Significant anniversaries upcoming in 2025

As I extend best wishes for the New Year to my readers and the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines in general, following the numerous challenges of 2024, I also must take this opportunity to give early notice of a number of significant anniversaries coming up during the next 12 months.

While it is true that indications are for the holding of general elections sometime during this year, and our tradition has been for all else to take a back seat to electioneering, it is time that we demonstrate our growing maturity by not abandoning all else to such displays of partisanship. Life must continue and our historical experiences remembered irrespective of the nature of the political administration of the government.

We have inherited a tradition whereby special attention is paid to anniversaries which occur in cycles of five-and ten-years duration as well as multiples of these.

Thus, whether they be birthdays, weddings, or independence anniversaries for example, those which fall on such occasions take pride of place and there are even special designations such as Gold, Silver and Diamond reserved for them.

Unfortunately, our colonial experience has been that those events which honour the actions or history of the colonisers have taken precedence over those of significance to the development of our country and its people. Fortunately for us, as a critical part of our decolonisation process, we have a team of competent and committed local historians tasked with writing OUR STORY which would provide the opportunity to set new priorities for celebrating or commemorating anniversaries of significance to us.

In this context therefore I wish to alert readers of events of special historical significance to us and our historical development, using the traditional five- and ten-year approaches mentioned above. This is an essential part of the incomplete process of decolonisation, which seems to be in a state requiring revival and recharging.

In this context, it seems to me that the most significant historical experience that we ought to be commemorating this year must be March 14, National Heroes Day. This year marks the 230th anniversary of that milestone event when we remember the heroic efforts of National Hero The Right Excellent Joseph Chatoyer, (I am not convinced that we should use such a designation conferred by imperial governments on far from honourable persons, but that is another matter), and the Garifuna people to defend our patrimony.

It took a long struggle before National Heroes Day could be proclaimed but it is certainly my opinion that we have not gone far enough. Apart from the obelisk at Dorsetshire Hill, we are yet to erect a fitting monument to Chief Chatoyer and the valiant Garifuna defendants of our homeland. In addition, we seem to be placing more emphasis on finding persons with whom Chatoyer must share the spotlight on the National Hero pedestal. Can’t we use March 14 this year to give a new fillip to honouring Chatoyer and the Garifuna?

Continuing on the decolonisation theme, upcoming later this year, in October will be the 90th anniversary of the 1935 rebellion, another important milestone which contributed towards winning the right to vote, Adult Suffrage in 1951, paving the road to the reclamation of National Independence in 1979. We are yet to proclaim the historical significance of that occasion, hiding behind its spontaneity and other such spurious characterisations.

What about a significant advance this year?

Continuing on the decolonisation theme but with a regional perspective, February 2025 will mark the 55th anniversary of an event which rocked the Caribbean and significantly gave an impetus to the decolonisation process. That event has been dubbed the “Black Power Revolution” when Trinidad and Tobago rebelled against the continuing discrimination perpetuated on descendants of African and Indian people. It was a landmark event not just in T&T but in spurring the black consciousness movement in the entire Caribbean, SVG being prominent in this regard. We must not ignore such developments of gigantic historical importance.

Outside the traditional decolonisation events, there are other occasions worthy of commemoration. How can we not recall that March 8 this year will mark the Golden Anniversary of International Women’s Day, officially proclaimed by the United Nations in 1975. Are our women’s organisations preparing to mark the occasions fittingly?

Let me conclude by drawing attention to the sporting field, to cricket in particular, the field in which the Caribbean, collectively first made its mark internationally. Granted Test status in 1928, it took the West Indies only two years before the new Test-playing nation recorded its first victory, over England at Bourda in Guyana in February 1930, 95 years ago. Then there was the West Indies’ first Test victory in England, at Lord’s, its home of cricket in 1950, 75 years ago. To crown it came our first World Cup triumph in the inaugural tournament in 1975. This will be another Golden anniversary, a fitting occasion for commemoration and inspiration to our youth.

Let us not waste these precious opportunities.

• Renwick Rose is a Social and Political commentator.