/SANKOFA/: Return to find what you have left behind and let us know your future. Memory as an important source of knowledge and wisdom
It was a down moment in history. On May 9, 2024, hundreds of people (wore the whitest) milled around the beach promenade in southwestern Barbados, waiting for the plaque to be announced. The country’s prime minister, Mia Mottley, was trying to protect her honor. “If only I had time for solidarity and justice,” she declared, “Now,” the drummer was drummed. The elders poured free life on their ancestors. The crowd cheered.
This was the day Barbados welcomed hundreds of Liberian citizens. It is 159 years after its ancestors set sail from the coast to the unknown. The event, dubbed the Pilgrimage of Sancofa, was undoubtedly the first in the Caribbean, a rebellious abandonment of a brutal era of slavery and colonialism.
In 1821, the American Colonization Association established a new colony on the West Coast of Africa to rehome freed slaves and free-born black people. It was named Liberia in 1824 and gained independence in 1847, touted as “the first free black republic.”
The fledgling country recognized the need for more settlers and encouraged immigration from the diaspora. In 1864, the declaration provided newcomers with grants for free land. 25 acres per family or 10 acres for individuals. Plus immediate citizenship.
In Barbados, a “urgent appeal” was issued by a group called Barbados of Liberia. He declared that he had declared “Barbados Island.” “The population is almost 111,000,000 of which are colored. So this class of this population is overloaded and the natural outcome is transition!”
This class of population was supported with Alacrity. The competition was fierce to get Brigantine’s passing. Here – Ironically, the former slave ship, which departed from Barbados on April 6, 1865 and carried 291 official passengers, mysteriously arrived in Liberia in 346, including Stowaway.
A small group of 16 settlers, an uncertain group that is uncertain whether they will be chosen to go Heretwo months ago, it was departing on a British government ship heading for the adjacent Sierra Leone.
tHis Bajan immigrants embodied a wide range of skills, from planters to blacksmiths. Bow to the tailor; teachers, participants, butchers, bootmakers. Many families, highly regarded for their education and hard work, eventually became prominent and gave birth to three presidents, an attorney general, a state secretary and a university president. Barbados has become a distant memory.
Even the Pilgrimage to Sankofa. This is where Ambassador Lorenzo Witherspoon picked up the story. The ambassador born in Liberia – now retired – lived on several continents and worked for various UN agencies.
Intrigued by his own Barbadian legacy, he wrote a lengthy dissertation, met Prime Minister Mottley and members of the cabinet in 2021, stretching to 45 minutes in a 15-minute chat. At the end I remembered, “some magic happened.”
The Prime Minister was “very excited” by his research, and she had brain waves. She wanted to bring these 346 migrant descendants back to Barbados. “I want to welcome them to the house,” she said. “As far as we are concerned, I want to let them know that they are Bhajans. We are all Bhajans.”
And like that, Witherspoon had a mission. It took two years to organise and work. From his own distant home, he oversaw 12 tight teams in Barbados, and was tasked with everything from logistics to fundraising. “It was a fierce labor of love,” he declared. “There’s nothing in my life that comes close to what I did here.”
The results exceeded everyone’s expectations. 422 Liberians – from at least four continents, mostly from the US, descended to Barbados for a week’s activities that included tourism, genealogy exploration, academic croquettes and business networking.
“We had to come to pay tribute to our ancestors,” explained Monrovia resident Mona Diggs. “This is great. My parents were always talking about their Bajan roots.”
There was a fireplace chat with former President of Liberia (and Nobel Prize winner) Ellen Johnson Sirleef. A reception hosted by Prime Minister Mottley. And a hair night at the legendary Oyston fish market in Barbados. The Bajan government funded everything except airfares and accommodation.
“I was very pleased [with how it turned out]Witherspoon said. It gave people on both sides a sense of identity. It helped us to understand that we not only have a common beginning, but also have a commonality between us.
He established the African Bajan Heritage Initiative (TABHI) to continue his job planning a follow-up pilgrimage from Barbados to Liberia by 2026.
The Barbadians were equally pleased with this event. “I think we’ve had a great success,” declared Sen. Chantal Munroe Knight, the minister in charge of culture at the Prime Minister’s Office. The Cultural Division was a central part of the Planning Committee, and the Archive Division organized one of the signature moments, a genealogy market where visitors can trace the roots of Bhajan.
“Barbados has the world’s second oldest record of transatlantic slaves, second only to Britain,” she explained. “People come from anywhere and trace history.”
For Munro Knight, pilgrimage was not only emotional and spiritual fruits, but also practical fruits. A bilateral arrangement with the Liberian government was first created, opening up the possibilities for business and cultural exchanges between the two countries, including the mutual exchange of music, fashion, tourism and knowledge.
“Barbados is a relatively new republic,” she noted. “We need to connect with the diaspora. We [in the government] Think of it as we should look not only to the US, but to the African continent for human relationships. ”
But perhaps even more importantly, the Pilgrimage at Sancofa gave the Barbadians the opportunity to share our stories in our own words, and on the other hand we always hear about the cruelty of the past.
And certainly, it is the story that Barbados continues to tell from 2025, where the theme of unity and community continues. We’ll gatherWe celebrate the island’s history and culture all year round in real time.
Each month, from sports to food, music, storytelling and art exhibitions, the national celebrations scheduled for December highlight the uniqueness of one of Barbados’ 11 parishes. “Come’Long Home” We’ll gather The campaign encourages Bajandiaspora. And, really, who can resist?
Mary Cummings Johnson (Liberia): “I’m 87. My son gave me this trip as a Mother’s Day gift because it was a historic event. I didn’t know I was a Bhajan. My son (the videographer) looked at the wall in our name and realized that my roots are here. I’m very excited.
