Local

Tribute to Marcus Garvey in historic Queen’s Park

As Barbados continues to celebrate the Season of Emancipation, The Prime Minister’s Office Culture and the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) invited the public to join in commemorating the life and times of Marcus Garvey at historic Queen’s Park on August 17^th 2022 at 6 p.m.

The event highlighted Jamaican Marcus Garvey’s influence on the development of the Pan-Africanism in Barbados and the wider Barbadian society in general during the 20^th century and the first two decades of the 21^st century.

Queen’s Park holds great significance to the Marcus Garvey Day since it was at the Queen’s Park Steel Shed where he delivered a powerful lecture to hundreds of his supporters entitled: “Intelligence Versus Ignorance”.

Garvey Club Inc. U. N. I. A. (Universal Negro Improvement Association) April 1943 in New York City.

The lecture was held in the Daphne Joseph Hackett Theatre and delivered by Rodney Worrell PhD, on the topic Marcus Garvey’s Impact on the Barbadian Landscape 1919-2019. Dr. Rodney Worrell is a lecturer in the Department of History & Philosophy at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus. He has written extensively on Pan-Africanism. His latest book is George Padmore’s Black Internationalism.

Along with a lecture, there were performances from spoken word and musical artistes.

Event Planner at the NCF Stacia Bryan said the date is an important one in the Season of Emancipation and the day’s programming seeks to remind Barbadians of Garvey’s impact on society.

“This year, we are presenting performance interpretation from spoken word and musical artistes reflective of the work of Marcus Garvey and his followers. As the NCF does this, we seek to re-educate Barbadians about the Black Power Movement and its impact on Barbadian People, politicians, Governments, Rastafarians, and the Pan-African formations,” Bryan said.

In the early hours of October 18^th 1937, leader of the Pan-Africanist movement and President General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA,) Marcus Garvey sailed into Barbados on the C.N.S Lady Nelson.

Thousands of Black Barbadians gathered at the Pier Head to glimpse the revolutionary Pan-Africanist from Saint Ann, Jamaica. Garvey was greeted by several dignitaries from the local UNIA branches and the local Black business sector.

Garvey’s widely popularised stance on Black entrepreneurship and economic self-sufficiency, along with his crusade for rehabilitation of the African race had gained tremendous traction in Barbados where the Planter-class continued its dominance socially, economically culturally and politically.

The first Universal Negro Improvement Association’s chapter was established in 1919 on Reid Street/Tudor Street. Later branches emerged in Westbury Road, and in the rural districts of Crab Hill, St Lucy, Indian Ground St Peter and others. By 1920 the UNIA had a membership of over 1800.

The membership of the UNIA was comprised of the black working and middle classes, for example, John Beckles, JTC Ramsey, Clennell Wickham.

The Barbados Working Men’s Association, the industrial and business arm of the Democratic League that was formed by[Text Wrapping Break]Dr Charles Duncan O’Neale, was inspired by Garvey and embraced the philosophy and practices of Garveyism.

The UNIA worked closely with the WMA. Both organisations were closely monitored by local police and were subjected to heavy criticisms by right-wing supporters as they were seen as major antagonists of the merchant-planter elites.

Local

SPECIAL POLLING DAY NOTICE

Local

FundAccess To Host Legal Clinic Workshop from May 13th

Entrepreneurs will soon get another opportunity to learn about critical legal matters that are key to the operation of their businesses.

FundAccess will be hosting The Legal Clinic Workshop, which will commence on Tuesday, May 13, and continue each Tuesday, until May 27, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The workshop will be facilitated by Attorney-at-law Ondene Kirton and participants will discuss Understanding Business Legal Structures; Contracts & Agreements; Employment Law & Compliance; and Examination of the Various Laws Relating to Small Business.

During those sessions, the participants will be exposed to sole proprietorship, partnerships, corporations – pro and cons; how to choose the right legal structure for a business; the importance of contracts in business operations; avoiding common contract pitfalls; and employee rights & employer responsibilities, among others. Some of the pieces of legislation to be examined include the Employment Rights Act and National Insurance and Social Security Act.

Interested persons may attend the workshop in person at FundAccess’ Pinfold Street, Bridgetown location, or online via the Zoom Platform. To register, click on the following link: https://bit.ly/3Fu09Jv.

Local

Centenarian Built On Firm Foundation Set By Grandmother

“Trust God first” is the mantra of one of Barbados’ newest centenarians, Athelstan Browne, who celebrated his 100th birthday on April 29, 2025, at his home in Montrose, Christ Church, surrounded by family and friends.

One of his specially invited guests was President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason.

Mr. Browne shared that he grew up “not knowing a mummy” as his mother passed away at age 23, when he was two years old, and his brother was only one year old.

Crediting his grandmother for his upbringing, Mr. Brown remarked: “I had a real good, good grandmother that raised two of us, and everything we learn before we went to school, she taught us.”

Pointing to a humble yet deeply religious upbringing, Mr. Browne said: “I and my brother slept on the floor. Our grandmother spread things down there, and she just put the pillow under our head.”

He recalled that they had to sing the hymn “Under the Blood” before going to bed, and first thing in the morning before they had breakfast, which usually consisted of “a cup of tea and two biscuits”. Adding that the hymn was “our song”, Mr. Browne sang the hymn from memory.

Stressing that his grandmother was a great provider, he noted: “My grandmother had land, and she would work the land…. We would eat raw potato, raw okras, (green) peas, cucumbers…. The only thing we did not eat was raw yams and eddoes.”

Mr. Browne continues to enjoy his ground provisions “with a little rice”, as he likes his rice with green peas, and if available, chicken boiled with the rice. “I am a fish man,” he remarked, eating it either fried or with a “stew sauce”.

Continuing to nurture his Christian beliefs, he joined the Mount Ararat United Holy Church (currently in Dayrell’s Road, Christ Church) in 1967, at age 33, and has continued there ever since.

Once the Superintendent of the Sunday School at the church, Mr. Browne is still instrumental in providing leadership to the youth there. “I have a crowd of young people at church that love me…especially when I have to talk to them…. It is what they should hear and what they should have,” he said.

The centenarian was raised in Montrose, Christ Church, and attended the Christ Church Boys’ School (now Milton Lynch Primary School). After leaving school, Mr. Browne initially took to agriculture but then worked cutting soft stone in two quarries in Christ Church.

In 1947, at the age of 22, he decided to join the US Farm Labour Programme and took the first Pan American Airlines flight out of Barbados. Over 10 years later, Mr. Browne returned to Barbados and married Monica Browne (deceased). Together, they built the house where he currently resides.

Returning to his roots in agriculture, the centenarian worked at the Ridge Plantation, Christ Church, until retirement. He also planted and reaped ground produce at home, as well as planted and cut canes.

Mr. Browne, who is generally in good health and has a sharp memory, still works around the home and enjoys reading, which he does without glasses. He also keeps in touch with his family in New York and North Carolina, and will do some travelling, but he is always ready to return home.

After toasting the centenarian, Her Excellency remarked: “You are in the midst of a lot of love, and I am sure you are going to enjoy the rest of your birthday. I am really happy to have met you. I am grateful for the work that you still continue to do with our young people because a lot of them lack direction, and we, nowadays, don’t take enough time to sit down and speak with them…. We don’t remind them that they are important, that they are somebody.”

Mr. Browne responded: “You got to make them understand what … the Lord expects of them… We have to acknowledge the Lord.”

Mr. Browne has two children, 10 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. (PR/GIS)

Caption: President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, and Barbados’ newest centenarian Athelstan Browne take a walk outside during his birthday celebrations in Montrose, Christ Church