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Emancipation Day Message from Leader of the Opposition Andrew Holness

By: , August 1, 2015

The Key Point:

Emancipation Day is a celebration of the end of the system of enslavement through colonial government and plantation economy.
Emancipation Day Message from Leader of the Opposition Andrew Holness
The Most Hon. Andrew Holness, ON., MP., Prime Minister

The Facts

  • As the generations pass, the meaning of the day may become less relevant, may be even academic as time places distance between us and our past.
  • The purpose of the holiday is for us, collectively, to recollect our history, learn from the events, honour the sacrifice of our forebears, and reaffirms our commitment to making a better future.

The Full Story

Emancipation Day Message 2015

Leader of The Opposition

Andrew Holness, MP

Emancipation Day is a celebration of the end of the system of enslavement through colonial government and plantation economy. As the generations pass, the meaning of the day may become less relevant, may be even academic as time places distance between us and our past. The purpose of the holiday is for us collectively to recollect our history, learn from the events, honour the sacrifice of our forebears, and reaffirm our commitment to building a better future.

 

So as we take today as a holiday from the routine of our lives , let us recall with respect, pride and veneration, heroes like Sam Sharpe, whose struggle, blood and ultimate sacrifice  led to the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. Oh what a joyous time it must have been for our great great grand mothers and fathers to hear the words signaling their freedom! Today let us celebrate in spirit with them.

 

The act of emancipation did not mean the end of struggle. The passage of laws could not by themselves overnight  dismantle centuries of slavery, deprivation, poverty, and violence. It would take decades to build institutions to replace a colonial government, plantation economy, and an unjust society. We were free but without the means to truly capitalize on freedom. At the end of the slavery, British plantation owners then were compensated to the tune of 20 million pounds. Those who were enslaved received nothing. This was the unequal basis on which the new society and economy would begin. Today, 177 years since Emancipation Jamaica has one of highest levels of income inequality in the world, almost 20 percent of our people still live in absolute poverty, we have not been able to make literacy universal or ensure justice and security for all Jamaicans. Having said that, let us acknowledge that while we have not reached as far as we should, we have come a long way.

 

We have a strong democracy, a very free press, an amplified voice on the world stage through our music, culture, art, and sports, but also through an incredibly talented diaspora that represents Jamaica in the centres of power.

 

Unfortunately, the high levels of, cynicism, apathy and disengagement of a large segment of our society, especially among youth, threatens the efficacy of freedom to bring change. Freedom means choice, which includes the right not to participate and exercise choice. Here is where freedom requires social responsibility. ‘Nonparticipation’ in our democratic system is not a wise exercise of choice. I encourage all our youth to participate and articulate the future they would like to see. Use your freedom to hold government to account. This is the best way to honour the forefathers who paid the ultimate sacrifice for you to live in a free society.

 

The challenge therefore, as we reflect on Emancipation, is to use our freedom to accelerate and catalyze the building of a fair and just society, a strong and growing economy and an efficient and accountable government. Let us use our freedom to secure justice for all Jamaicans, let us hold our government to account for efficiency and growth, let us use our freedom to ensure education for all our children, let us use our personal freedom to lead heathy lifestyles. Let us chose to resolve conflict peaceful instead of by violence. Ultimately with our freedom we choose our future. Let us choose to end poverty and secure a future of shared prosperity.

Last Updated: August 2, 2015

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