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Taiwan deepens educational collaboration with US

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Taiwan deepens educational collaboration with US

The Ministry of Education inked a memorandum of understanding with Connecticut and renewed an MOU with Maine in January, underscoring the government’s commitment to the Taiwan-U.S. Education Initiative.

The Ministry of Education renews a pact with Maine and establishes a new agreement with Connecticut involving personnel and information exchanges in STEM and language education. (MOFA)

The Ministry of Education inked a memorandum of understanding with Connecticut and renewed an MOU with Maine in January, underscoring the government’s commitment to the Taiwan-U.S. Education Initiative.

According to the ministry, the Connecticut pact was first signed by Joyce Yu-jiuan Lee, director of the MOE’s Department of International and Cross-strait Education, and was signed Jan. 28 at the Connecticut General Assembly by Charlene M. Russell-Tucker, the state’s education commissioner. Governor Ned Lamont and Representative Tom Chih-chiang Lee of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York witnessed the historic agreement, the MOE’s first with the northeastern state.

The MOE said that planned cooperation ranges from joint research between educators in both countries, exchanges between personnel and institutions, collaboration in the fields of engineering, math, science and technology, and the sharing of Mandarin and English teachers and resources.

The renewal of the arrangement with Maine was signed by MOE’s Lee and Pender Makin, education commissioner for Maine, and finalized Jan. 22. The MOU is intended to deepen mutual understanding of educational systems, provide information on learning Mandarin and promote integrated study of engineering, math and science courses.

The MOE said that this was the fifth time the MOU has been updated, adding that it was the first time that the agreement has been extended for five years instead of three, signifying a strong bilateral commitment to the cooperation.

In total the ministry has signed 28 MOUs with 25 U.S. states. The MOE vowed to continue active promotion of reciprocal exchanges within the framework of the Taiwan-U.S. Education Initiative. (POC-E)

Azamara Cruises Nominates Nevis Sun Tour As Best New Tour of 2024

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Azamara Cruises Nominates Nevis Sun Tour As Best New Tour of 2024

Basseterre, St. Kitts (10 February 2025) – A standout in the crowded worldwide field of cruise tour operators, Nevis Sun Tours offers uniquely personal day tours for cruise visitors to St. Kitts and Nevis.  Greg Phillip, CEO commented recently, “All of us at Nevis Sun Tours are thrilled to be nominated in the Best New Tour category.  Impressively, we are the only Caribbean DMC nominated in this category.”

“We are grateful for this nomination and appreciate Azamara Cruises’ partnership in offering their guests our memorable experiences,” Phillip continued. “We know the Azamara guest is discerning and well-traveled and we pride ourselves in delivering a deep dive into the rich history and culture of our island of Nevis.”

Nevis is the birthplace of one of America’s founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, and visitors from all over the world are enchanted with this company’s storytelling of Hamilton’s boyhood and the island’s influence on him through actual accounts of his contemporaries among other tour experiences on this island.

While the Alexander Hamilton Island Tour is the most popular, Nevis Sun Tours also offers a Nevis Island Tour, a Charlestown Walking Tour, a Village Food Tour, a Tropical Fruit Tasting, and the hands-on, immersive Cooking with Ras Iroy experience among their offerings.

The Azamara Tour Operator Awards ceremony is scheduled to be held at their Miami headquarters on April 6, 2025. For more information or reservations, visit www.nevissuntours.com reservations@nevissuntours.com or call 869-469-1299.

Hospital Official: Workers Played Key Role in New Design

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Hospital Official: Workers Played Key Role in New Design

By: Spokesman Newsroom

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS  (Monday 10th February 2025)-Over 400 workers from all levels, including drain cleaners, played a crucial role in shaping the design of the new Joseph N. France General Hospital. 

This was revealed by Director of Health Institutions in the Ministry of Health Dr. Jenson Morton during the unveiling of the 3D designs plans for the new climate smart health facility on Friday 7th February 2025 at the St.Kitts Marriott Hotel in Frigate Bay.

Dr. Morton highlighted that the research process for the new facility began in September 2022 with a bottom-up approach, ensuring that input was gathered from all categories of hospital staff.

“We decided to start from the bottom up because at this point in time. We weren’t sure if we were going to use the new site or if we were going to stay on our current site. And we went through the task of interviewing hundreds of staff members- over 400 staff members. The reason why we interviewed that many people was we wanted to make sure that every single aspect of the hospital, every type of worker, gave their opinion,” Dr. Morton explained.

He emphasized the importance of consulting all staff, including those responsible for hospital maintenance and infrastructure. 

“You’d be surprised to know what you could learn from everybody. From the person that might be the one clearing the drains, they could tell you exactly which type of drain is good versus bad because they clean it every single day, and I would never know. I’d be dependent on some literature which could be wrong based on our environment or climate. So we spoke with everybody.”

As understood, the feedback collected during the process resulted in over 1,000 unique points, compiled into a 300-page design directives document. 

“That was the amount of things that we had compiled with regards to specifics of the hospital. No stone was left unturned. All aspects of every single ward, every single type, every single thing, electronics, plumbing, parking-everything that one can think of, nothing was left out,” Dr. Morton stated.

He noted that St. Kitts and Nevis has always been a leader in health infrastructure, dating back to 1840 with the Cunningham Hospital and later in 1966 with the construction of the Joseph N. France General Hospital. 

He pointed out that even with challenges following hurricanes of the past, the hospital was rebuilt in 2001 as a state-of-the-art institution. However, new challenges including an increase in chronic diseases and a growing psychiatric population, highlighted the need for further modernization.

“The first would have been an explosion with regards to chronic diseases. That has made the entirety of health outlook and how the type of patients that we have and how we treat them, that changed all of that. We had equally sized, for example, medical and surgical wards, but now the medical ward is always full to capacity just because of the amount of strokes and heart attacks and the amount of people with uncontrolled diabetes, uncontrolled blood pressure, and the list goes on and on,” he said.

Additionally, the psychiatric ward, originally built for twelve (12) patients in 2001, quickly became overcrowded as the need for mental health services increased. 

“Within six years, our mentally ill population exploded. And what was once to house 12 people with abundant space, we had to find ways to now fit twenty (20) people in the space and do all kinds of alterations to the structure.”

Dr. Morton highlighted that the decision to build a new hospital was guided by Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew’s (Minister with responsibility for Health and Finance) vision of a “Joseph N. France Health Network” rather than just a singular new hospital. He credited the Prime Minister’s medical training in both Cuba and the United States as well as all aspects of training  in the Federation as shaping his approach to healthcare development.

“Even though, for the sake of letting people understand, we just said the new Joseph N. France General Hospital, no, he envisioned a Joseph N. France Health Network in which the new facility which we are building will be an adjunct to the overall health network. The current health structure will have its own role to play in the overall health network.”

Dr. Morton noted that extensive research went into the new hospital’s design, including consultations with health infrastructure experts. Thanks to the support of the OECC (Overseas Engineering and Construction Company)- a Taiwanese construction company , the project team was able to collaborate with international specialists.

 “Experts in space design, experts in energy efficiency, experts in construction engineering… these people, between them, they have built over 200 pieces of health infrastructure on every single continent on planet Earth.”

The final phase of consultations took place in September 2024, ensuring that all stakeholders had an opportunity to contribute. 

The new 128-bed hospital, set to be constructed on a 15-acre site in West Farm, will be a “center of excellence” that meets international accreditation standards.

Dr. Morton stated that proper accreditation would be a key factor in advancing healthcare services. 

“You’d be surprised how many people nowadays, when booking a trip, they might even not consider going to a place unless they see that international stamp of approval from one of these accreditation networks.”

Pregnant Woman Undergoes Emergency For Baby’s Birth Following Violent Home Invasion

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Pregnant Woman Undergoes Emergency For Baby’s Birth Following Violent Home Invasion

By Spokesman Newsroom 

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts ( Tuesday 11th February 2025)- A baby’s exepected due date was shorted after a 7-month pregant woman underwent emergency surgery following a recent violent home invasion in Nevis.

A spokesperson from the Police Public Relations Department has informed that police are investigating a report of a burglary in which a pregagnt woman named Saskia Maynard of Hanley’s Road, Nevis, sustained a number of non-lifethreatening stab wounds to the front of her body and abdomen. 

Initial inquiries indicate that Ms Maynard was attacked by a masked assailant during the night time on Sunday 9th February 2025.

Reportedly, medical examinations revealed that one of Ms. Maynard’s abdominal wounds was more serious than initially observed. As such, she underwent temergency surgery to deliver the baby. 

On Monday afternoon (10th February), a police update revealed that the surgery was successful, and mother and child are in stable condition.

Author Nyoka Gumbs Talks About Inspiration Behind Her Financial Survival Book

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Author Nyoka Gumbs Talks About Inspiration Behind Her Financial Survival Book

By: Precious Mills

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (Monday 10th February 2025)-In an exclusive interview following her recent book launch, daughter of the soil Nyoka Gumbs (who currently resides in New York in the U.S), a trained architect turned author, shared her insights on heritage, financial resilience, and the impact she hopes her book will have on fellow Kittitians and Nevisians.

Her two-fold book launch took place on Saturday 1st February 2025, with a morning session at El Fredo’s Restaurant in Newtown and an afternoon session at the McKnight Community Centre, spotlighting ‘The Day After the Unemployment Runs Out: A Survival Guide for Those Facing Financial Hardship’.

As gathered, local book sales went well with more than forty-five (45) copies sold. 

Author Nyoka Gumbs Talks About Inspiration Behind Her Financial Survival Book

See interview details below:

Reporter: Congratulations on the successful launch of your book. Can you give a summary?

Nyoka Gumbs: It’s about resilience. The ability to withstand and recover in times of hardships. For my SKN readers, I want them to think about is what in our culture makes us easier to recover. Things that we take for granted, what is the creativity of our background and how does that factor in? One of the things I mentioned to the college students (at Clarence Fitzroy College-CFBC) is, I just only found out like a couple of years ago that we are the smallest country in the Western Hemisphere. That blew my mind because that was not something that I was taught. I mean, I know where we are in terms of size in the Caribbean, but I didn’t know in terms of the whole hemisphere. And so it makes me think about the things that we have accomplished as a nation and things that we’ve seen, how gutsy and powerful and bold and brave and courageous as a country we’ve been. So at some point you absorb that into your being. 

And then just like how I talked about going to the U.S. at 16 to be in college, where does that come from? That strength came from things that I’ve always been seeing here that we just think is just our way, but it’s actually pretty amazing. And so I want my Kittitian Nevisian readers to recognize just that heritage that we have. When you now apply it and zero in it to financial hardship, you could overcome anything. Resort to your community, helping each other, pooling resources, right? And you’re here. The help is here. Create an empathetic environment for people that are in need so that they know to come to the community, see people, really see people and value them. 

And so there’s a lot of practical tips in the book and so just have it as a guide whenever you have a financial hardship. Figure out, yes you got to solve your situation financially but make sure that your mental health stays intact because you can’t separate the two. You’re not alone, it’s just a temporary situation and it’s just your circumstances. Nothing is wrong with you. Of course if you made mistakes or whatever you could always dig a reverse right but I’m just saying general unemployment there’s nothing it’s not personal to you sometimes it’s the circumstances of what’s going on in the world it’s going on to the country so don’t internalize it that way be flexible be humble you know; you might have always been on one path professionally, but there’s something else you might be good at or something else that you could turn to in that time. Keep your options open and just lean on me as part of the community and the resources that I’ve given you.

Reporter: How did you feel about the turnout at your launch?

Nyoka Gumbs: El Fredo’s was intimate and so it got really vulnerable, and this (at the McKnight Community Centre) had a different vibe which is what I wanted. I wanted both. I didn’t want it to feel repetitive since I’m the one in all the spaces…There’s some things of course you have to share with each audience but I mean some of the people that I’ve seen I haven’t seen in a long time and they just showed up. And look at how many of my teachers just showed up and just texted them. You know what I mean? That really means a lot to me it means a lot so I feel loved you know sometimes you hear people criticize their own …but I just felt like people were just sitting waiting for an opportunity to support me that’s literally how I felt…and they delivered; it wasn’t just small talk, they were there they showed up for me.

Reporter: Your professional background is in architecture and construction management. When did you realize you wanted to become an author?

Nyoka Gumbs: Initially, I didn’t think of writing a book but maybe about five years ago, I knew I wanted it to be a book but I really didn’t buckle down to do it until about a year ago and then work was in the way because you know you’re working every day and you have other things going on so really just making that space to buckle down and do it. That happened in the last year. And I focused on others, not myself. So even if there’s some shyness about it, I focus more on the benefits to others and that helped me fulfill it.

Reporter: You mentioned in your speech that you wish you had access to a book like this during the COVID-19 pandemic. How do the lessons apply to today’s realities?

Nyoka Gumbs: Well some of the lessons are like when you’re back to making money again or being on your feet, don’t forget all these strategies about being frugal and don’t be wasteful you know what I mean? and just know that a rainy day could come at any time. And so just making sure you hold on to those lessons. One of the budgeting principles that I put in the book is called the 50-30-20. 50% of your income should go to your needs. The 30% goes to your variable expenses and 20% savings, just a simple principle. And sometimes you can’t get to the 20% savings because you might have debt, but just have it as a goal…And as a principle, as long as you spend less than you make it’s a start and then what you do with what you’re saving whether you invest or whatever, that’s different but that’s a good way to just stay financially on track. Like I said, one of the scriptures in the book says the borrower is the slave to the lender. That’s in Proverbs. So if you keep overextending yourself financially, you’re basically enslaving yourself to whatever, layaway people or, you know, credit cards, living above you mean. So there’s a lot of principles in there that draw from different spaces. And I just want people to basically take that in there’s a practical there’s, emotional there’s a mental you know spiritual and treat yourself your whole being in times of hardship.

Reporter: During the book signing, did you personalize messages for each person?

Nyoka Gumbs: Specific things according to who. The teachers, there were things that I wanted to say…and to my long-time classmates…and then people who played a role in supporting me even before I became…and then some people I wanted to say something that they could pass on to their children. So I tried to keep it personal. 

Gumbs’ book is available worldwide on Amazon and locally through her family-her mother, Georgina at Pelican Mall, her father Walford Gumbs and her sister, Gallio. 

This new author is also working on expanding wider local distribution.

Pilot Project at St Mary’s Biosphere Reserve to Help Shape National Awareness Programme on Single-Use Plastic Ban

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Pilot Project at St Mary’s Biosphere Reserve to Help Shape National Awareness Programme on Single-Use Plastic Ban

Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 13, 2025 (SKNIS): Communities in the villages of Cayon, Keys, Canada Estate, and Ottley’s will be in the spotlight over the next few months as a sensitization project on the ongoing campaign to reduce and eliminate plastic pollution is implemented.

The project is called the Sensitisation on the Elimination of Single-Use Plastics in the St. Mary’s Biosphere Reserve. The reserve is a protected designated area as it serves as an important site for biological diversity, comprising cloud forests, mangroves and coral reefs. The UNESCO-funded project is being implemented by the National Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Committee.

Telca Wallace, National Coordinator of the St. Mary’s Biosphere Reserve, noted that the project was written in 2022, before the present administration implemented a phased approach to banning single-use plastics. Since the ban is now in effect, the project will help guide the national transition from single-use plastics. The first activity is a survey that will be implemented over the next two weeks.

“The survey will speak to how people feel about the ban, how do they perceive plastics, what they are doing within the household to address the ban on plastics, and as a community, what positives do you see coming out of the ban?” Mrs. Wallace stated, on the February 12, 2025, edition of Infocus.

Opportunities for small businesses and individuals to create and sell alternatives to plastics such as cloth bag production, will also be included in the survey. The survey begins on February 19 and is scheduled to run for two weeks.

Another key activity in the project, which runs up to September 2025, includes a national consultation with stakeholders. The information from the survey will be shared and strategies discussed.

Mrs. Wallace called on residents to participate fully in the sensitisation campaign under the moniker “KABbing the MAB.” KAB stands for Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours.

“This is a way for us to do a measurement of where we are,” the national coordinator stated. “When this information comes back and it is analyzed … we can send it to Paris (UNESCO Headquarters), we can send it everywhere.”

The information will also help local authorities to embrace best practices that will help the transition away from single-use plastics. This is particularly important as March 31, 2025, will welcome a ban on the sale and distribution of plastic t-shirt bags. This will be followed by a ban on importing styrofoam food containers and plastic straws by April 30, 2025, and their sale and distribution by July 31, 2025.

The ban will extend to the importation of single-use plastic cups, plates, and utensils by August 31, 2025, with these items no longer being sold or distributed by November 30, 2025.

Let Us Love Our Blackness

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Let Us Love Our Blackness

To coin the occasions of Black History Month and Valentine’s Day, let us take a moment to show love for our melanin, our heritage, and the essence of who we are. The deep and diverse hues of our skin reflect the collective beauty of African heritage and Black culture. From our radiant skin tones to our beautifully coiled and textured hair, we are a people wonderfully and uniquely made.

This week, let us embrace a simple yet powerful message: Love the skin that you are in.

Too often, society has attempted to dictate beauty standards that do not reflect the richness of our identity. Some media and mainstream narratives have historically favoured narrow ideals, leaving many to feel unworthy or unseen but it is evident that times have changed and continue to change. Therefore, we must continue to reject falsehoods of beauty standards and reaffirm that Black beauty is, and always has been, exceptional. Our strength, intelligence, and creativity have continuously shaped the world in immeasurable ways. From the innovations of ancient African civilizations to the resilience shown in the face of adversity, we have a legacy to honor and uphold.

An excerpt from a poem by Zhrah Aziz, originally published on November 4, 2017, titled The Brown Women in Me, captures the spirit of self-love and pride at its opening paragraph which reads:

The stories I have read tell me,

that my heritage is something

to be proud of.

the color of my skin

is the resemblance of dirt;

the very foundation of life.

Say it out loud, let it resonate in your soul, and honor Black History Month with the pride it deserves. Our heritage is one of strength, resilience, and excellence. Let us embrace it wholeheartedly, celebrating the beauty and richness of our culture.

Black love extends beyond romance; it is self-love, community love, and the love for our shared history. It is the knowledge that we stand on the shoulders of giants, from civil rights leaders to revolutionaries, artists, and scholars who paved the way for us. Their sacrifices and triumphs are woven into the fabric of our existence, reminding us that we, too, have a responsibility to uplift and empower the generations that follow.

This February, let us not only love others but also love ourselves-our history, our identity, and the extraordinary legacy we carry forward. Take the time to educate yourself on Black history, support Black-owned businesses, and instill confidence in our youth. By doing so, we continue the tradition of honoring our ancestors while laying the foundation for a future built on pride, unity, and love.

It must be emphasized yet again: Let us celebrate Blackness in all its glory-not just this month, but every day of our lives.

Regional Agriculture Agency IICA Impressed with Nevis’ Strides in Advancing its Agriculture Sector

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Regional Agriculture Agency IICA Impressed with Nevis’ Strides in Advancing its Agriculture Sector

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (February 05, 2025) – A delegation from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) recently visited Nevis, expressing admiration for the island’s strides in agricultural development. 

The delegation, comprised of Director of Technical Cooperation Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim; Dr. Curt Delice, Special Affairs Co-ordinator for the Caribbean; and Eastern Caribbean Representative Gregg Rollins, paid a courtesy call on Minister of Agriculture in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), Deputy Premier the Honourable Eric Evelyn, on January 28, 2025.

Minister Evelyn welcomed the IICA delegation on the inaugural visit and emphasized the importance of collaboration in advancing Nevis’ agricultural sector.

“We were delighted to welcome the delegation from our partner IICA as Dr. Ibrahim and Dr. Delice were in St. Kitts and Nevis for the very first time. They were on a learning visit, and we had an excellent meeting. 

“We discussed what we are doing here on the island of Nevis where agriculture is concerned, some of what we have done, some of our accomplishments, and how we can move forward in terms of more collaboration and assistance from IICA.”

Minister Evelyn highlighted the technical expertise IICA offers that has proven over the years to be very beneficial to the island of Nevis.

Delegation from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) visit the Indian castle Fruit Orchard in Nevis on January 28, 2025

“We know they have a lot of technical expertise that we can rely on in terms of moving the agriculture industry forward here on the island of Nevis, and so I took the opportunity on behalf of the Department and the Ministry of Agriculture, on behalf of the people of Nevis, to especially welcome the IICA delegation to the island of Nevis. We’re very confident that the meeting we had will continue to bear fruit and we will continue to see more collaboration, more assistance coming from IICA.” 

Dr. Ibrahim remarked, “We are very impressed to see the advances they are making towards food security, nutrition, and sustainability of some of the important crops like lettuce, and what you’re producing with eggs and poultry. The plans that the Ministry has in terms of advancing towards the 25 by 2025 initiative are commendable.”

Dr. Ibrahim also noted areas for improvement, such as sweet potato production and small ruminant farming, and pledged IICA’s continued support.

“IICA as an institution has a mandate to provide technical cooperation, and we are here committed to working together with the Ministry to identify what the demands are, how we prioritize them, and work together towards advancing a plan that aligns with the policies in agriculture.”

During their visit to Nevis they engaged with persons working in various areas of the agriculture sector and visited the Indian Castle Fruit Orchard.

Dr. Ibrahim said IICA will continue to collaborate with Nevis “to develop a plan to enhance the sustainability of its agriculture systems over the next three years.”

Also present at the meeting were St. Kitts and Nevis Representative for IICA, Sharon Jones, and Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Rhosyll Gaskell. 

The visit reaffirmed IICA’s commitment to supporting Nevis’ agricultural sector and strengthening regional collaboration to enhance food security and sustainability. Minister Evelyn expressed confidence that Nevis Island Administration’s focus on food production and food sovereignty will propel the island towards achieving CARICOM’s initiative to reduce food imports into the region by 25 percent by 2025.

PM Drew: Deported Nationals From U.S. Will Be Assessed Case by Case Upon Return

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PM Drew: Deported Nationals From U.S. Will Be Assessed Case by Case Upon Return

By: Spokesman Newsroom

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 6th February 2025)–Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr. Terrance Drew has assured that deported nationals returning to St. Kitts and Nevis from the United States will be treated with dignity and respect, while also emphasizing that each case will be assessed individually to ensure national security.

Dr. Drew made these remarks during The Roundtable media session on Thursday 6th February 2025, in response to a local reporter quizzing for a comment about the new U.S. immigration policies under President Donald Trump that will directly impact the Caribbean, not just St. Kitts and Nevis.

“We have put out a statement to say that all of our citizens will be treated with respect and dignity, irrespective of everything else,” Dr. Drew stated. “Every life is precious, and every citizen and resident must be treated with humanity and dignity. That is our underlying principle in dealing with our persons who are to come back.”

At the same time, the Prime Minister stressed that national security remains a priority, saying: “Even though we think that way, we will also make sure that our security is not affected,” he said, noting that the government is already working with regional security forces to establish clear guidelines for processing deported individuals.

As understood, deportees will undergo background checks before being reintegrated into society. 

“Once you are seen to be deported from the United States of America, we get all of the information with your background check. When you come in, you are not just immediately released-you have to come in and be questioned and a profile done,” Dr. Drew explained.

PM Drew further outlined the different approaches that will be taken depending on a person’s history. 

“If you come in, let’s say you were just a peaceful person in the United States, but you just didn’t have your papers, you’re not a security risk to us, so then that can go forward,” he noted. 

However, the National Security Minister made it clear that those with serious criminal backgrounds would not be allowed to pose a threat to the country. “If you, let’s say, come out of prison with a serious charge, you are a security risk for us. And then the approach is different because we will not tolerate in this country any unlawful behavior. Not anybody [should] think that they can come back to their country and continue that way. We will not accept that.”

The Prime Minister also acknowledged that there will be cases where deportees, such as families with children, will be classified as low risk. 

“You have a mother come back with two children, you know, they might be deemed low risk. So that is fine,” he stated, reinforcing the idea that each case will be handled based on its specific circumstances.

Despite the strict security considerations, Dr. Drew reaffirmed that St. Kitts and Nevis remains home for its citizens. 

“We tell them, this is your home and you are welcome back. Their constitutional rights will be respected,” he said. “If they’re in another country and that country wishes to deport them based on the laws, then we can’t tell a country what to do with its laws. But from our perspective, we will always ask that they be treated with respect and that their humanity remains intact, and we will also treat them with that dignity when they come back as well.”

Black History Month: A Time for Reflection and Celebration

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Black History Month: A Time for Reflection and Celebration

Black History Month is here-a time for celebration, recognition, and reflection for many societies and countries around the world. For some, it is an opportunity to educate and honour the struggles and triumphs of Black people throughout history. For others, it is a lifestyle-one where Black consciousness is not confined to a single month but embraced as a daily reality. 

While many of us instinctively observe this month for what it is, we must make a conscious effort to fully understand and appreciate the importance of Black culture, people, and the countless elements that make us a distinct and proud people.

One of the unfortunate misconceptions surrounding Black history is that it often gets reduced to the narrative of slavery. While the horrors of slavery should never be forgotten, our history neither began nor ended there. Black history is rich, complex and filled with remarkable achievements that span centuries. From the great civilizations of Africa to the resilience shown in the face of oppression, and the modern triumphs in sports, entertainment, medicine, science, business, and beyond, our contributions to society have been undeniable and far-reaching.

The observance of Black History Month itself dates back to 1926, when American historian Carter G. Woodson established what was originally called Negro History Week. His goal was to shine a light on the overlooked accomplishments of Black people. Over time, this week-long observance expanded into a month, reinforcing the significance of Black contributions to global progress.

In a world where racism continues to sow division and hatred, Black History Month serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience and excellence of our people. It allows us to highlight the contributions of both the past and present, to reclaim and amplify our narratives, and to stand unapologetically in our truth. 

However, even as we celebrate, we must acknowledge the lingering effects of inequality. It is bittersweet that even today, achievements are often framed within the context of race. Phrases such as “the first Black man” or “the first woman of color” underscore the barriers that still exist. While these milestones are noteworthy, they also serve as a stark reminder of the systemic inequalities that have long hindered true progress.

Black History Month is more than just a period of recognition-it is a call to action. It is a time to educate, to inspire, and to continue breaking barriers. It is a time to celebrate our culture, our resilience and our collective strength. Most importantly, it is a reminder that our history is not confined to February; it is woven into the very fabric of human civilization.

Let us use this month as an opportunity to uplift, to educate and to forge a path forward where our history, our contributions and our humanity are recognized and respected-not just for a month but for all time.

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