By Trevor Thwaites (St.George's correspondent)

ST.GEORGE’S, Grenada - Emancipation Day (August 1) is being celebrated in a big way this year in Grenada. The Grenada Cultural Foundation has planned a series of activities to mark the occasion with three weeks of special activities to heighten awareness and sensitize the public about the importance of embracing the country’s rich cultural heritage. It began last week Tuesday (July 18) with a Press Launch at the Ministerial Complex in Tanteen.

Several Radio and Television programmes focusing on the country’s history, tracing it all the way back to August 1, 1838, when Slavery was truly abolished and highlighting the true meaning of emancipation and what it means to Grenada and the region. It culminates with a day of activities on Monday August 7 at the Carenage from two o’clock in the afternoon. Traditional Arts, Crafts and Food will be on display along with a cultural show.

Star of the Culture show will be Grenadian Ella Andall, who has made a big name for herself musically in Trinidad and Tobago. The Tivoli Drummers, the Youth Quake and Venney Way Lagrenade will also be on show. A Flambeau walk is also planned from six 0’clock in the evening. Historian Merle Collins will be the quest speaker. “Emancipation means a lot not only to us in Grenada but also across the region and world. Our history is what distinguishes us for who we are. We want to pass that on to our children, because if we don’t they will not know from whence they came,” President of the Grenada Cultural Foundation Mrs Jocelyn Sylvester Gairy said at the Media Launch.

She noted the Cultural Foundation will be placing a lot of emphasis on Emancipation Day to drive home the true meaning and sensitize the nation about its importance.

The celebrations, which were held for the first time last year on the Carenage from five o’clock in the afternoon, generated plenty of interest. “We were really surprised by the amount of people, who came out. What really struck me was the solemnity of the programme. It was the first time we tried something like that and people came out in their numbers.”

The age group of those people ran from the elderly to the very young. When we did the march there were people in tears; people actually felt that there was something special about the occasion and this is what struck me; because having done that march in Africa, Benin, Togo, places in East and West Africa, where the slaves were moved to the coast and then transshipped, everything just connected. That to me was the highlight of the evening –people with the flambeau marching and singing. Everybody spoke about that evening and I think it is going to be another treat again this year.