REMARKS BY THE HONOURABLE PRIME MINISTER BRIGADIER (RET’D) MARK PHILLIPS ON THE OCCASION OF EMANCIPATION DAY 2026
As Guyana observes the 188th anniversary of Emancipation, I extend greetings to all Guyanese, particularly members of the African-Guyanese community. On this significant occasion, we honour the memory of our African ancestors who endured the harrowing and inhumane experience of enslavement and secured their freedom through extraordinary courage and perseverance. It was that same courage and perseverance that enabled them to establish villages, sustain families and expand the possibilities for generations to come.
When we consider the spirit and significance of Emancipation, we think about the continued legacy that our ancestors left behind in every aspect of our lives and culture today. Cultural experience allows history to be felt and understood. As we participate in these cultural practices, whether it be through drumming or fashion or food, we show appreciation for their memory, and it helps us to understand the people behind the history and the choices that allowed their heritage to survive.
Culture also gives us a way to enter one another’s worlds. We do not have to share the same ancestry to appreciate another community’s music, learn its history or participate respectfully in its celebrations. Guyana has long understood this through shared observances like Phagwah, Diwali, Eid, Indigenous Heritage Month and other observances. In doing so, we learn how our neighbours honour their own ancestors, worship, celebrate and express themselves.
These experiences also encourage respect without asking any group to surrender what makes it distinct and help us recognise that Guyana’s many traditions can exist proudly alongside one another. This remains important in a country where our differences have sometimes been used to create distance between us.
It is especially important now, during a period in which many Guyanese are carrying grief and confronting difficult emotions. While we acknowledge that cultural gatherings cannot erase sorrow, they can offer comfort and remind us that no community should have to face hardship alone. The African-Guyanese experience teaches us much about endurance, communal responsibility and rebuilding after profound loss. Those lessons belong within our wider Guyanese understanding.
Above all, it is heartening that, as we celebrate Emancipation today and reflect on our country’s development, we can see the enduring value of the lessons passed down by our African ancestors in the prosperous and inclusive Guyana we are building.
The history of African-Guyanese people is inseparable from the history of our nation. Following Emancipation, formerly enslaved Africans pooled their resources to purchase abandoned plantations and establish some of Guyana’s earliest free villages. Through sacrifice, cooperation and determination, they created independent communities, developed systems of local governance, expanded agricultural production and laid important foundations for social and economic progress.
Across generations, African-Guyanese have made essential contributions to agriculture, education, public service, law, business, politics, the creative industries, sport, national security and the skilled trades. They have served as teachers, nurses, public servants, farmers, entrepreneurs, artisans, members of the disciplined services and leaders within their communities. Their work has helped to develop our villages, strengthen our institutions and expand Guyana’s cultural and economic life.
African culture has also profoundly shaped our national identity. Its influence can be seen and heard in our music, dance, storytelling, language, fashion, cuisine and community traditions. These cultural expressions are more than forms of celebration; they preserve history, transmit knowledge and remind us of the strength, creativity and humanity of those who came before us.
The values of collective responsibility, resilience, self-reliance and community upliftment that sustained African-Guyanese communities after Emancipation remain relevant to Guyana’s development today. They remind us that national progress is strongest when it is built through shared effort, equal opportunity and respect for the dignity and contribution of every citizen.
So, on the occasion of Emancipation 2026, let us honour the African-Guyanese community for its immense contribution to Guyana’s progress and character. May this observance deepen our knowledge, strengthen mutual respect and help us remain close to one another during this difficult time.
Happy Emancipation Day to all Guyanese.
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