Georgetown : August 01, Guyana will observe and celebrate African Emancipation Day and the Government has supported cultural groups financially. President Donald Ramotar handed over cheques, a total of $7M to several groups to assist in planned activities.
Secretary in the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport Alfred Kingen couraged the various cultural groups to be good ambassadors at the village level, promoting the cultural art form and at the same time fostering meaningful activities that will have a long lasting impact on residents.
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport is working with a database of 53 cultural groups that it has been working in-tandem during emancipation day celebrations each year.
President Donald Ramotar regarded August 1, as the most significant date and while it is the commemoration of the anniversary of African emancipation, it is a celebration for all Guyanese.
On August 1, 1834 emancipation was declared and in 1838 the liberation was made official. President Ramotar credited the achievement to first orchestrated rebellion led by Cuffy in 1763 at Berbice. “Some of the events that occurred here in Guyana are not given the kind of recognition that they should be given because I believe the 1763 uprising in historical terms can be compared the… rebellion against the Roman empire… what occurred here in 1763 was the beginning of the end of slavery in the Western hemisphere. It was a revolution that occurred even before the Haitian revolution and therefore I think we have got to start recognizing the significant events,” President Ramotar said.
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