Largest Berbice Emancipation celebrations ever expected in Macedonia Joppa

Dear Editor,
On Thursday, August 1, 2024, the Macedonia Joppa Voluntary Committee (MJVC), a registered non-profit organisation, in East Corentyne, Berbice will celebrate 190 years of Emancipation to commemorate the abolition of slavery in Guyana and the end of years of brutalisation, dehumanisation and the liberation of African people.
The holiday is significant not just as a calendar event but as a new lease of life for the Guyanese nation as we know it. It is a day of remembrance, and an opportunity to reflect on the courageous efforts and sacrifices of enslaved men and women in the fight for their freedom. The Macedonia Joppa Voluntary Committee (MJVC) will mark the occasion with the largest celebrations ever seen in Berbice.
During the last two years, Emancipation celebrations in Berbice were organised and sponsored by the MJVC group, and they was well attended on both occasions by residents from across the region and beyond. This year’s celebrations are expected to attract thousands of people in and out the region from as far as West Coast Berbice to Molsen Creek on the Corentyne and beyond.
Like in previous years, this year’s Emancipation celebrations are expected to be the largest and only such celebrations in East Corentyne. It will be an all-day gala family celebration starting at 10:00 AM with a road march from Brighton Village to Eversham Village Community Centre Pavilion, where there will be a day of fun for all, especially for the children who will participate in several cultural, social, and educational activities including the recital of poems, singing of folk songs, playing of games and dancing to a variety of songs, and an education quiz competition on slavery and Emancipation. There will be drumming, African dancers and African dishes to highlight Africa’s interesting tribal traditions and vibrant cultures.
Most residents from the Macedonia Joppa district and elsewhere are expected to join the road march under the theme of “Upliftment and Perseverance.” The revellers will be decked out in a dazzling array of colourful African attire of red, black, yellow, white, and green, representing the colours of the Arrowhead, and depicting Guyanese culture, lifestyle, and heritage.
Residents of all ages and from all walks of life, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or social status from the Macedonia Joppa villages comprised Numbers 35 and 36, Brighton, Kiltearn, Eversham, Epsom, Dingwall, Number 41 Bengal, and Number 43 will line both sides of the roadways to view the colourful display of costumes and the rich and stylish outfits as the participants danced to the rhythm of the lively and customary Soca music supplied by the region’s most popular DJ, Spanish Eyes.
Emancipation is not only about partying, eating, drinking, and dancing in the streets, all of which are part of our culture and heritage, it is also a celebration of the freedom of enslaved Africans and a time for all Guyanese near and far to put aside their differences and biases and join together to celebrate as one people, one nation.
The Macedonia Joppa Voluntary Committee invites all in the district and elsewhere to join and participate in the celebration on Thursday, August 1, 2024.

Sincerely,
Dr Asquith Rose, MJVC Chair