Historic 1823 Monument unveiled

BY SABATINI DANIELS –

The long awaited 1823 Slave Revolt monument was on Monday evening unveiled by President Donald Ramotar at a ceremony that featured a series of pan African rituals and dances. Two students of the Kuru Kuru Training College assisted the president in the unveiling of the monument, which was witnessed by several government ministers and other officials.
The monument, located along the Kitty sea wall, Carifesta Avenue, opposite the Guyana Defence Force, was designed by Guyanese sculptor Ivor Thom.

Delivering the feature address at the event, President Ramotar underscored the important role the 1823 Demerara Uprising played in securing the freedom of the African slaves.
“The 1823 uprising, given its numerical scale, its economic effect and impact and its social consequences… is credited in influencing the decision to end slavery in all of the British colonies,” he said.
Deeply moved
In light of this, the president stated that he was deeply moved to be part of the unveiling of the monument as he noted the significance in honouring the dead heroes of the 1823 Revolt. He said the monument is a dedication to the country’s historical past and a national recognition of Guyanese ancestors who endured and overcame, to secure freedom for themselves and their descendants.
Ramotar said 190 years after the famous revolt, the country still faces many struggles which it needs to overcome. The president said Guyana is a poor developing country which operates in an international environment that is generally not in the favour of poor developing countries.
“There are still many, sometimes invisible chains, that try to keep us exploited and this is where we must use the experiences of our ancestors to work with others in similar circumstances to try to improve these conditions for development and end inequality that exists so much in the world.”
Meanwhile, delivering brief remarks, Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony stated that the monument is an important part of Guyana’s history, and if left forgotten, the nation will be robbed of a significant legacy of the struggles of their ancestors.
He explained that after the government decided to build the monument, his ministry established a site Selection Committee and 10 villages were identified on East Coast Demerara and five places in Georgetown, including the Parade Ground and the current location of the monument.
Current site
He pointed out that after examining the various possible sites, the committee identified the current site as the best and it was endorsed by the ministry, which proceeded with preparations to build the monument.
The minister said after work began on the site and was far advanced, a request was received to change the site; however, he added, “we were not able to accommodate that belated request and we regret the controversies that erupted around the site.” Nevertheless, Dr Anthony said it was time the purpose for which the monument was built be remembered and the past controversy forgotten.