For the past 43 years, the country gears up to celebrate the day Antigua and Barbuda officially became Independent from British rule in 1981, while remembering the contributions of fellow nationals to nation building.
However, are we doing enough to truly remember those national heroes and honorees?
That was the question posed by the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda about Prince Klass on its social media page on October 20, and one that we put to historian, Dr Radcliffe Robins yesterday.
“We are definitely not doing enough to remember our national heroes. Many Antiguans and Barbudans do not know what significance the national heroes have and the role they have played in shaping Antigua and Barbuda’s psychology and sense of citizenship and responsibility,” Dr Robins told our newsroom.
Over the years, Governor Generals advised by the National Honours Committee and the Prime Minister have awarded some of our nation’s top statesmen, business leaders, sportsmen and community leaders with orders with some later having street names and buildings named after them.
Dr Robins pointed out that while these were a good first step, there is no systematic effort to educate the public about their significance, maintaining their legacy in the national consciousness.
“We have a Sir Sydney Walling Highway but how many school children in Antigua can you ask who was Sydney Walling and what contribution did he make to Antigua and Barbuda?
“Do you think you could find 10? Do you think you could find one person from every secondary school who could answer that question?” he asked.
However, when questioned about persons who do engage in educating their children about the national heroes and some national honourees, he posited that: “There will be persons who will say that they do know about these national heroes, but we’re not talking about individual recollections. We’re talking about national awareness.”
Dr Robins argues that true memorialization requires systematic, national-level efforts that go beyond individual family traditions.
He suggested that commemorative events should be held at least annually, whether on the honouree’s birthday or the date of their naming ceremony, to keep their legacy alive in the public consciousness.
“Something happens on the television and on the radio, there is a reminiscence… Something happens which keeps that memory alive in the public domain and in the national psyche,” he said, describing what proper memorialization should look like.
The historian warned that without such collective efforts, Antigua and Barbuda risks losing its cultural identity.
He cited the current Independence celebrations as an example, noting how local traditions are increasingly being overshadowed by external influences.