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BASSETERRE, Saint Kitts and Nevis, March 26, 2024 (Press Secretary, PMO) – On March 25, 2024, the special sitting of the Organization of American States (OAS) Permanent Council commemorated the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Held under the theme ‘Global Freedom: Emancipate yourself from mental slavery’, this event marked the culmination of the VII Inter-American Week for people of African Descent in the Americas, now formally recognized as part of the OAS calendar. 

During the session, the delegation of Saint Kitts and Nevis led by Ambassador Jacinth Henry Martin, Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis to the OAS delivered a poignant address, emphasizing the pivotal role of education in combating mental enslavement and fostering pride and self-awareness among citizens.  

Ambassador Jacinth Henry Martin articulated the nation’s commitment to empowering its people through various initiatives, including access to education and land ownership. 

“The cure for mental slavery is self-awareness, education, pride in self, and the conviction to stand up for our rights! As a people of African descent, the citizens of Saint Kitts and Nevis are fully vested in our own human worth, appreciate our potential to surpass any obstacle to greatness, and look to a future in which our enlightened minds continue to free us from the scourges of physical and mental slavery,” stated Ambassador Jacinth Henry Martin. 

Ambassador Henry Martin underscored the importance of education as a tool for socioeconomic advancement, highlighting Saint Kitts and Nevis’ commitment to providing free and mandatory education, along with opportunities for tertiary education and lifelong learning. 

“Education is power, and a solid education is the antidote to racism, mental slavery, ignorance, and racial hypocrisy, and it is the ladder for climbing rung by rung to emerge out of the hell-born of the vestiges of imposed slavery,” she affirmed. 

Ambassador Henry Martin also outlined the nation’s efforts to address systemic injustices stemming from slavery, including initiatives to promote land and home ownership, scholarships for academic advancement, and the protection of rights for descendants of enslaved individuals. 

In addition to the formal proceedings, the week-long celebration spotlighted the contributions of two distinguished citizens of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Lorna Ava Henry, former Dance Specialist in the Ministry of Culture and lead dancer/choreographer with the Okolo Tegremantine Arts Theatre and David Freeman, fifer/folklorist extraordinaire recognized for their significant contributions to preserving African cultural heritage through the arts. Both were highlighted on the OAS website among other exponents of the arts from across the Americas. 

The presentation delivered by Ambassador Jacinth Henry Martin, Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis to the OAS, and the short biography on Ms. Lorna Ava Henry and Mr. David Freeman can be viewed here https://www.oas.org/en/media_center/the-decade-for-people-of-african-descent.asp#:~:text=Ms.,lead%20choreographer%20for%2032%20years.