DAVID Jones is the Chairman of the Emancipation Committee of the First of August Movement in Buxton Village. The movement is a group that spearheads the annual Emancipation Day celebrations, commemorating the end of slavery in 1834. He stated that the organisation was established in 1969 and has played a significant role in the community since then.
Jones said the movement organises a week of activities, including cultural events, historical discussions, and community gatherings, to honour the legacy of the ancestors and promote cultural preservation and village renewal.
He stated that the key aspects of the First of August Movement and Buxton’s Emancipation Day celebrations include Emancipation Day: August 1 is a significant date in Guyana, marking the end of slavery and the beginning of a new era for formerly enslaved people.
Jones added that Buxton’s role as a historic village with a strong African-Guyanese heritage plays a prominent role in Emancipation Day celebrations.
Jones said for cultural preservation, they emphasise the preservation of African culture through music, dance, storytelling, and traditional foods.
He reported that village-renewal activities focus on the revitalisation of Buxton and other villages, encouraging community involvement in areas such as education, agriculture, and economic empowerment.
And other key events often include church services, libation ceremonies, village feasts, and discussions on the history and challenges faced by African Guyanese.
Jones reported that the celebrations often highlight themes of freedom, cultural empowerment, and the need to address ongoing challenges faced by African-Guyanese communities.
As a well-respected local of the village, Jones was a telecommunications engineer who spent most of his adult life working with the state-owned telecommunications company until he retired and established his own small business.
He said that this year, being elections year, they did not plan as much as in previous years, but notably, the traditional activities in the village took place as usual.
Jones reported that the libation ceremony took place with invitees from the religious groups across Guyana, and it is set to take place at Company Road, Buxton, by the site of the 1938 Emancipation Monument.
He told the Pepperpot Magazine that libation is a form of paying tribute to their ancestors, who were slaves after being freed, and the event is set for August 31, 2025.
The village leader stated that the event occurred before 6 p.m. that day in the village, after which community members will perform a cultural presentation.
Jones related that the cultural activities will take place at Middle Walk, Buxton, where Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton is expected to attend and speak, signalling the launch of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) elections campaign this year.
“As a Buxtonian, our goal is to impart knowledge to the young people. We are only here for a time; the youths have to carry on the village traditions. It will pass through generations to come, and it must go on,” he said.
Jones, who has been a part of the First of August Movement in Buxton for five decades, said it is his hope that the young people will carry on the grounded traditions in the village, since they remain resolute in their beliefs and know of the strength of their forefathers, but it must be ingrained in their way of life.
He revealed that young people have a willingness to learn, but they have encountered hard times. As he described it, times have changed from those of the past, and people have less interest in traditions and history.
Jones told the Pepperpot Magazine that for far too long, a stigma has been attached to Buxton. But as a resident of Sideline Dam, he knows the quality of the people they have produced—many intellectuals and others—whose dedication did not go in vain.
As a seasoned traveller of the world, he said he lived in the United States of America (USA), travelled the Caribbean, but he is very much at home here in Buxton, his home village, where he was educated and spent the better part of his youthful days.