Time To Remember Struggles Of Ancestors – Grange

Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, has emphasised that Emancipation should be a time to remember the struggles of our ancestors and the freedom they achieved through blood, sweat and tears.
“One hundred and seventy four years ago, our ancestors celebrated their freedom. It was a time of jubilee and great joy after enduring years of miserable slavery,” the Minister said.
Miss Grange was speaking at the Emancipation Jubilee, which was held at the Seville Heritage Park in St. Ann’s Bay on July 31.
“Tonight is the night when we pay tribute to our African ancestors. We pay tribute to their strength of character and their resilience. We celebrate the things they’ve left behind, their customs, their food, their music and their religious beliefs,” the Minister said.
She pointed out that the event also served to “celebrate our ancestors’ freedom, one which was earned through blood, sweat and tears.”
“It is a freedom that comes with responsibility. It is never to be taken lightly and is to be protected at all cost,” she said, adding that Jamaicans should be proud of their history and cherish it dearly.
The Minister said she was pleased with the number of Jamaicans who came out to join in the celebrations at the Emancipation Jubilee.
She commended members of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT), for their relentless effort in the staging of the annual Emancipation Jubilee celebrations.
The thousands who attended the ceremony were entertained by presentations from various groups, such as the St. Ann Senior Citizens, the Islington and Manchioneal Cultural groups and the Port Morant Kumina Group, among others.