NY Black group to participate in Grenada’s 50th Anniversary celebrations

A New York-based Black group was expected to participate in celebrations marking Grenada’s 50th anniversary of Independence from British colonialism on Wednesday, Feb. 7.

The Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW) said on Monday that its participation is a follow-up to an IBW delegation that visited Grenada in October and in response to an invitation from Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell.

IBW President, Dr. Ron Daniels, who is also convener of the National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC) in the United States, was expected to lead the delegation.

“This visit comes three months after an IBW delegation traveled to Grenada last October to participate in the country’s first ‘Heroes Day’ event commemorating the assassination of former Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and several other ‘martyrs’ in a military coup 40 years ago,” said Paulann Paterson, an assistant to Dr. Daniels.

Shortly after that visit, she said IBW released its “Grenada Declaration,” which outlines an “action agenda for ongoing collaboration on a range of initiatives between the Institute the Grenada Government, and various civil society groups in the country.”

While in Grenada, Paterson said the IBW delegation will present to Mitchell a letter from US Congresswoman and Member of the Congressional Black Caucus Barbara Lee, of California, in which she congratulates the government and people of Grenada on being “a sovereign, independent Caribbean state for the past 50 years.”

Paterson said the itinerary for the delegation includes a visit to the village of La Digue in St. Andrew to meet with community leaders “to discuss the creation of an appropriate marker or monument honoring Louise Little, the mother of Malcolm X (slain US civil rights activist), who was born in La Digue.

She said the delegation will also “engage in a dialogue” with leaders of Grenada’s Reparations Commission and meet with facilitators of the “highly successful intergenerational dialogue in October in preparation for a repeat of the dialogue by IBW during a future visit.”

Paterson said the delegation will also comprise Dr. Yolande Cadore, IBW’s program consultant, and policy advisor, who, with Dr. Daniels, “will do advance work on a larger delegation to Grenada in May in conjunction with the celebration of the birthday of Malcolm X and African Liberation Month.

“The May delegation will be another act of solidarity with the government and people of Grenada during the yearlong commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the nation’s independence,” Paterson said.