The Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad and Tobago (ESCTT) expresses deep concern about the tenor, tone and inaccuracies of the media release that emanated from the Ministry of Culture and Community Development on July 27th 2025.

For the sake of members of the national community and visitors who are in- country to expand business opportunities and enjoy the celebrations which are in full swing at the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village, we at the ESCTT feel the need to set the record straight.

The Ministry’s statement may have been made without due consideration, as it disparages the ESCTT and its accountability for Government funding. This statement is very far from the truth. The ESCTT has held itself to the highest levels of accountability, submitting annual Audited accounts, from an approved government auditor, up to 2023. Annual Returns and a Festival Management Report are submitted at the completion of each Festival, these are duly submitted and acknowledged as received and accepted by the Ministry of Culture.

The festival continues to grow and runs for a three (3) month period (May to August) and includes a Lecture series, Fashion Experience, Drum Festival, eight days at the Queens Park Savannah, a Gayell Stick Fighting Competition, Teen Camp, Trade and Investment Symposium among other things. We are now at a conservative cost of TT$6 million to produce, but by the Ministry’s admission, about 20% will be funded by the Government. We must be clear, the festival is far from being outdated, rather it’s growth and development remain under- resourced.

The organisation hosts a well-publicised review function each year for all its volunteers, member organisations and publics – including service providers, entrepreneurs and artistes. On that occasion the work which the organisation has undertaken in the past year is presented and the financials to date are made available and discussed.

There has never been any doubt of the invaluable cultural, economic and social significance of the Emancipation Commemorations, led by the ESCTT, either by members of the African community in Trinidad and Tobago or by the wider society and internationally. The festival has been defined by one of our outstanding guests to the festival, Dr. Ali Mazuri as “the greatest celebration of Africa outside of Africa”, that he had witnessed and we strive to maintain that position.

The Emancipation Support Committee is committed to evolving and expanding. We are open to collaboration. At the national level we convene monthly community mobilisation meetings, and meetings of national of Pan-African organisations to ensure that our work is relevant to the needs of our constituents. At the regional level the ESCTT is the Secretariat for the Caribbean Pan-African Network and through that Network has strengthened relations with the African Union and has contributed to Caribbean festivals.

At the international level the ESCTT works in close association with the African Union through its Economic Social and Cultural Council and in that regard, we jointly convened the 4th Annual Global Africa -People-to-People Forum. The online Forum has grown from strength-to- strength with this year’s Forum, held on 24th July, being very successful with well over 200 participants from across the Pan African diaspora. Opening remarks were delivered by the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Mottley.

The upcoming second African Union/CARICOM Summit, to be held in Addis Ababa in September 2025, has been a goal of the ESCTT which has as its mission to strengthen economic and socio-cultural exchanges between Africa and the CARICOM diaspora. The ESCTT is quite proud to see this process coming into being.

As Minister Benjamin noted during her address at the Emancipation Village, safeguarding Emancipation is a shared duty. We remind all stakeholders — governments, the private sector and civil society — that it is not enough to speak about safeguarding the product that is the Pan African Festival TT in commemoration of Emancipation, (PAFTT) but it must be funded. It must be supported. It must be protected.

We continue to be willing to work with the Ministry of Culture, and we are looking forward to operationalising the commitment from the Honourable Minister Benjamin to give us the support the festival in a way that supports it’s continued growth and development.

Cultural Relevance: More Than a Celebration

For over three decades, the ESCTT has led one of the largest Pan-African cultural festivals in the Caribbean, rooted in honouring the legacy of Emancipation, elevating African heritage and creating opportunities for economic empowerment.

Each year, our themes are intentionally crafted to reflect the historical journey, current challenges and future aspirations of the Afro-Trinbagonian community. The Village is not purely entertainment — it is a space for business including micro- entrepreneurs, of cultural resistance, remembrance and revitalization of the African spirit.

We question the Ministry’s statement that the small entry fee of $40.00 after 3PM is exclusionary. It is a modest contribution to support the growing costs of running a safe, professional and high-quality festival, and to ensure that families can participate, there is no fee for children under twelve. The cost to sit and watch Carnival in the Queens Park Savannah is by comparison $150.00 and that is viewed as modest. The costs of fetes and bands and the VIP sections and VVIP sections have been described by many as exclusionary but let us not get distracted.

More than 75% of the Village’s programming — including educational forums, craft expos, youth activities, and early morning re-enactment — remains completely FREE to the public.

“The government cannot carry this alone” states the media release from the Ministry, and neither should the ESCTT be expected to plead for the survival of our culture year after year. A request has been made for a multi-year budgeted line item allocation which allows for better preparation, marketing and visibility of the Pan African Festival Commemorating Emancipation.

The ESCTT strives to be ahead of the curve

The ESCTT has taken a leadership position in discussion on Reparations putting it on the national agenda since 2001. We advocated for diversifying our trade by exploring export of products and services to African nations. To that end we are convening our 23rd Annual Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment symposium this year. We took the plunge and rebranded our celebrations to position it as part of the Heritage Tourism market, focusing on the flagship event the week of activities at the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village.

The Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village has been transformed into a world- class space for micro-entrepreneurs as they showcase art, craft, fashion and local products (food, sweets, plants etc) with vendors and entrepreneurs joining with those from the Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Haiti, Guyana and St. Lucia), Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Togo) and the USA (New York).

The ESCTT welcomes the Ministry’s engagement with us as we shape sustainable futures through reparatory justice. We welcome open dialogue and constructive critique of national cultural initiatives led by us.

The Call continues for the National Community to join us in the 187th Commemoration of Emancipation, for this is a victory for ALL humanity. Visit the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village and support the entrepreneurs, join us on Emancipation Day at 6am for Freedom Morning Come; at 8am for the Kambule Street Procession; and then to the Queen’s Park Savannah for the cultural performances. Join us for Reconnection, Empowerment and Transformation.