MINISTER BENJAMIN CALLS FOR GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY AND MUTUAL PARTICIPATION IN TAKING THE PRESERVATION AND CELEBRATION OF EMANCIPATION FORWARD

Port of Spain, Trinidad – The Honourable Michelle Benjamin, Minister of Culture and Community Development, takes note of the concerns raised by the Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad and Tobago (ESCTT) with regard to the level of financial support received from the government over the years. Speaking to the importance of Emancipation and the respective celebrations, Ms. Zakiya Uzoma-Wadada, Executive Chair of the ESCTT, claims that “Emancipation was not a win just for Africans, [but] a win for all humanity.” She also emphasised “the deeper importance of the Festival as a vehicle for cultural renewal and personal empowerment” and “an ongoing journey toward [Black] identity, justice and transformation” according to an article in the Trinidad Guardian, July 27, 2025. While the Ministry is inclined to accept these concerns with certain reservations, it is necessary for the ESCTT to remember that they are only one strand in the larger fabric of the Emancipation journey.

Minister Benjamin seeks to remind the ESCTT that while they make demands, the current government has come in to office with a deficit of nine billion dollars ($9 bn) that they are trying desperately to close. Accordingly, such a deficit must be central to any commitment the Ministry has pledged to the ESCTT. Under the circumstances, the ESCTT must therefore recall the support they received from the previous government.

In this regard, the following table reflects Grants and Sponsorship allocations distributed to the ESCTT over the period 2020- 2024.

Most recently, in 2024, an allocation of one million, four hundred thousand dollars ($1.4 mil) was designated for the ESCTT, however, funds were not made available until January 2025.

In addition to financial support, the previous government extended infrastructural and logistical assistance to the ESCTT, over the years. Minister Benjamin has been informed that a parcel of land was allocated to the Committee, however, the said parcel is for agricultural development. Furthermore, the former Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts formally acknowledged and endorsed a lease of the property known as SGW 129, located at No. 5B Bergerac Road, Maraval, for use as the ESCTT’s administrative headquarters.

In the lead-up to the opening of the Emancipation Village, Minister Benjamin, together with the Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator the Honourable Darrell Allahar, met with the leadership of the ESCTT to air their concerns first-hand. Addressing the issues, Minister Benjamin stated, “This delay and lack of financial support was a direct result of the fiscal mismanagement and prioritisation failures of the previous administration, which left cultural institutions underfunded and unsupported. This is a reality we inherited, and while we understand the urgency, we simply cannot give what we do not have. That said, this government will do all in its power to correct these issues well in advance of Emancipation 2026, because our cultural communities deserve the opportunity to plan, promote, and present with the respect and resources they are due.”

In responding to the holistic issues of the ESCTT and the activities surrounding the celebration of Emancipation in Trinidad and Tobago, Minister Benjamin added, “From the inception of our discussion, my Ministry, albeit only three (3) months old, has been concerned with the manner in which the ESCTT has spent the allocations received and its tangible returns to the public. While the concerns laid out above by the ESCTT’s Executive Chair, have been rather aspirational or perhaps a projection of their achievement onto the public mind, my Ministry is concerned about the concrete results of the ESCTT’s work. For example, we note with deep regret and disappointment the poor public turnout at this year’s Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village which opened on Friday, July 25, 2025 as part of the Pan African Festival TT. It is either that the raised consciousness to which the Executive Chair referred has dropped precipitously or the organisation has not been doing enough to bring these desirable returns to the public of which they speak. In other words, while the ESCTT is concerned about the monies not yet received, they have not kept up their end of the bargain by engaging the public.”

Emancipation Committee at Crossroads: Reform, Relevance and Renewal Required

It is clear that the ESCTT has arrived at a crossroads in its existence. While the Ministry acknowledges its commitment to continuing a tradition that is about one hundred and eighty-six (186) years old (the first Emancipation dinner was held in August 1839, and the promoters of Emancipation Day clashed with the colonial government about making Emancipation Day a holiday in 1888) it’s incumbent that the ESCTT move to inspire public interest and participation in the Festival. In other words, as is said from the inception of any individual being in this world, ‘one hand can’t clap’.

In this context, it is recommended that the following areas of the festivities require urgent reform:

1. Repetitive Programming: The current structure and content of the Festival’s events have remained largely unchanged for years. Mostly, they are confined to Port of Spain. The lack of innovation has led to diminished public interest, particularly among youth and members of the African diaspora seeking fresh, engaging experiences.
2. Poor Marketing and Visibility: Despite its cultural importance, the Festival suffers from minimal promotion across digital platforms, mainstream media, and community outreach channels.
3. Entry Fees: The decision by the ESCTT to charge a forty dollars ($40.00) entrance fee after 3:00pm at the Emancipation Village is exclusionary. It runs counter to the inclusive spirit of national cultural celebrations, many of which remain free and open to the public to encourage wide-spread participation.
4. Outdated Planning Models: The Festival calendar continues to reflect an outdated approach that fails to reveal the creative and evolving nature of the African cultural identity in Trinidad and Tobago.
5. Lack of Collaboration with Wider African Diaspora: There is minimal integration with other African-rooted groups, creatives, and entrepreneurs across the region. A more inclusive approach is necessary to reposition the Festival as a hub for Pan-African excellence.
6. Need for greater Stakeholder Relations: For the effective planning and execution of the Festival more subject matter experts should be consulted. The Festival has become the preserve of a few people.
7. Inclusivity of Local Creatives and Crafts: The need to include more Afrocentric elements of Trinbagonians – acts, artistes, and people, in the Festival. While Africa is the home of Africans, the changes that have taken place among the diaspora over the last two hundred (200) years in Trinidad and Tobago must be recognised.

“These are not criticisms for criticism’s sake,” said the Minister. “They are necessary truths. We cannot allow complacency to hold our culture hostage. The vision must evolve, or it risks fading into irrelevance.”, she added.

A Call for Shared Responsibility

Minister Benjamin underscored the importance of collective effort in preserving and advancing the nation’s cultural legacy. She urges Corporate Trinidad and Tobago and members of the media to play a more proactive and responsible role in supporting institutions like the Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad and Tobago. Minister Benjamin reiterates that this Festival is the shared responsibility of all of us.

While the government must play its part, the task of liberation, one mind, and the fight along the “journey toward identity, justice and transformation” belongs to all. It cannot be the exclusive responsibility of governments which are elected every five (5) years. As such, Minister Benjamin notes: “The government cannot shoulder this responsibility alone. It calls for greater collaboration across sectors to uplift and sustain the legacy of Emancipation. It will take all of us, the government, the private sector and the media to protect it, invest in it, and ensure it continues to inspire future generations.”

The Ministry of Culture and Community Development reaffirms its long-term commitment to rebuilding the Emancipation ceremony, restructuring the Festival, and restoring African Emancipation in Trinidad and Tobago to its rightful place as a proud symbol of national identity and cultural pride.