Roseau, Dominica- “What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think black? Some will say powerful while others say remarkable or even beautiful, but have you ever stopped for a moment to think loveable? Because when we think black, we think BAE – Black and Excellent!”, Chairman of the General Assembly, Ashfred Norris.

This year, Black History Month, which is traditionally recognized in the month of February in the U.S and generally accepted elsewhere, is being celebrated under the theme, “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity”. This is in hopes of raising the awareness worldwide or the importance of the institution which is the black family and the impact it has on the development and togetherness of the black community. Conversely, this moment is also used as a time to educate, uplift and enlighten the world on the beauty that is black history, black culture and black heritage, however, it’s unfortunate to note that here in Dominica we don’t take full advantage of this same opportunity to celebrate our black history.

Therefore, the National Youth Council of Dominica sees it fit to deem the last week in this year’s Black History Month as a time to Talk, Appreciate, Love and Know (T.A.L.K) about the history of our country, Dominica. To do this, the council will be hosting a series of sessions in various high schools across the island deemed BAE T.A.L.K! The official launch of their #IAmBAE campaign took place this Thursday on all social media platforms to support their BAE T.A.L.K activity- which seeks to promote the idea in the minds of our youth that they are Black and Excellent and should always view this in a positive light.

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President of the NYCD, Ashma McDougall has commented on the initiative noting that “the council has recognized the youth’s disinterest in appreciating our own history and culture and wishes to embark on an activity that will transfer that knowledge in ways kids learn today. We are visiting five (5) secondary schools through the month of February and will host a Class Takeover through an educational forum, Black and Excellent; “BAE” T.A.L.K, that focuses on celebrating and exploring four pillars of our local history: Arts, Culture , Notable Black Dominicans in history and Racism and Discrimination.”

McDougall has also mentioned that typically, we have viewed black history to mainly highlight our African heritage and, while we are proud of these roots, she believes we should even be prouder of our local roots. “Primarily this initiative is tailored, developed and framed to talk, appreciate, love and know about our local black history. And when we talk about local black history, we want to go back as far as understanding how the Armour’s and the Martin’s and the Shillingford’s arrived to Dominica after World War II, and how the notable icons contributed to our own history  like Patrick John, Dame Eugenia Charles, O.J. Seraphine, Roosevelt Douglas and more.”

“We want to understand some of the names behind the streets in Roseau and, as well, to have a deeper understanding of our culture”, she continued. The President also referred to a dearth of documentation as it relates to the preservation of Dominica’s black history.

“We want to engage youth in this discourse so that these stories can continue long after our grandparents and historians like Dr. Honeychurch have gone. Our history grounds each and every one of us in our roots. Ethnic, national, and cultural identity are all very real things, and studying and documenting our history can give us a deeper, more meaningful glimpse into our ancestral pasts, and how we got to where we are today” President McDougall ended.

First Vice President of the council, Phael Lander, has also conveyed his excitement and eagerness to “get started” on the initiative as he thinks it’s a timely and much needed conversation to have with Dominican youth. “We’re looking at going directly to the schools to engage with the young people. Not only do we want to teach them about our black history, but we also want to find out how much they really know and what they want to know. This is why at the end of each engaging session; we will play a game of jeopardy to see how well our young people respond to information on the aspects of our history that they can actually relate with- not the colonial stuff that’s just taught in schools, and also just because it’s fun!”

The National Youth Council of Dominica plans on taking over classes at identified schools on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th February 2021, to conduct this initiative that will hopefully create the spark needed to lead the way to a greater appreciation for Dominica’s culture among the youth today.

If you require any further information please feel free to contact the representatives listed below. We look forward to serving you and the youth of dominica  as we strive to highlight the contributions and achievement of Dominican youth and in keeping with our universal motto of “Youth Representing Youth, Positively!”