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Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 23, 2020 (SKNIS): On Wednesday, July 22, the National Museum unveiled an impressive exhibit chronicling the life and legacy of the Federation’s only living National Hero, Dr. the Right Excellent and Right Honourable Sir Kennedy Simmonds. 

Ryllis Percival, Executive Director of the St. Christopher National Trust (SCNT), said it was important to honour Sir. Kennedy through an exhibit.

“We started in October 2019 and we drafted this concept to mount an exhibit to honour the Federation’s only living national hero. We took great care to ensure that we captured the essence of this remarkable gentleman turned leader,” said Ms. Percival. “We mount exhibits all the time and we do that in order to educate and engage people while bringing awareness to the Trust and our function. I pray that this exhibit will also achieve that objective.”

Governor-General, His Excellency Sir S.W. Tapley Seaton, said that Sir Kennedy’s life can serve as an inspiration for others.

“His life from all that has been documented and more serves as a very useful history lesson for all of us. All of us can learn so much from the very early beginnings, parts of our history that are presently undocumented come to life in his recollections,” said Sir Tapley. “We see how one is able to move from a life of tremendous hardships as it then was, but which was a life that was being also endured by persons and to make that life such a meaningful one as he proceeded.”

Sir Kennedy used the occasion to express thanks to everyone who turned out to share in the momentous occasion including but not limited to the Governor-General; Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris; Deputy Prime Minister, the Honourable Shawn Richards; the Honourable Jonel Powell; His Excellency Tom Lee, Resident Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to St. Kitts and Nevis; Schneidman Warner, President of SCNT, as well as the staff of the SCNT.

“To you the audience. Thank you so much for being here and I hope you enjoy the exhibition. I hope that the young people you will bring, send, encourage to come will also enjoy the exhibition,” Sir Kennedy added.

The exhibition will run for six months until January 2021. According to Ms. Percival, this is the first time an exhibition is running for so long, adding that the aim is to allow as many persons as possible to see the display.