Sto­ry and pic­tures

In­nis Fran­cis

in­nis_fran­cis@ya­hoo.com

The La Brea com­mu­ni­ty has been told to do bet­ter in or­der to be­come more aware of his­to­ry and its in­flu­ences on the path go­ing for­ward.

Lec­tur­er, po­et and so­cial ac­tivist Imo Bakari made the com­ment as he shared his thoughts on Eman­ci­pa­tion at the Eman­ci­pa­tion Vil­lage and Cul­tur­al Show host­ed by the La Brea Eman­ci­pa­tion Com­mit­tee, un­der the pa­tron­age of La Brea MP Stephen Mc Clashie, at Brighton Recre­ation­al Ground on Au­gust 1.

Dur­ing the day’s event, which in­cor­po­rat­ed craft, food, mu­sic, dance and drums, Bakari told at­ten­dees that the onus is on them to want bet­ter.

He said: “When we be­come aware, we need to do bet­ter than what our an­ces­tors went through. Eman­ci­pa­tion is ob­served in Cana­da and Ghana and sev­er­al Caribbean coun­tries. Have pride re­stored in you and walk in dig­ni­ty.”

The event fea­tured per­for­mances by reign­ing Ca­lyp­so Queen Tamei­ka Dar­ius and reign­ing South Ju­nior Monarch Xhaiden Dar­ius, Ban­jela, Broth­er Valenti­no, the La Brea Nightin­gales and the Siparia Rhythm Sec­tion. It al­so fea­tured a street pa­rade of dancers and en­ter­tain­ment in the form of a dru­mol­o­gy.