Dear Editor,
On August 9th the Cuffy250 committee will be hosting its third Annual State of Black African Guyanese forum at Critchlow Labour College. The forum’s main speakers will include President David Granger, who will give the feature address, Ms Faya Rose Toure, a prominent US attorney and founder of the Selma Commemorative Bridge Walk organization, Mr Nigel Hughes, Mr Vincent Alexander, Ms Elsie Harry, Dr David Hinds, Ms Audreyanna Thomas and Mr Asafa George. This forum seeks to address the conditions of the African Guyanese communities, search for solutions and recommend courses of action.
Cuffy250 was formed three years ago to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the 1763 rebellion against the enslavement of African Guyanese in Berbice, led by Cuffy (Kofi). In commemorating this event, the committee which is based in the United States and in Georgetown, Guyana, had undertaken several programmes of activities during its initial year that included the clean-up of the Cuffy monument in Georgetown and culminated in its first State of Black African Guyanese Forum.
Since its formation for that specific purpose, Cuffy250 has been very active in the various African Guyanese communities throughout Guyana. It has conducted forums and workshops on issues affecting African Guyanese, including skills training; established lesson centres to assist children in writing the Grade 6 Assessment; and helped fund emancipation camps in various villages, among other important ongoing programmes. The committee hosts an African Drums programme on Channel 9. It funds lectures on community development throughout various communities in Guyana. This lecture series focuses on the importance of African history in the African Guyanese consciousness, as it relates to the rights of African Guyanese to define and express their identity; and the need for more African Guyanese participation in business and entrepreneurial activities, education, etc.
Cuffy250 recognizes that the education of African Guyanese is paramount. African Guyanese awareness must be raised to recognize how they can better their communities. It is important that as a people we realize that we are in the best position to advance our own interests, that such interests will not be adequately represented if we do not take an active role in our development. For most of the past twenty-three years African Guyanese were largely marginalized from meaningful benefits in the resources that belong to all the peoples of Guyana. This marginalization was egregious, given the fact that our ancestors had made major contributions to Guyana’s development. It was therefore within that milieu of marginalization that Cuffy250 identified the need for African Guyanese to make an honest assessment of where they are as a people, and where they are going. But more importantly, the object is to bring to the society’s attention the oppressive conditions of African Guyanese that were stark, yet ignored. Cuffy250’s main purpose is to facilitate this assessment and to work assiduously to bring about the necessary change in the interest of advancing African Guyanese unity.
It is important, therefore, to note at this juncture that Cuffy250 is not against any ethnic group, but for the advancement of African Guyanese lives and interests. The space must be created in Guyana where all ethnic groups must find common ground in the development of Guyana and benefit equally in that development.
As we embark on another forum of honest assessment of the State of Black African Guyanese, we realize that there is a change in government and the ushering in of a new political dispensation. African Guyanese have played an important role in bringing about this change and no doubt welcome it. It is easy for supporters of a government to become complacent. The African Guyanese community must remain vigilant. It is this recognition that makes this forum even more important.
Cuffy250 invites all Guyanese, but particularly African Guyanese to come out and not only listen to messages and plans that will move us forward as a people, but to actively lend their voices to this new revolution.
Yours faithfully,
Dennis Wiggins
Member of Cuffy250
Committee
