Collis Hope, former teacher at Welches Primary School addressing Black History Month celebrations at the school.
Black History Month celebrations at Welches Primary School climaxed last Friday.
Under the theme “Tracing our African Roots”, Collis Hope, a former teacher at the St. Thomas school took students on a historical journey.
He addressed the “Triangular Trade – Transatlantic Slave Trade”, highlighting the three legs, which included the ships journey of the Middle Passage from Africa to the New World.
“The Triangular Trade is the trade among three regions. It was a system that was used in those days to bring goods and labour from Africa to the Caribbean. It took the ships between five to 12 weeks to travel to the Caribbean – From England to Africa, to this region. The worst part of it was the trading of human beings,” he told students, explaining that many slaves never made it to the Caribbean because they either died of disease due to overcrowding of the ships or jumped overboard.
Hope also told the students that they will hear stories about Africa, and therefore urged them to “listen to them carefully, internalise them, and pick sense from them as best as you can.”
“One time we believed that Africa was “backward”, but Africa was never “backward” – that is what we were taught.”
The retired teacher further observed “We learn from history… .History determines how we go forward in the future. So, I want you to be able to use the information you receive, to make your choices as you go ahead in life.”
The celebrations also featured the children paying tribute to their African heritage through song and poetry. However, the highlight of the day was a modelling competition among those students dressed in their African garb. (TL)