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Blacks in Belize: We are still mental slaves – True emancipation remains elusive
August 1, 2022

Raising awareness of the hardships the ancestors of Belize’s Kriol population endured was the focus of Emancipation Day 2022 celebrations

Posted: Monday, August 1, 2022. 10:06 pm CST.

By Benjamin Flowers: For those unfamiliar with the history, Emancipation Day 2022 would mean nothing more than a public and bank holiday. But for those who are, the day represents the realization of the hopes and dreams of millions of men, women and children of African descent; another step towards freedom.

Between the 16th and 19th century European nations, beginning with Portugal and spreading to Britain, Spain, and France, purchased and forcibly took Africans from their homeland, transported them under inhumane conditions to be sold as property and endure lives of torture, rape, murder and forced labour.

Belize, despite not having the level of evidence of intense slavery as some other Caribbean countries, was not immune to the atrocities of slavery. Slaves were brought to the settlement to serve as labourers in the logwood and mahogany industries, which laid the foundation for the country that exists today.

The Archives and Records Department confirms that there was a slave breeding house, where slave women and girls would be impregnated so the offsprings could be sold off to the US. This house existed in the Yabourough Area, though changes in the landscape makes the actual site of the building difficult to identify.

Evidence of the subhuman wages paid to former slaves in British Honduras were documented and occurred way into self-government and even independence.

While Britain and the United States ended the slave trade in 1807, and abolished it in 1833, the system of slavery still existed until July 31, 1838. But once the bell rang on August 1, those who were enslaved were legally declared free. True freedom, however, was still further out of their reach as systems of economic oppression, and the mental effects of the perverted versions of the Christian faith used to justify the atrocities committed during slavery, would endure for centuries after.

But the monumental importance of being legally free is a reason to celebrate. There were a number of events, such as lectures, the launching of a video series and an honorary church service on the night of July 31, all geared towards raising awareness of the hardships the ancestors of Belize’s Kriol population had to endure.

The National Institute of Culture and History, the National Kriol Council, and other entities within Belize’s cultural landscape gathered in front of the Yarborough field this morning to officially mark Emancipation Day 2022, Belize’s second such celebration.

During the ceremony the National Kriol Council pledged to work with Kriol communities countrywide, to chart a course forward for the Kriol as a people. According to the 2010 population and housing census, around 30 percent of Belizeans identify as Kriol. These figures are expected to be updated sometime next year as the 2022 census is currently underway.

 

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