THE LONE African culture group in Linden – Flames of the Heart – is encouraging fellow Lindeners to use the month of August to reminisce on the struggles of their African ancestors which would motivate them to be more culturally inclined. The group that was formerly known as the Palm Tree Culture Group was renamed Flames of the Heart in remembrance of the founder Mr. Burnell Thomas aka Aku. The 22 members have since then been on a mission to unite Lindeners through cultural events and community service especially during the month of August when our nation would celebrate the liberation of our African ancestors who were enslaved. “Every year we would normally do soirees, seeding of children, drumming, feed the elderly, give out food to persons of all ethnicity,” revealed Flame of the Heart President Lavern Fraser.
She said that the group was an arm of the African Cultural Development Association (ACDA) based in Georgetown and though religion was a part of what was practiced the group was more culturally inclined. “We would do drumming, dancing, dramatic poetry……we currently have a drumming school open to every ethnicity,” Fraser said.
The Flame of the Heart drumming school currently has 16 youths enrolled, both male and female between the ages of 7 and 16. The youths participated in this year’s soirees celebration which followed the candle light march that occurred on Emancipation eve on the Wismar shore. “The soirees happened when the slaves got their freedom in 1838. They just started celebrating and we continue that celebration every year,” Lavern pointed out.
Though they may be the yearning to do more during the month of August, Miss Fraser said that the limited resources could be deemed a deterrent as the funds were taken from their own pockets. In addition, the support from the residents of Linden “was very slim.”
“You see people, especially Christian people have this idea that the African religion is about iniquity and obeah. African religion doesn’t have anything to do with obeah or no generation curse, we serve one God, Jehovah God,” she affirmed.
The African religion remembers its ancestors in worship while petitioning guidance in their daily lives. Flames of the Heart is especially cognizant of this while pushing for unity in the mining town through cultural inclination.