Emancipation Day Messages

Let us use the sacrifices, achievements of Afro-Guyanese as a source of inspiration

THE People ’ s Progressive Party (PPP) wishes to extend warmest greetings to every Guyanese , especially our Afro - Guyanese brothers and sisters on the occasion of the 185th Anniversary of Emancipation

Slavery remains the most cruel and inhumane system of subjugation and discrim- ination known in human history The celebration of its abolition is the duty of every single human being This occasion once again provides another opportunity for all to reflect on the tremendous sacrifices made by our Afro-Guyanese ancestors who were brought inhumanely to this land in chains to provide free labour for the sugar plantations

They were stripped of their humanity and dignity , and forced to toil long hours Many were tortured and brutally killed for simply standing up for their rights In their long and unyielding march for freedom , many battles were fought, including the Berbice Slave rebellion led by our nation’s National Hero, Cuffy When freedom finally came , the freed slaves and their descendants demonstrated an exceptional degree of industry, thrift, and financial acumen and hence, were able to acquire large portions of land , which today remains the foundation of our village movement

Indeed, the contributions of slaves and their descendants to every facet of life in this nation is impossible to accurately capture in a mere statement of this nature

As we celebrate this important historic and national occasion, we urge every