstrated their resilience in many ways.

Social resilience

Black Vincentians, who were formerly enslaved, have built many schools that the European slavers and colonialists had refused to build for them during the many years of slavery and colonialism. They have modernized the education sector. The children of the former enslaved have embraced education and have excelled in it.

Likewise, the housing sector has surely been transformed from the mess that the European slavers and colonialists left behind them in SVG. The housing stock they left behind for the former enslaved was not reflective of the wealth that black Vincentians had created working free for the European slavers. Indecent housing conditions were the order of the day. Despite this, the black population or the former enslaved worked hard to build a housing stock which has left many visitors to the country in awe. Also, in sports, despite lack of modern facilities and other resources, Vincentians have been involved in sports and many excellent athletes have emerged throughout the post-slavery era. They have been doing relatively well in many sport disciplines.

In addition, many of the former enslaved population have been migrating for many years now. They have shown tremendous resilience in places they migrated to. They have achieved a functional level of integration into their host societies. They have built organizations and initiatives in lands that are sometimes hostile to their presence in the overall framework of complicated migration issues.

Cultural resilience

Similar observations can be made in the area of culture. The cultural arts created by the former enslaved have flourished in SVG. Out of the former enslaved population came cultural arts organizations and festivals, as well as musicians, dramatists, designers, dancers, painters, culinary artists, writers, drummers, poets, fine artists, sculptors, photographers, and many more.

The former enslaved have shown that they do not agree with the philosophy of black inferiority and white superiority. They have built organizations and movements in SVG that promoted black pride. While there is still much work to be done in this aspect, it is safe to conclude that many among the former enslaved have shown great strength and resilience against the teachings of black inferiority. Based on this experience of resistance, SVG currently feels confident enough to play a major role in the global movement for reparations for native genocide and slavery.

Political and institutional resilience

It is clear that Vincentians inherited a constitution that they did not create. At worst it was created by the British, who were the main owners of the enslaved black population in SVG. In the first decade of the 21 century, Vincentians made a strong effort to reform the constitution to meet the requirements of a free and proud people. This effort came after over 160 years since emancipation, and it is evidence of the resilience of the former enslaved in their quest for more democratic governance, transcending what currently exists.

The former black enslaved population has shown its resilience by building major institutions such as labour unions, cooperatives, community and national development organizations, political parties, private businesses, churches, and more.

It is critically important that Vincentians continue to consciously build on what has been accomplished through their resilience in the face of extreme hardship. In this regard, a high sense of history is vital. Importantly, the nation’s heritage of resilience is there to offer inspiration and strength to usher in more progress. Indeed, the emancipation process continues!

In my next article, I will address the economic resilience of the former enslaved black population.