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The National Parks Authority has recently announced the launch of the fifth edition of the 8th of March Project, and this year’s theme is “Say Their Names.”
The project is a commemorative initiative that honors the tragic event of March 8, 1744, when an explosion in English Harbour resulted in the loss of eight enslaved African men, namely Billy, London, James Soe, Caramatee, Quamono, Dick, Joe, Scipio, and Johnno.
The 8th of March Project is a collaborative effort led by the Heritage Department at the National Parks Authority.
It seeks to celebrate the cultural heritage of the English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour communities and recognize the enslaved and free Africans who worked tirelessly in the Dockyard and resided in English Harbour.
This year’s celebration will feature a range of activities aimed at educating and entertaining visitors, including the 8th of March Themed Rum in the Ruins, new museum exhibits, and an oral history workshop.
The 8th of March Project is dedicated to uncovering the daily lives of enslaved and free Africans who lived and worked in the Dockyard and its environs during the 18th and 19th centuries.
The project aims to shed light on the historical roots that bind present-day St. Paul’s Parish and Antigua to its past by conducting rigorous archival and archaeological research.
The project has three main objectives, including research, education, and interpretation.
In terms of research, the project aims to recover and record the names and identities of as many enslaved and free Africans as possible in the Middle Ground and its surrounding areas.
The project also seeks to understand their daily lives through archival and archaeological research.
Educationally, the project aims to expand the National Park’s capacity and the community’s ability to engage creatively with digital humanities, the Park, and the past, through community-based research, oral histories, and an accessible genealogical database.
Interpretation is another key objective of the 8th of March Project.
The project aims to develop and publish the research to better inform different communities and stakeholders of the National Parks through interpretation signage, a permanent museum gallery, digital and social media outreach, school field trips and updated and varied tours.
The National Parks Authority cordially invites the community to join in commemorating and preserving the legacy of those who contributed to the rich tapestry of Antiguan history.
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