The African Cultural & Development Association (ACDA) will host its annual African Holocaust/MAAFA Memorial Programme this Sunday, October 12, 2025, at the Seawall Bandstand, starting at 5:00 p.m. The event is open to the public, with floral tributes encouraged. High tide is expected at 7:30 p.m.
In a press statement, ACDA described the commemoration as “a moment of reflection and unity reminding everyone of the pain of slavery and the resilience of the African identity.” The MAAFA, a Kiswahili term meaning “great disaster,” refers to the transatlantic slave trade and its ongoing consequences for African people and their descendants.
According to ACDA, “The MAAFA is not only about mourning, it is also about reclaiming pride, honoring history and celebrating the spirit of those who fought for freedom and dignity.” The organisation emphasized that the ceremony is aimed at healing, remembrance, and education to ensure “the horrors of the slave trade are never forgotten or repeated.”
The statement further highlighted that on this day, “honour and tributes are paid to the millions of Africans that were brutally captured from their homeland during the transatlantic slave trade,” a system the United Nations has declared “a crime against humanity and should always have been so.”
ACDA noted that this “heinous system,” which spanned over four centuries from 1441 to 1888, “resulted in the subjugation, loss of indigenous African cultures, languages, spiritual beliefs and encompasses the historical and ongoing commercial exploitation of Africa’s human and natural resources through enslavement, colonisation and neo-colonisation.”
Turning to the present, ACDA raised urgent concerns about the socio-economic conditions of African Guyanese in the context of Guyana’s oil wealth. “In an oil rich nation, with the fastest growing economy in the world… the GDP per capita in the African community remains around US$8,000 in 2025 compared to other ethnic groups,” the statement noted. “African Guyanese are essentially left out of this booming economy, while preferences are given to foreign nationals in total disregard of our motto of ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny’ or the political marketing ploy of ‘One Guyana’.”
ACDA Renews Calls for Land Justice and Constitutional Reform
ACDA reiterated long-standing demands for redress regarding African Guyanese ancestral lands. The organization pointed out that while other ethnic groups received land and support during the indentureship period, “African-Guyanese were given nothing. Instead, they were made to purchase lands through their collective efforts.”
“These lands were often flooded by the slave-masters and colonial government to prevent them developing generational wealth,” ACDA stated, adding that these same lands are now “being coveted, taken from them, sold, leased and handed over to the rich.”
ACDA condemned what it sees as a continuation of colonial attitudes in today’s leadership. “It is clear to ACDA that the mindset of the enslavers of African people have taken up residence in the minds of some of our leaders today who boldly state that African Ancestors’ lands are state lands and encourage persons to take it away from the descendants of our Ancestors.”
The organisation called for the release of the 2016-17 Ancestral Land Commission Report and the establishment of an Ancestral Rights Bill similar to the Amerindian Act of 2006. Additionally, ACDA is demanding a Ministry of African-Guyanese Affairs and an immediate halt to the “sale, lease and handing over of African Guyanese ancestral lands to the wealthy and foreign nationals.”
ACDA also drew attention to disparities in government support: “Four of the nine Amerindian Nations, were not in Guyana for 100 to 200 years before Africans were enslaved here. Yet, they benefit from an Amerindian Act of 2006, over 800 current projects and have 240 community development plans paid for by the government of Guyana via REDD++ and the Consolidated Fund.”
Broader Political and Cultural Concerns
Beyond land issues, ACDA reiterated its “historical position in support of a political solution based on a Constitution that is not winner-take-all.” It stressed that “the time to end winner-take-all governance is now,” especially as Guyana faces geopolitical risks as an oil-producing nation.
The organization also raised concerns about demographic shifts and cultural erosion. “In another 10 years, with the heavy influx of Venezuelans whose current population is larger than Amerindian populations and with other foreign nationals invading the country, the cultural and political landscape will dramatically change.”
ACDA is calling for “a serious attempt to reintroduce history in our schools and universities as well as to introduce new regulations with regards the granting of Guyanese citizenship.”
Highlighting the historical contribution of Africans to Guyana, the statement said: “Africans have been in Guyana for 400 years since 1625 and have indigenised over 15,000 square miles… at the cost of 473,000 lives.” ACDA paid tribute to national heroes such as Cuffy, Quamina, Jack Gladstone, and Damon, who “shed their blood for a freedom that is enjoyed by all,” but whose legacy, the group said, “is ignored and erased by an intellectual and cultural insurrection of a political one-race motto called ‘One Guyana’.”
As part of its list of demands, ACDA also called for the legal declaration of an African Martyrs Day and expressed its support for “a return to the collective bargaining process for all public sector workers.”
A Sacred Space of Memory
Concluding the statement, ACDA reflected on the symbolism of the ocean setting: “The Atlantic Ocean holds deep meaning in this commemoration since it represents both loss and connection. It also symbolizes the strength and survival of African People and their descendants who endured unthinkable suffering but continue to resist and build.”
The African Holocaust/MAAFA Memorial Programme takes place this Sunday, October 12, 2025, at the Seawall Bandstand. The event starts at 5:00 p.m., with high tide at 7:30 p.m. Floral tributes are welcome.
