Trinidad and Tobago celebrates first African Holocaust Monument

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: World’s first African Holocaust monument is the situation in the twin-island State of Trinidad and Tobago, informed the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago.

The organisation also shared features of the monument and informed the general public about its history.

The National Archives took it to social media and, through their latest post, stated, “One distinguishing feature of Trinidad & Tobago is the fact that it contains the first African Holocaust monument in the world.”

While emphasising the history, it mentioned that the monument is located at St. Clement Anglican Church on Manahambre Road in Ste. Madeleine. The church is the site of the first African Holocaust Memorial Park. During Emancipation celebrations in Trinidad and Tobago, the St. Clement Anglican Church always played an important role, according to the information provided.

Additionally, it was mentioned that the African Holocaust Memorial Park was dedicated on July 20th 1997, by Pastor Kwame Mohlabani and blessed by the Bishop of Trinidad and Tobago, the Rt Reverand Calvin Bess, on July 22nd 2001, “in painful yet cheerful memory of the 600 million (sic) African slaves who perished during the slave trade (1671-1834).”

Along with this, the National Archives outlined the monument states that “if the Atlantic were to dry up, it would reveal a scattered pathway of human bones. African bones marked the various routes of the Middle Passage. We are the children of those who chose to survive.”

Every year in honour of his African heritage, Pastor Kwame Mohlabani celebrated Kwanzaa in July. Kwanzaa is a part of African-American culture that is based on harvest festival traditions from various parts of West and Southeast Africa.