On Saturday, the sounds of drums, chants of solidarity, and placards bearing messages of peace and justice will echo through the streets of Castries as the Iyanola Council for the Advancement of Rastafari and Pan-African People hosts the second edition of its African Liberation Day celebration.
Set against the backdrop of the Derek Walcott Square, the observance aims to do more than commemorate a historic date. Organisers say this year’s event is a call for national unity amid troubling social issues and a rallying cry against foreign exploitation of Africa’s natural resources.
“African Liberation Day has its genesis in 1963, when independent countries of Africa at the time, gathered for a conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on May 25, 1963,” said Aaron Alexander, known as Ras Iron, president of the council. “They asserted themselves in terms of fighting down colonialism and fighting for the liberation of Africa. We see right now the African continent is still under threat because of the situation going on in the Sahel region in Burkina Faso, in particular with President Ibrahim Traoré. So, here in St Lucia we are standing in solidarity with the president of Burkina Faso and the Sahel region. We are saying to the Western interference to leave Africa alone.”
The event begins at 10 a.m. and runs until 6 p.m., featuring speeches, cultural presentations and a solidarity march through the city at 2 p.m. Organisers are encouraging attendees to bring placards with messages addressing national concerns, particularly crime, bullying in schools and violence in communities.
Alexander stressed that the march is not a political protest but a communal appeal for awareness and change.
“We’ve invited church groups, civil society organisations… we are asking them to find their voice,” he said. “And we want no political bashing. Crime, violence or bullying knows no political boundaries, and it knows no sort of division. It affects us all.”
This year’s theme broadens the traditional focus of African Liberation Day to include pressing local challenges. Crime, incidents of youth violence and reports of bullying in schools have raised public concern over time.
Assistant Communication Officer Ired Etienne described the event as a moment for national reflection and international solidarity.
“It’s all about Africa Liberation Day,” Etienne said. “Meaning self-awareness of people and nations being aware of who they are and standing up for equal rights and justice, standing up for love, standing up for the truth. So, we are calling on all educated folks, ministers, media personnel, to come forward, come capture what is going on.”
The march, Etienne said, will also include solidarity speeches by elders in the Rastafari and pan-African communities. For some, this observance is not just about remembering history; it is about shaping a future rooted in justice.
“No matter where you come from, as long as you are a Black man, you are an African,” Etienne said, paraphrasing a well-known pan-Africanist quote. “So, we are calling on all to come along, including the police officers, to witness what is going on.”
Last year’s observance, held at Serenity Park, marked the first formal gathering to commemorate the day by the council. Saturday’s event builds on that momentum with what Alexander called “part two” of the movement – a wider, more visible effort to engage not only the Rastafari community but Saint Lucians across all walks of life.
