Port of Spain, Trinidad – The Honourable Michelle Benjamin, Minister of Culture and Community Development (MCCD), hosted a courtesy call from members of the Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad and Tobago (ESCTT), as preparation begins for this year’s Emancipation Day activities. The meeting was held on Wednesday May 21, 2025 at the Ministry’s Head Office in Port of Spain.
In attendance from the ESCTT were Ms. Zakiyah Uzoma-Wadada, Executive Chair, Ms. Jacquie Burgess, Director of Culture, and Ms. Kadija Dyer, Finance Officer. Ministry officials accompanying Minister Benjamin included Dr. Narindra Roopnarine, Parliamentary Secretary, Mr. Videsh Maharaj, Permanent Secretary and Ms. Keiba Jacob Mottley, Chief Executive Officer of the National Carnival Commission of Trinidad and Tobago (NCC).
The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the following key items on the ESCTT’s upcoming calendar of events:
- The 2025 Pan African FestivalTT (PAFTT), under the theme: “Shaping Sustainable Futures Through Reparatory Justice.” The official launch of the PAFTT 2025 is scheduled to take place on Saturday May 25, 2025, ushering in a season of cultural, educational and artistic programming leading up to Emancipation Day on August 1, 2025. Signature events will include the Kwame Ture Memorial Lecture Series, Kambule Street Procession, and the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village – all of which serve to educate, empower and uplift citizens through the lens of African heritage and consciousness.
- The Ewa Afrika Fashion Show – Ewa Afrika 25 “Conscious Threads: Weaving truths and shaping FUTURES IN STYLE”. This event takes place on Sunday June 1, 2025 at the Winifred Atwell Auditorium, Queen’s Hall, in honour of United Nations second decade for people of African descent.
- The Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village which commences on Friday July 25, 2025 with its grand opening, with a multitude of symbolic events to follow, up until Friday August 1, 2025.
Minister Benjamin acknowledged the longstanding contributions of the ESCTT in preserving and advancing African traditions and the cultural identity of Trinidad and Tobago. In this regard, she reaffirmed the Ministry of Culture and Community Development’s support to working collaboratively with the Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad and Tobago, and all other cultural stakeholders to ensure that Emancipation 2025 is a vibrant and unifying celebration for all citizens.
Below is a photo highlight of the meeting.
Photo 1 (21.05.2025): The Honourable Michelle Benjamin, Minister of Culture and Community Development (fifth from left) poses with (left to right) Ms. Kadija Dyer, Finance Officer – ESCTT, Mr. Videsh Maharaj, Permanent Secretary – MCCD, Ms. Jacquie Burgess, Director of Culture – ESCTT, Dr. Narindra Roopnarine, Parliamentary Secretary – MCCD, (right of Minister Benjamin) Ms. Zakiyah Uzoma-Wadada, Executive Chair – ESCTT, and Ms. Keiba Jacob Mottley, Chief Executive Officer – NCC.