Dear Editor,
On the occasion of the 190th Anniversary of Emancipation in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana on August 1st 2024, the New York PNCR Group joins with the people of Guyana in commemorating and celebrating this significant milestone.
We take this opportunity to reflect on the long road to freedom travelled by our African ancestors. We honor the heroic sacrifices which they made through their blood, sweat and tears.
In particular, we recall the heroic roles played by Cuffy in the 1763 Berbice Slave Rebellion at Plantation Magdalenenberg on the Canje River; Quamina in the 1823 Demerara Slave Revolt at Plantation Le Resouvenir on the East Coast Demerara and Damon of Plantation Richmond in Essequibo, who led a protest against the introduction of the Apprenticeship System introduced by the British colonial Government on 1st August 1834, which lasted until 1st August 1838, when the enslaved were eventually ameliorated.
Several representatives of the New York PNCR Group will be arriving in Georgetown to join in this year’s emancipation festivities. One of the main highlights of the group’s visit will be a tour to Baracara, the home village of Guyana’s famous cricketer Shamar Joseph. Baracara is located a few miles away from Plantation Magdalenenberg, where the 1763 uprising took place. It is believed that many of the slaves escaped down the Canje creek and established the maroon village of Baracara where, today, their descendants live in peace.
The NYPNCR group will participate in the activities of the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) and encourages all Guyanese to join in the main cultural event at the National Park on August 1st 2024. This world-class event stands out as one of the best among similar festivals throughout the African diaspora globally.
Emancipation is a time to celebrate the historic Village Movement in Guyana. It is a time to celebrate the industriousness, ingenuity, resilience, entrepreneurial and indomitable human spirit, arising out of bondage. It is a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions to the development of Guyana by Guyanese of African descent. The roots of modern Guyana were planted by the village movement.
Yours truly,
Standhope Williams
New York PNCR Group
