Dear Editor,
ON Friday, August 1, 2025, the Macedonia Joppa Voluntary Committee (MJVC), a registered non-profit organisation on the Corentyne, will celebrate 187 years of Emancipation to commemorate the abolition of slavery in Guyana in 1838.
The abolition of slavery ended 400 years of brutality, inhumanity and savaging of African people. The holiday is significant not just as a calendar event, but it marks 200 years since the first African slaves were brought to Guyana.

It is also a time for national unity and a call to all Guyanese to participate in the transformation of a nation besieged by racial strife and poverty.
It will be a day of remembrance and tributes and an opportunity to reflect on the courageous efforts and deadly sacrifices made by Kofi Badu, known as Cuffy, and other enslaved men and women in the fight for their freedom.

This year, the MJVC will mark the occasion with the largest celebrations ever seen in Berbice and a special tribute to Cuffy and Accara who led the slave rebellion, known as the 1763 Berbice Slave Uprising.

The Macedonia Joppa Voluntary Committee began organising Emancipation celebrations on the Corentyne three years ago and all were well attended by the residents from across the region and beyond.

This year’s celebration is expected to attract thousands of people in and out of the region, from as far as West Coast Berbice to Moleson Creek on the Corentyne and beyond.
This year’s Emancipation celebration is expected to be the largest ever and only celebration of its kind in East Corentyne.
It will be an all-day gala family celebration starting at 7:00 AM with a two-mile road race of both males and females and a road march from Brighton to the Eversham Village Community Centre Pavilion.

The day will also feature something for all the residents: African cuisine, games, cook-up and metemgee competitions, dominoes, fashion displays, and several cultural, social, and educational activities, including the recital of poems, educational quizzes on slavery, the singing of folk songs, dancing to a variety of music, drumming, African dancers and African dishes to highlight the significance of Africa’s tribal traditions and its vibrant cultures. The day’s activities will culminate with a beauty pageant and dance.

Most residents from the Macedonia Joppa district and elsewhere are expected to join the road march under the theme of “GUYANA THE BEAUTIFUL.” The revellers will be decked out in a dazzling array of colourful African attire of green, white, black gold, and red, representing the colours of the Golden Arrowhead, and depicting Guyanese culture, lifestyle, and heritage.

Residents of all ages and from all walks of life, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or social status from the Macedonia Joppa villages comprising No. 35, No 36, Brighton, Kiltearn, Ever- sham, Epsom, Dingwall, No. 41 Bengal and No 43 villages, will line both sides of the roadways to view the colourful display of costumes and the rich and stylish outfits.
They will dance to the rhythm of the lively and customary Soca music supplied by the region’s most popular DJ, Yard Vybz.

However, Emancipation is not only about partying, eating, drinking and dancing in the streets, all of which are part of our culture and heritage.
It is also a celebration of the freedom of enslaved Africans and a time for all Guyanese near and far to put aside their differences and biases and join to celebrate as one people, one nation.
The Macedonia Joppa Voluntary Committee invites all in the district and elsewhere to join and participate in the celebration on Friday August 1, 2025. Free meals will be served to all.
Sincerely,
Dr Asquith Rose, MJVC Chair