Dear Editor,

The Preamble to the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana declares the Guyanese people to be “Proud heirs of the indomitable will of our forebears…” and proclaims the constitution as “Safeguard[ing] and build[ing] on the rich heritage, won through tireless struggle, bequeathed us by our forebears…”

During our Mashramani celebrations on February 23, we commemorate the tireless struggle of the first and foremost of our forebears, Kofi (popularly known as Cuffy), who had formed and led the first Guyanese republican government during the enslaved Africans’ revolution against the Dutch which commenced in Berbice in February 1763. Kofi constituted his own state, and appointed his governing Court of Policy. His government is said to have lasted for over ten months [Editor’s note: more likely six or seven months].

The revolution in Guyana was unprecedented in the Americas. It preceded the American Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776, and the Haitian Revolution which commenced in 1791.  It was a monumental achievement for an African, who had been taken into enslavement from what is now Ghana as a boy, and shipped to a Dutch plantation in Berbice.

Happy Mashramani to all!

Yours faithfully,
Colin Bobb-Semple