- Message from Philip J Pierre, chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Prime Minister of Saint Lucia
Today, we remember the women, men and children, those whose bodies were enslaved, but whose spirits could never be conquered. We remember those who endured cruelty beyond imagination, yet refused to surrender their dignity, their humanity, or their hope. And because they endured, because they resisted, because they believed, we stand here today as a free people.
That is why Emancipation Day is not simply another date on our calendar. It is a sacred reminder of where we have come from. A reminder of what we have overcome and of what still lies before us. Freedom was never handed to our ancestors. Freedom was demanded.
Freedom was fought for. Freedom was paid for with sacrifice, with courage and with an unbreakable faith. That is why we honour them today. Not only with our words, but with our commitment to build the kind of society they dreamed was possible.
My fellow citizens: The end of slavery was not the end of injustice. Our ancestors walked into freedom without land, without wealth, without compensation, without opportunity. Yet those who benefited from their labour were rewarded. History cannot be changed. But history must be understood. Because only when we understand our past can we fully appreciate our responsibility to shape a better future. That responsibility belongs to every generation. It belongs to us.
Our Caribbean story is unlike any other. It is a story shaped by the dispossession of Indigenous people, the suffering of African enslavement, the experience of indentureship and centuries of colonial rule. But it is also a story of extraordinary resilience. Out of pain our people created beauty. Out of struggle our people created strength. Out of oppression our people created hope. We built nations. We built communities. We built democracies.
We have created music that moves the world. Literature that enlightens the world.
Culture that transforms and enriches the world. And we must never apologise for who we are.
We are Caribbean people. We are a proud people. We are a resilient people. And have every reason to believe in our future.
My brothers and sisters: The work of emancipation continues. Political freedom alone is not enough. Our people deserve economic freedom. They deserve opportunity. They deserve ownership. They deserve prosperity.
We must build economies where Caribbean people are creating wealth, not merely consuming it. Where our young people see opportunity at home. Where our entrepreneurs can succeed. Where our farmers, fishers and manufacturers are valued. Where hard work is rewarded with dignity. That is the Caribbean we must build.
Our young people must remain at the centre of everything we do. Every child deserves the chance to dream. Every young person deserves the chance to achieve. Our schools must prepare them to innovate, to lead, to build businesses, to master technology, to transform our societies. We want our young people to fulfil their potential, to pursue lives of purpose and achievement, and to use their talents to strengthen our nation and our Caribbean Community.
My fellow citizens: No nation is truly secure if it cannot feed itself. That is why food security matters.
Every acre cultivated, every farmer supported; every fisher encouraged, every Caribbean product placed on our supermarket shelves brings us one step closer to genuine independence.
The same is true for energy. Our future depends upon affordable, reliable and cleaner sources of energy. Not only because it protects our environment. But because it strengthens our economy, creates jobs, and lowers the cost of living for our people. These are not simply development goals. They are part of the unfinished journey of emancipation.
There is another part of that journey. The pursuit of reparations for slavery is not about blame, not about revenge. It is about the truth and justice for the human suffering of slavery.
My sisters and brothers: Every generation inherits more than freedom; it inherits a responsibility. Our responsibility is to honour the sacrifices of those who came before us by building a society that is more just, more united and more prosperous than the one they entrusted to us. The true measure of our freedom lies not only in what we remember, but in what we choose to build together. I believe we are equal to that responsibility because I believe in the people of our Caribbean Community.
Let us strive to create a CARICOM Community where emancipation is measured not only by how we celebrate but by how we live. Together, let us continue the work begun by our forefathers; let us strengthen our Caribbean Community; let us build a future worthy of the sacrifices of those who came before us.
We are one Caribbean people. May God bless our Caribbean Community. And may He guide us always as we continue the unfinished journey from emancipation to justice to prosperity and to lasting freedom.