Assured Not Ashamed
As a result of approximately 205 years of slavery and the succeeding 142 years of colonization, the people of St. Kitts and Nevis’ linkages to their African ancestry have been eroded. It is understood that this loss of knowledge has resulted in the emergence of a confused people, prone to violence against each other and exhibiting a low appreciation of self. The project therefore is aimed at the reintroduction of linkages between certain African people and Afro-Caribbean people through the garnering of information on their culture and history.
I640s: African-Caribbean people were introduced to the Caribbean via the Transatlantic Slave Trade, to service the European plantation economy which flourished during the late 1500s to the late 1800s.
1700-1800s Jamaica, Barbados and the Leeward Islands peaked as sugar producers. This merchandising of humans was made successful through the introduction of the Company of Royal Adventures in 1663 and the succeeding Royal Africa Company in 1672; both were slave traders supported by European monarchs.
1807: Antislavery movement took effect/ Abolition of Slave Trade
1833-1834: Slavery was abolished in the British territories.
1838: Apprenticeship period collapsed.
African people marooned in the Caribbean were now free, they experienced the effects of colonialism, a period of hardship ensuing from inequitable labor practices and general under-education.
Financial provision was made in the Emancipation Act of 1833 for the religious and moral education of the Negro population. Under this system, the Negro Education Grant allocated funds in the amount of 30,000 pounds per annum for a 5-year period, to missionary bodies who were involved in the moral upliftment of slaves.
- As enrollment in the schools increased, normal primary schools were established for the training of teachers. This coincided with the establishment of free compulsory public elementary education in Britain in the late 1800s;
- A system of free public primary education and limited secondary education became generally available in every territory.
- 1950 saw the development of the University of the West Indies, the first regional university amongst the British West Indies, with three campuses located at Mona, Jamaica, Cave Hill, Barbados and St Augustine, Trinidad.
1833-1834: Slavery was abolished in the British territories.
1838: Apprenticeship period collapsed.
African people marooned in the Caribbean were now free, they experienced the effects of colonialism, a period of hardship ensuing from inequitable labor practices and general under-education.
Financial provision was made in the Emancipation Act of 1833 for the religious and moral education of the Negro population. Under this system, the Negro Education Grant allocated funds in the amount of 30,000 pounds per annum for a 5-year period, to missionary bodies who were involved in the moral upliftment of slaves.
- As enrollment in the schools increased, normal primary schools were established for the training of teachers. This coincided with the establishment of free compulsory public elementary education in Britain in the late 1800s;
- A system of free public primary education and limited secondary education became generally available in every territory.
1950 saw the development of the University of the West Indies, the first regional university amongst the British West Indies, with three campuses located at Mona, Jamaica, Cave Hill, Barbados and St Augustine, Trinidad.
- The education system which was founded in Christianity did not engage in the reinforcement of African culture and history but the teaching of European culture and history, consequently any display of African culture or language was considered barbaric and crude.
- Over the years of colonization, Caribbean people have abandoned their African culture and severed links with their African ancestry.
Project Objectives:
Improve self appreciation among young people and to build community harmony through the reintroduction of relevant African culture and history as it pertains to people of the Caribbean. Activities undertaken will satisfy three main objectives:
- Engage the public in discussions on African culture and history.
- Build awareness of select teachers of African history and culture.
- Educate young people on Afro-Caribbean herbal medicines, history and culture
