TODAY,  we join our African brothers and sisters to celebrate the 177th  Anniversary of Emancipation. It was on August 1, 1834, that the despicable system of slavery was abolished in all British colonies, including Guyana – the former British Guiana.
The British Emancipation Act was passed in 1833 and came into force on the 1st August, 1834, bringing to an end the atrocious system of slavery which, for centuries, had brought so much pain, suffering and bitterness.

As a matter of fact, at midnight of July 31, 1834, an estimated ѕ of a million men, women and children  ceased to be slaves.  In the case of Guyana it meant that approximately 85,000 enslaved Africans became ‘partially freed’ in 1834.  It was considered ‘partially freed’ because, in reality, it was not ‘full freedom’ in the initial stage.  The Emancipation Act catered for a period of transition called the apprenticeship system under which the ex-slaves were apprenticed to their former masters.  This apprenticeship system lasted for four years, 1834-1838, before ‘full freedom’ was achieved. (See article by Guyanese academic Mr. Tota Mangar in another section of today’s edition of the Chronicle)

And we cannot help but notice that over the last few years there has been a deeper perception of the significance of emancipation reflected in the various forms of the celebration.
The national park in Georgetown, for instance, will today be the venue for a big meeting, organized by the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA). At this gathering, we will have much to celebrate. Not only the freedom from slavery anniversary, but the outstanding achievements of Afro-Guyanese  and their stellar contributions to national development.
African Emancipation in Guyana  must focus not on the empty mimicking of customs imported and labelled on an ad hoc basis, not on the annual donning  of ethnic garb that serves as  entertainment, as opposed to  true cultural awareness, or even ritual ceremonies. The only way that substance can be given to all  that takes place today is if Education becomes the underlying theme of Emancipation commemorations, now and in the future.
Emancipation Day must always electrify the nation into unity to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today with the revolutionary ardour characteristic of those Guyanese who waged the long, unremitting struggle to be free,  – spiritually, psychologically and economically.
The general  assessment of Emancipation in light of  a victory for the revolutionary militancy of the slaves, and their readiness to die rather than live shacked, identifies it as a signpost on the stony road to freedom.
However, one of the unfortunate realities we just cannot ignore is that while there had to be change in the politics of the country, it brought with it sociological perceptions which resulted in ethnic divisions.
But the truth of the matter is that every ethnic group making up this nation of ours has made and continues to make  outstanding contributions to national development. 

As we stated in our special Emancipation Supplement published in today’s edition of the Chronicle, every Guyanese should celebrate Emancipation Day, not only as a day when a people was freed from bondage; but also because that day heralded a covenant of statehood through a movement that eventuated into a beauteous rainbow of nationhood that is the Guyanese people.
All Guyanese people of African descent, during this year dedicated to them, while taking cognizance of the importance of strengthening their racial identity and embracing their cultural roots, need also to recognize their essential unique contribution – peculiar only to their racial and cultural characteristics, to the resplendently beautiful interweave that adds to the lustrous and illustrious dynamics of our social and cultural topography in Guyana’s mosaic of nationhood.

Happy Emancipation Day to all.