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The Middle Passage Viewing.

PHILIPSBURG:---- August 23rd was the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. To commemorate the UN observance, the Sint Maarten National Commission for UNESCO and the Africa Caribbean Heritage Alliance (ACHA) showed the DVD, ‘The Middle Passage’ and held a discussion with the members of the Youth Parliament on Friday August 21, 2015 at 7pm the Rupert Maynard Center.
The DVD, ‘the Middle Passage’, which can be rented from the Philipsburg Jubilee Library, focuses on the route between Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas and the bringing of enslaved persons to exchange for sugar and tobacco. This story is told by an enslaved person of African Descent who was sold into slavery by the King of Dahomey. The film gives a visual imagery of the journey from his home and life on the ship.
The main objective of the viewing of the DVD is to 'break the silence' on the Slave Trade, Slavery and their consequences, and to promote intercultural dialogue.
Ms. Henry, started the dialogue by asking how they felt after watching the film included:
Expressions of the Youth Parliamentarians included:
Weird; Disappointed; Unfair; Felt the struggle; Sadness; Fought over the rebellion; Locked up; Fear; Helpless; not in a situation to fight; No weapons; Rather die from fighting on my knees than doing nothing; Mental sickness.
Some of them further elaborated on their feelings as:
Weird: cause of all the struggles they went through while some of us children take so many things for granted.
Disappointed: Even if they were monkeys, would not have treated them so bad.
Unfair: because everyone should be treated better than this
Felt the struggle: because their situation was so bad. Even those that escaped, they still had
When asked if films like these should be shown, they all responded yes. They noted that films like these need to be shown because not many people really know what happened. The fact that the film takes one in-depth into the situation is quite enlightening. Know what the ancestors went through. Knowledge of the past helps young to evaluate the past in order to move forward. Yes, it should be shown especially to young people as some of our young persons today are smoking weed and hanging around the block. They indicated that two wrongs don’t make a right. We need to watch the film to know our past so we can build our future. On the issue of moving forward, the young people feel that they now have a voice to play a stronger role as activists.
When asked if showing the film to racists would make any difference whether slavery still exists, they responded that slavery still exists although some people don’t accept it as such. But that it is there and it manifests in activities like human trafficking, prostitution, etc.
The conversations continued on the issue of slavery where the comment was made, that ‘Take away slavery, no more racism! True or false? As this continued to generate much discussions, it was suggested as a new topic for debate by the Youth Parliamentarians.
The dialogue session was concluded with a recommendation that before showing the movie, a certain level of sensitivity is required. This is to prepare and sensitize the audience to what is coming. Otherwise, the dramatic nature of the brutality could be disturbing to some children.
Ms. Okama Ekpe Brook, president of the ACHA who partnered with Sint Maarten National Commission for UNESCO on this program, noted the identities of the enslaved Africans as Ibos, Yorubas, Hausas, etc. She asked the Youth Parliamentarians who the enslavers were. The responded by saying they were Europeans. On further probing, they named the British, French, Spaniards and Dutch. The fact was highlighted that the Dutch were the last ones to release their enslaved plantation workers. For 15 years, the enslaved people on the French side had been freed. As a result, the enslaved people from the Dutch side used to make the long treacherous trek through Colombier across to Bellevue to enjoy some freedom. Eventually when the enslaved people were freed, they still had to work for another 6-8 years for their masters without pay. On top of that, the slave masters received extra payment before they will allow the people to go. This is all documented in the literature, ‘Lest We Forget’ a copy of which was handed over to the Youth Parliaments for research work.
Ms. Maynard, the Coordinator was impressed with the conversations and thanked Sint Maarten National Commission for UNESCO for organizing the event. She noted that some of the youth had participated in the Diamond 26 reenactment of the run for freedom. It was an emotional real experience that gave the youth an appreciation of a little bit of what the ancestors must have endured. She was hopeful that such events including the reenactment would be conducted on a monthly basis.
Visit Sint Maarten National Commission for UNESCO and participate in the various activities. Contact Ms. Marcellia Henry, Cell #5203051, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The ACHA aims to positively reconnect the Caribbean with Africa. For more information on how you can join our activities, contact Ms. Okama Ekpe Brook by Tel: +1721 5207286 or visit our website: www.afrocaribbeanalliance.org , email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Watch out for the next ACHA event taking place on September 30, 2015.

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