Dear Editor,
It was Rabindranath Tagore who said, “Emancipation from the soil is no freedom for the tree.” He was correct, as without economic, political, cultural and social equity, there is no freedom. Freedom is a basic human right, and above all, economic freedom and economic independence are basic human rights. Otherwise, as Jean Jacques Rousseau said, “Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains.”
Emancipation 2024 was a very eventful occasion. More events were held across Guyana than in previous years, as the government tried to make the event both a cultural and political statement. The expansion of Emancipation activities across all regions of course, is welcomed. People of African descent and all Guyanese need to have adequate opportunities to learn about our history, which is shamefully not taught in depth at schools. One can only speculate whether it is primarily because of political and electoral reasons, or our growing number of racial and ethnic entrepreneurs do not want “social inclusion” but are instead purposefully promoting “social cohesion”, using political slogans that are doomed to fail.
The infamous saying “money is the root of all evil” raised its ugly head during Emancipation, the most sacred day of the African Diaspora. But as the song said, “Money doesn’t buy you love”. Unfortunately, some will counter this by saying, “…money doesn’t buy you love, but it can buy a nice car to cry in.” But cars lose value. Why devalue what truly matters?
Political parties do not understand that “when we speak of the culture of a place, we are talking about far more than its artistic or its ‘cultural products’ – literature, music, dance, art, sculpture, theatre, film and sport. All of these, of course, are important expressions of the culture of any social group and are part of its shared joy in the business of being alive. Culture is about shared patterns of identity, symbolic meaning, aspiration, and about the relationships between individuals and groups within that society. Culture is also about the relationships between ideas and perspectives, about self-respect and a sense of security, about how individuals are socialized, and values are formed and transmitted. It is also deeply intertwined with structures of power and wealth”. Culture is about common bonding, common vision, shared values and shared goals.
Only the culturally naïve could and would attempt to make ethnic superiority or political chicanery a political goal in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-racial society. Emancipation Day should be a day of unity, a day of reflection, a day of commemoration and a day of healing. Not the opposite. Bob Marley, like Marcus Garvey, has left us words of wisdom, “until the philosophy which hold one race superior, and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned”, we will continue to be plagued by racial carpetbaggers and other cultural barbarians who will desecrate Emancipation Day. In Guyana, our Youth and the Nation must be taught the different Emanci-pation struggles our ancestors have gone through. We must know that Emancipation is a process and is the opposite of the winner-take-all divisive politics and cultural engineering. Genetic deformations are bound to happen to the perpetrators.
Our first Emancipation was achieved in 1763 when Cuffy, our National Hero, led the 1763 Rebellion. Our second Emancipation was in 1823 when Quamina, Jack Gladstone, and Amba (who were taught by Rev. John Smith) led the Demerara Rebellion seeking their human rights, their human dignity and their freedom. Our third Emancipation was in 1834, when Damon in Essequibo, took a non-violent approach to obtaining freedom.
Our fourth Emancipation was the end of chattel slavery and Apprenticeship in 1838, aided by the resistance of our Afri-can Ancestors and the growing Abolition-ist movement in the United Kingdom. Our fifth Emancipation was the African Village Movement now known as the greatest entrepreneurial initiative in any post slavery society. The Village Move-ment was about creating a different type of human civilization and society based on community economic development, education, faith and self-governance.
Our sixth Emancipation was the end of Indentureship in 1919. Over 75,000 Indentured Indians of the approximate 239,000 returned to India, with some being betrayed by unkept promises. Our seventh Emancipation was Independence in 1966. This partial freedom was entrapped by neo-colonialism, capitalism and global racism now protected under the guise of “the sanctity of contracts” and the euphemism of development.
Our eighth Emancipation was Republicanism in 1970. This was about breaking the chains of economic slavery and the beginning of the dismantling, however difficult, of colonial institutions. Now, in 2024, we need a ninth Emancipation. This real freedom must be about equity, equal rights, equal access and equal opportunity for all Guyanese, regardless of race, culture, religion or political affiliation. Especially now that we have oil. Emancipation and freedom are not the same.
Bob Marley said it best, “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds.” So, during August, which should be called Emancipation month, let us reflect on the sacrifices of our ancestors and gain strength by knowing we “stand on their shoulders.” Let Emancipation 2024, regardless of cowardly and ugly initiatives to divide us, be the catalyst for all Guyanese to work in the spirit of umoja or unity. Let Emancipation 2024 help us to move beyond Emancipation and Independence, to economic freedom, social justice, racial respect, and harmony, and above all, freedom in its every form – economic, political, cultural and social freedom. To do this, we must honour the sacrifices of all our ancestors who stood tall for economic rights and economic freedom.
So, as we celebrate this historic occasion, we must not lose sight of the intrinsic meaning of Emancipation—economic, political, cultural, psychological and religious freedoms. Although slavery formally came to an end in 1838, the institutions and culture that nurtured slavery remained intact, albeit in modified forms. Some of the pre-emancipation personalities are still present among us. Many are political chameleons. August is a significant commemorative month not only to remember the struggles and triumphs of the past, but to also chart the path to a successful future.
We hope our political culture will be reformed in alignment with the idea that “Politicians” are “Servants of the People” and that the People are not “Servants of Politicians”. For true Emancipation, we must therefore free ourselves of the colonial and divisive anti-human rights winner-take-all political system which promotes, nurtures and rewards our continued enslavement. Constitutional reform is absolutely a critical prerequisite for a vibrant inclusive democratic Guyana. Hence, it should be civil society that should lead the Constitutional Reform process so that the essence of a democratic society is honoured.
Democracy means “Rule by the People, for the People”. May the Guyana Times and Guyana Chronicle have the decency to print my letters. They have not printed the previous two. May I ask why?
Sincerely,
Eric Phillips
1990-91 White House Fellow
