The twin is­lands of Trinidad and To­ba­go cel­e­brat­ed Eman­ci­pa­tion Day on Mon­day (Au­gust 1, 2022).

To­ba­go’s cel­e­bra­tions in­volved a street pro­ces­sion through the streets of Crown Point, con­clud­ing at the Store Bay Her­itage Park.

Par­tic­i­pants showed their cul­tur­al pride as they walked, danced, and sang in a colour­ful dis­play, while vis­i­tors got a chance to en­joy in-per­son view­ing of the event.

Britain passed the Slav­ery Abo­li­tion Act in Au­gust 1833 and it came in­to ef­fect on Au­gust 1, 1834. The Eman­ci­pa­tion cel­e­bra­tions were held to com­mem­o­rate the 188th an­niver­sary of the lib­er­a­tion of en­slaved Africans.

One hun­dred and fifty-one years lat­er, on Au­gust 1, 1985, Trinidad and To­ba­go be­came the first coun­try in the world to de­clare a na­tion­al hol­i­day to com­mem­o­rate the abo­li­tion of slav­ery.

The cel­e­bra­tions con­clud­ed the 2022 edi­tion of the To­ba­go Her­itage Fes­ti­val, which in­clud­ed mul­ti­ple events such as the Mo­ri­ah Ole Time Wed­ding, Les Coteaux Folk Tales and Su­per­sti­tions, and the Miss To­ba­go Her­itage Per­son­al­i­ty.

Secretary of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation Councillor Tashia Burris celebrates Emancipation Day

Colorful costumes are on display, including a depiction of the Moriah Ole Time Wedding, during the Emancipation Day event (August 1st).

THA

Colorful costumes are on display, including a depiction of the Moriah Ole Time Wedding, during the Emancipation Day event (August 1st).

THA