TriniView.com Reporters
Event Date: August 01, 2007
Posted: August 04, 2007
 | | | Awo Olusino Amono Ifayomi and Ms. Marva Sandy | |
The Southern Emancipation Committee (SEC) is a very young organization based in San Fernando and their goal is to host grand Emancipation celebrations in San Fernando annually. The organization consists of about sixteen members; the President and Project Coordinator is Mr. Carl Douglas and the Vice President and Assistant Coordinator is Ms. Marva Sandy.
SEC is of the view that the projects, which will consist of meaningful cultural activities, is a positive step toward informing the community of the greatness of African traditions and how these can assist in solving societal problems encountered today. The initiators see a project of this type as a way of bringing people one step closer to knowing themselves.
On August 01, 2007, the Southern Emancipation Committee celebrated their second annual Emancipation Day in a grand way.
Shortly before the Kambule had started, Triniview.com briefly spoke with Ms. Marva Sandy and elder member of SEC, Awo Olusino Amono Ifayomi, formerly known as Fred 'Composer' Mitchell, about the organization and their future plans. This is what they had to say.
MARVA: The Southern Emancipation Committee was formed a year ago. Actually, it was just around Emancipation time. We started in May 2006 and went right into the Emancipation celebration.
We are about restoring and making our people aware of our greatness. As a matter of fact, our theme this year is "Restoring Our Greatness". In an effort to restore our greatness, we decided on edifying our members in financial literacy. We had lectures by qualified personnel in the field. On the night of our dinner function, we followed in that vein on financial literacy. We think that our people should be financially empowered.
The Southern Emancipation Committee has a Youth Arm and they are also embarking on educational programmes. They go to various schools to give lectures to the students on our historical background. We know that we have a rich history and we think that the youths should become more aware of their rich history.
Even though our celebration started at the Marabella Roundabout last year, we had a wreath laying ceremony at the Point-a-Pierre Roundabout. This year, we are back here again to commemorate the falling of the slaves on this site. There was an uprising in 1832 where slaves were massacred on this particular spot.
The Southern Emancipation Committee thought that it was only fitting that we start our celebration this year at the Point-a-Pierre Roundabout and proceed to San Fernando.
I am happy to inform all on this Emancipation morning that we have been given permission by the Ministry of Works and Transport to erect a monument on the Point-a-Pierre Roundabout. I must say thanks to Mr. Homer and Mr. Corneal who assisted us in acquiring this particular spot to erect our monument. Mr. Louis Homer is a historian and Mr. Corneal is a CEO at Petrotrin. They are both affiliated with the Southern Emancipation Committee.
This year our celebration started around 7 a.m. with a special ceremony at the Point-a-Pierre Roundabout. The Kambule will commence at the Point-a-Pierre Roundabout and end at Palms Club where the celebration will continue. We will have a marketplace, entertainment with popular Calypsonians and other artistes, and an awards function where certain personnel would be awarded for their contribution to society. We will have a very rich and diverse programme. It will be very entertaining and enlightening.
Our activities do not end today. We have plans and programmes in place which will continue throughout the year. It is not only about the Emancipation celebrations and a holiday. It is a way of life. We are urging our brothers and sisters to come and join the group.
We are a young and very dynamic group. We are looking for our African brothers and sisters to come on board.
The Southern Emancipation Committee is not affiliated with the Emancipation Support Committee. We have other groups in the south that are affiliated with us. We embrace all, particularly in the southern area.
I am appealing to people who have similar interests to come on board with us. We need all the financial, physical and educational support we can get.
The Southern Emancipation Committee operates in San Fernando. We are located at #117-118 Upper High Street, San Fernando.
AWO OLUSINO AMONO IFAYOMI: I represent the Traditional African National Association (TANA), the group that implemented the idea for the Emancipation process in Trinidad for the first seven years. I am also a very proud member of the Southern Emancipation Committee.
Emancipation is a victory won by African people for the rest of mankind. Everybody should participate in Emancipation.
TRINIVIEW.COM: Thank you both for sharing with us.
San Fernando's Emancipation Day Parade in pictures:
www.triniview.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=192503
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