After a two-year hiatus, the Tobago Heritage Emancipation celebration returned to the streets of Tobago, with hundreds of people coming out to participate in the day’s celebrations and bringing a close to the two-week long Tobago Heritage Festival. Participants and patrons paraded through the streets of Crown Point chipping and dancing to African-inspired rhythms.

National communications solutions provider, bmobile, was proud to once again be a part of the Tobago Heritage Festival and its Emancipation Celebration themed “D’ Awakening - Celebrating We Legacy” which recognises the struggle for freedom and celebrates our country’s rich culture and history.

“It is an absolute privilege for bmobile to be such an integral part of the Emancipation celebrations, which bring the Tobago Heritage Festival to a close. Participating and contributing to the preservation of our cultural traditions and art forms, especially given the uniqueness of the Tobago culture, is reflective of the significance and importance of the role of culture for us at bmobile,” said Onica Blackman, Manager, Tobago Operations, TSTT. “bmobile also understands the importance of creating platforms which expose our youth to the nation’s culture and we praise the Tobago Festivals Commission for their ongoing commitment to preserving and showcasing Tobago’s history” Blackman added. bmobile also joined in the festivities by treating patrons to a variety of bmobile goodies.

This year’s Emancipation celebrations also featured cultural groups from various villages, drummers from the Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation, a cultural programme, and performers from the Tobago Heritage Festival’s various competitions.

THA Area Representative for Bon Accord/Crown Point, Assemblyman Joel Sampson said, “the Emancipation celebrations are geared towards fostering a community spirit and bringing back a sense of togetherness into Tobago.” Sampson added, “as we celebrate Emancipation, we have to be mindful and remember where we came from, the fight, the struggle that brought us to where we are, and we have to continue to have that unity that brought us out of the struggle as we move forward.”

The winners of the Heritage queen pageants also participated in the Emancipation Day celebrations. Miss Tobago Heritage Personality 2022, Leighanne Charles who represented Pembroke also received the judges’ favour for Best Gown Portrayal and Best Talent. She said, “it’s amazing to be the Miss Heritage Personality 2022, knowing I went into the competition with pure intentions to honour my grandmother (deceased) in the best way I know how.” Charles also received a specially stocked package from bmobile presented by Onica Blackman, Manager, Tobago Operations.

Little Miss Heritage 2022, six (6) year old Kershelle Andrews, who represented the Mason Hall Police Youth Club said it felt ‘good’ to be the winner and she was ‘excited’ to grace the Emancipation stage at Store Bay to display her gown titled, ‘Oshun – A Tribute to our Waters,’ designed and constructed by Sharon Phillips and Patrice Rowley. This year, Phillips created history by winning a hattrick in the Tobago Heritage Festival, copping Best Gown in all three pageants – Miss Tobago Heritage Festival: Little Miss Heritage and Miss Junior Heritage. Phillips who said it felt ‘great’ to have won the hattrick now has her sights set on the international stage where she intends to specialise in ‘Avant Garde’ and ‘Couture.’

The Tobago Heritage Festival falls under the remit of the Tobago Festivals Commission Ltd. (TFCL). Chairman of the TFCL Board, Dr. Charleston Thomas said, “Emancipation is in itself its own beginning, where we are put in this cyclical experience of recognising the value of our legacy, acknowledging freedom from all forms of enslavement, even when they come clothed as systems of freedom, security and safety; and which forces us to consider living emancipated lives on a daily basis.”

This year marked the 188th anniversary of the liberation of enslaved Africans in the British Empire. Trinidad and Tobago was the first country in the world to declare August 01st a national holiday to commemorate the abolition of slavery.