Emancipation Journey: Personal and Communal
“Emancipate yourself
from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.”- Marcus Garvey
Have you ever thought about what life would have been like had you been born in an earlier time? Have you ever wondered about what life was in Jamaica in 1834? How many of you have really thought about the meaning of Emancipation? Freedom, human freedom is a right and not a privilege to be enjoyed by one set of people and denied to another based on one’s skin colour. The colour of one’s skin does not give one race a right to enslave or to engage in human trafficking of another race. In 1833 the British Parliament grudgingly passed the Slavery Abolition Act which finally abolished slavery in Jamaica and the British West Indian colonies on August 1, 1834. The Emancipation Act of 1834 declared all children born into slavery under the age of six, and any born after that date be free. The trickery in this discourse was in the Apprenticeship System which clearly stated that all other enslaved persons would be apprenticed to their former masters to August 1, 1838. Can you imagine how this affected the mental health of our forefathers? Emancipation Day was first observed as a public holiday in Jamaica in 1893, unfortunately, the day was discontinued in 1962 when Jamaica gained political independence from England. Emancipation Day was reinstituted in 1997 as a public holiday sadly, many Jamaicans are not fully aware of the historical significance of this important day. This is regrettably and the problem is more compounded since the teaching of history in our schools is optional at the secondary levels. For the most part students in the upper grades of high schools are given the option to study History. It is quite alarming that the number of students reading for a History degree at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus has significantly reduced over the years. However, one only has to look at the focus in the society in which history is not given priority in the education system. We still do not have a knowledge-based economy, what we seem to have is an value add economy and as such our people are perpetually lost. Last week as I stopped at the traffic light in Half Way Tree as my dad and I made our way home from his appointment with the nephrologist a young man of perhaps 8 years began to wipe the windscreen of the car in front. I thought to myself what does Emancipation Day mean to a boy his age who has to eke out a living by cleaning windscreens at the traffic light. When he was finished working he came across to my car and stood. I engaged him briefly by asking him if he attends school, and he answered in the affirmative. He said he attends St. Patrick's Primary School. The school is located in a volatile area of West Central St Andrew. I told him regardless of how difficult his situation becomes he should try and complete his schooling and he said yes sir. The traffic light soon after became green and I drove off. I drove off thinking that I could have been that boy at the traffic light had it not been for the grace of God. I also wondered to myself how many of us spend a few moments of our precious time giving God thanks. We may not live in the relatively safe and posh neighborhood of Kingston 8 but nevertheless we are blessed. We may not have air-conditioning at home but we are highly favoured. Eancipation is a journey and as such we are at different junctures of that sojourn. We need to be less absorbed with self and make an attempt to assist someone who is struggling along the same journey. As we reflect on the sacrifices made in order for us to have Emancipation Day, and as we pause to pay tribute to our ancestors who paid the ultimate price for our freedom let us remember freedom is a God-given right to all of humanity regardless of skin colour, ancestry, religion or one’s education. Perhaps, we also need to challenge ourselves to become more familiar with our history as we recommit our resources in celebrating our history. In order for us to fully understand Emancipation Day we must become absorbed in all facets of this freedom journey. Many of us are chained in debt and as such financial emancipation is just a concept far removed from us. We need to become aware of and fight off the new forms of slavery which are working to get us back into chains. May your Emancipation Day be one rooted in reflection.
In the words of Harry Belafonte, although slavery may have been abolished, the crippling poison of racism still persists, and the struggle still continues.
@WayneCamo
Have you ever thought about what life would have been like had you been born in an earlier time? Have you ever wondered about what life was in Jamaica in 1834? How many of you have really thought about the meaning of Emancipation? Freedom, human freedom is a right and not a privilege to be enjoyed by one set of people and denied to another based on one’s skin colour. The colour of one’s skin does not give one race a right to enslave or to engage in human trafficking of another race. In 1833 the British Parliament grudgingly passed the Slavery Abolition Act which finally abolished slavery in Jamaica and the British West Indian colonies on August 1, 1834. The Emancipation Act of 1834 declared all children born into slavery under the age of six, and any born after that date be free. The trickery in this discourse was in the Apprenticeship System which clearly stated that all other enslaved persons would be apprenticed to their former masters to August 1, 1838. Can you imagine how this affected the mental health of our forefathers? Emancipation Day was first observed as a public holiday in Jamaica in 1893, unfortunately, the day was discontinued in 1962 when Jamaica gained political independence from England. Emancipation Day was reinstituted in 1997 as a public holiday sadly, many Jamaicans are not fully aware of the historical significance of this important day. This is regrettably and the problem is more compounded since the teaching of history in our schools is optional at the secondary levels. For the most part students in the upper grades of high schools are given the option to study History. It is quite alarming that the number of students reading for a History degree at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus has significantly reduced over the years. However, one only has to look at the focus in the society in which history is not given priority in the education system. We still do not have a knowledge-based economy, what we seem to have is an value add economy and as such our people are perpetually lost. Last week as I stopped at the traffic light in Half Way Tree as my dad and I made our way home from his appointment with the nephrologist a young man of perhaps 8 years began to wipe the windscreen of the car in front. I thought to myself what does Emancipation Day mean to a boy his age who has to eke out a living by cleaning windscreens at the traffic light. When he was finished working he came across to my car and stood. I engaged him briefly by asking him if he attends school, and he answered in the affirmative. He said he attends St. Patrick's Primary School. The school is located in a volatile area of West Central St Andrew. I told him regardless of how difficult his situation becomes he should try and complete his schooling and he said yes sir. The traffic light soon after became green and I drove off. I drove off thinking that I could have been that boy at the traffic light had it not been for the grace of God. I also wondered to myself how many of us spend a few moments of our precious time giving God thanks. We may not live in the relatively safe and posh neighborhood of Kingston 8 but nevertheless we are blessed. We may not have air-conditioning at home but we are highly favoured. Eancipation is a journey and as such we are at different junctures of that sojourn. We need to be less absorbed with self and make an attempt to assist someone who is struggling along the same journey. As we reflect on the sacrifices made in order for us to have Emancipation Day, and as we pause to pay tribute to our ancestors who paid the ultimate price for our freedom let us remember freedom is a God-given right to all of humanity regardless of skin colour, ancestry, religion or one’s education. Perhaps, we also need to challenge ourselves to become more familiar with our history as we recommit our resources in celebrating our history. In order for us to fully understand Emancipation Day we must become absorbed in all facets of this freedom journey. Many of us are chained in debt and as such financial emancipation is just a concept far removed from us. We need to become aware of and fight off the new forms of slavery which are working to get us back into chains. May your Emancipation Day be one rooted in reflection.
In the words of Harry Belafonte, although slavery may have been abolished, the crippling poison of racism still persists, and the struggle still continues.
Wayne Campbell is an
educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as
they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com@WayneCamo
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