2026 Season Of Emancipation To Launch On April 14

The Office of Pan African Affairs and Heritage will officially launch the 2026 Season of Emancipation and commemorate the anniversary of the historic 1816 Bussa Rebellion with a public discussion on reparations on Tuesday, April 14.

Programme Advisor at the Office of Pan African Affairs and Heritage, Rodney Grant, noted that the event will be held at Golden Groves Plantation, St. Philip, starting at 6:30 p.m., and it will feature a special presentation by Dr. Coleman Bazelon on Reparations Owed to Barbados.

Mr. Grant explained that the Government of Barbados engaged Public Interest Experts Incorporated (PIEI), led by Dr. Bazelon, to quantify the monetary value of reparations owed to Barbados for the uncompensated labour extracted during the slavery era of 1627–1834.

“The research was completed this year and will be the source of Dr. Bazelon and his team’s presentation as they will provide highlights of the findings. This is an extremely important conversation for all Barbadians, particularly given the recent UN General Assembly landmark resolution which declared that transatlantic slavery was a crime against humanity,” Mr. Grant said.

He added that the discussion will not only be insightful but will also be inclusive. “We need to ensure that we have a well-rounded dialogue and so we invited Professor Sir Hilary Beckles to provide a response to the research, so that he too can provide an informed analysis and give his perspective, particularly as he shares the Caribbean negotiating machinery.

“Members of the public will also have the opportunity to have their say during a Question-and-Answer session, immediately after the presentations. So, the Division of Culture is encouraging all Barbadians to attend in their numbers for what is expected to be a robust and educational conversation on our history, and a meaningful start to the 2026 Season of Emancipation, on a date as significant to us as April 14, which is the anniversary of the Bussa Rebellion,” Mr. Grant stated.

He added that the event will also feature messages from Government officials, including Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Pan African Affairs and Heritage, Trevor Prescod, as well as cultural presentations from groups, including Israel Lovell Foundation and Pinelands Creative Workshop.

The 2026 Season of Emancipation Calendar of commemorative activities, which will run from April to August, will also be revealed. (PR/GIS)