Solidarity Rally at Baileys Plantation
by SS (Heat Newspaper - Issue #139)
Emancipation Day celebrations at Bailey’s Plantation took on even greater significance for many Barbadians, some still grieving the untimely death of a promising young Barbadian and member of the local Rastafarian community.
There was a strong presence from the Justice Committee formed in the wake of the recent passing of I’Akobi Tacuma Hembadoon Maloney, and many other Barbadians braved persistent showers to show solidarity with the principles of emancipation.
Secretary of the Justice Committee, Ras KudosSage I, said the Committee was promoting principles of justice for all, and that one of its fundamental thrusts was against the profiling of persons based on colour, ethnicity, economic class or religion.
“What we are saying today is that there is another level of emancipation that needs to be undertaken and it is one of the mind; and we are charging everyone nationally within Barbados, as well as internationally across the globe, is that we an emancipate ourselves to another level, and to put justice as one of those principles that would determine the new level of emancipation.”
Ras KudosSage added that intellectually and educationally, Barbadians had advanced and were well above average, and it was inevitable that some transformation on the next level of emancipation must occur.
Margaret Maloney,grieving mother of the late I’Akobi, a former Barbados academic exhibitioner and part-time chemical engineer at the Arawak Cement Plant, said the passing of her son, who was recovering from severe illness, symbolised the continuing struggle for freedom and liberty for black Barbadians whether Rastafarian or otherwise.
“Are we as black Barbadian people at liberty to just get on a bus in this 166 square miles, are we really free, are we really emancipated, mentally, morally or in any way? Are we really at liberty to go any place where a tourist has the privilege to come here and go and enjoy? Are we really at liberty to go to that same area, in short pants at the beachside and enjoy that?”
She questioned whether the words of the National Anthem stating that “these fields and hills are now our very own” rang true, claiming that instead the fields and hills of Barbados appeared to belong to the tourists. Maloney again called for an inquiry into the fateful encounter her son had with police officers on June 17 at the Landlock, Cove Bay, St. Lucy.
The Justice Committee has been joined by the People’s Empowerment Party in calling on Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin and Attorney-General Freundel Stuart to carry out an independent investigation into the death of 23-year-old Maloney, by bringing police investigators from a jurisdiction outside of Barbados to take charge of the probe. Hamilton Lashley, Member of Parliament for St. Michael South East, has also added his voice to call for an inquiry.
A petition to back up this call has been circulated by the Justice Committee in an attempt to collect the signatures of 5000 Barbadians, and by Emancipation Day close to 4000 persons had already signed.
Meanwhile, local police investigations into Maloney’s death are being led by Assistant Superintendent Curvan Harvey, and previous official statements issued by the police have claimed that I’Akobi took his own life by jumping from a cliff.
Tags: Arawak Cement Plant, Assistant Superintendent, Bailey's Plantation, Curvan Harvey, emancipation, investigation, Justice Committee, liberty, Margaret Maloney, petition, Ras KudosSage I
September 15th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
I think same analysis