By Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts:(Thursday 23rd February 2023)- In sharing a message to the black population of St. Kitts and Nevis during Black History Month, Ras Iya of the Nyabinghi Theocracy Order Ras Iya is encouraging all to carry out proper research and engage the young people as early as possible in knowing about African roots and culture.
He expressed such sentiments having been quizzed by this reporter during an interview surrounding the annual ‘African/I-Story’ week of activities (19th to 26th February 2023) under the theme ‘Recognizing, Embracing, Restoring, Preserving the Legacy of Our Martyrs from Then Til Now.’ “the insistence of honouring our ancestors and the continent of Africa and the people who have contributed to the whole affairs as African people because we are not Kittitians and Nevisians… [in relation ] to the aspect that they bring us too. We are born Africans…but we have contributed to the whole affairs so it’s time now that we take the initiative grounds and make our narrative be our own; not somebody being our narrative because we would be living how they want us to live how they want us to live and not what we need to be living,” Ras Iya stated.
He went on to say: “The great emphasis is for us to do proper research and engage the young ones as early as we could so that they could have insistence on what the history of Africa and African people are all about, and what we are going forward with the next generation in the future to come.” Book donations to primary schools have been carried out including at the Beach Allen Primary School and Sandy Point Primary School while for Friday 24th, another book donation is slated to take place at the Joshua Obadiah Primary School. In relation to such contribution to history books to the learning institutions, Ras Iya said: “This is where the Nyabinghi Theocracy Order is taking it as His Majesty always emphasize that education is a tool and a weapon that can be used.
We are really seeing the foster of that maintenance in our young ones in our future generations.” He also spoke about the overall vision of the activities in helping to “foster the knowledge sharing in African history as part of our mantra which says let the aging be protected, the infant cared for and the sick be nourished and the hungry fed and shelter for the shelter less .So, we are always there to help in whatever little way we can in the context of charity.” Other activities included food hamper distribution to the needy and elderly. Saturday 25th is a scheduled rest day while the next day (Sunday) is another groundation session and laying of wreaths of those within the Rasta community who have gone to the Great Beyond.
Front Page Photo: Ras Iya of the Nyabinghi Theocracy Order poses for a photo following an interview with this media house on Tuesday 21st February 2023. (Spokesman Snap)
