Decked in their traditional attire, teachers and students of a few secondary schools in the Demerara-Mahaica Region celebrated Black History Month during a simple ceremony organised by the Regional Democratic Council of Region Four.
The event was held at the Beterverwagting Secondary School, East Coast Demerara (ECD) today and featured historic presentations, cultural displays and informative exhibitions organised by students and the Museum of African Heritage.
In February, the USA and Canada observe Black History Month in recognition of the contributions of those people to the history of the two countries.
Though it’s not an official observance in other parts of the world like in Guyana, societies worldwide have accepted the concept.
News Room spoke to several teachers and students who explained the importance of these celebrations to them.
Esther Bandhu and Shania McKenzie, close friends and both students of the La Bonne Intention Secondary School, said the activities organised during this month helps to build a cohesive society.
“Our motto, ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny’, in order to achieve that, we need this unity. So we must know about each other and our history,” Bandhu and McKenzie expressed.
Angela Benn, a teacher at the BV Secondary School, expressed that the month is a time for her to celebrate her ancestors’ contribution to the world.
“It means a lot to me. It’s a month where we celebrate our freedom and we get to recognise our importance and the impact that we’ve made in society,” she explained.
Gillian Frank, Region Four’s Social Worker and Youth Counsellor, told News Room that it is important that schools and other institutions get involved in activities such as Black History Month.
“Black History Month is where we celebrate the achievements of black persons and we chose to celebrate the black persons within Region Four at the RDC,” Frank explained.
Among those who were honoured is the RDC Chairperson Genevieve Allen and the Regional Executive Officer (REO), Pauline Lucas.
The event, which was organised with the collaboration of the Ministry of the Presidency’s Department of Social Cohesion, also saw participation from students and teachers from Plaisance Secondary, Buxton High, and Bladen Hall Multilateral.
The focus on Africans’ heritage and contribution to the Guyanese society is renewed in August when Guyana celebrates Emancipation Day, which marks the anniversary of the abolition of slavery.
