Despite an afternoon of impassioned speeches, vibrant performances and cultural expression, the second annual Africa Day observance in Castries drew a disappointingly small crowd, leaving participants hopeful for greater engagement in the future.
Held on Saturday, May 24, at Derek Walcott Square and organised by the Iyanola Council for the Advancement of Rastafari (ICAR), the event sought to promote African identity, unity and resistance to social ills like violence and division. Yet, the sparse turnout did not go unnoticed by those in attendance.
“I expected many more people to turn out,” lamented Richard Edwin, a Saint Lucian who said he recently retired after working in human rights with the Government of Canada. Speaking to St Lucia Times, Edwin expressed frustration over what he sees as a broader lack of public consciousness in the Caribbean about African liberation.
“We are having this problem in Saint Lucia – to get people to turn out to participate in consciousness building…. We are falling behind to a great degree,” he said.
Edwin argued that true liberation requires Africa to reclaim its independence from foreign control, both economically and culturally. “Africa is not independent because the resources of Africa are controlled by multinationals and other countries, but in order to be liberated, and for us to identify with Africa, we have to become conscious of what liberation is about,” he said.
Entrepreneur and African history teacher Wnnefer Jengo echoed these concerns, urging deeper engagement beyond symbolic gestures. “To be an African means we have to go back,” Jengo said, referencing the concept of Sankofa – retrieving wisdom from the past to apply today. “Until we do that, we will have no real identity that goes back in time.”
This year’s event also emphasised peace and unity, with organisers citing a recent shooting at Derek Walcott Square as a stark reminder of the violence plaguing communities. ICAR president Aaron “Ras Iron” Alexander called for collective resistance against crime and bullying, declaring, “Through consciousness, through our liberation, we are here to fight the demon of violence and crime and bullying in our schools.”
Despite the low attendance, Assistant Communication Officer Ired Etienne remained optimistic. “We give thanks for the few that are present,” he said, while expressing hope for broader participation in the future, especially from regional leaders and communities. “Africans in Africa, and those of us in the diaspora, in the Caribbean, we are one… So, we’re looking out for better.”
Officially observed on May 25, Africa Day, formerly Africa Liberation Day, commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963.
st lucia has other ethnicities. celebrate those who sold u. smh!
I fully endorse your initiative…time to sensitize the people on their great African history to wake them up.
Regardless as to where you come from …it is always beneficial to understand where you are going. In addition conversations promoting peace and civility in any country should be of paramount importance to all its citizens.
If it was gangsta music and promoting disruption they would have been a larger turnout.
Most Lucians are complainers and enemies of progress and it is a shame. You can bring a horse to the water but you cannot make it drink.