ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda – 29th July 2024… The Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Commission is pleased to announce the 16th Annual Watchnight Gathering, scheduled for Wednesday, 31st July, at the Botanical Gardens, starting at 7:30 pm.

This free event continues a cherished tradition symbolizing the anticipation enslaved Africans felt as they awaited news of their freedom. The evening promises a rich tapestry of music, libation, drumming, messages, songs, iron band performances, and more, celebrating freedom, faith, community, and resilience.

This year, the feature address will be delivered by Ambassador Dr. June Soomer, a distinguished St. Lucian and Chairperson of the Permanent Forum for People of African Descent (PFPAD). PFPAD is a United Nations General Assembly consultative mechanism aimed at improving the safety and quality of life for people of African descent and other relevant stakeholders.

Ambassador Soomer, the former Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), has been serving as the Chair of The UWI Global Campus Council since January 2024. She is also a member of the St. Lucia National Reparations Committee and holds a PhD in History from The UWI, where she was the first female to earn this degree from the Cave Hill Campus.

Her illustrious career includes serving as St. Lucia’s ambassador to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and CARICOM, with responsibility for diaspora affairs from 2008-2016.

We are also excited to welcome Ms. Janae Jackson from the Commonwealth of Dominica as one of the featured artists. Ms. Jackson, a talented calypsonian and full-time attorney, captivated the ABRSC with her performance at the recent Organization of American States Symposium themed ‘People of African Descent in the Americas.’

She performed “Echoes of the Mill,” a song written and composed by her father, Ian Jackson. Ms. Jackson is the reigning Calypso Queen of Dominica, a three-time winner of the Dominica Broadcasting Station (DBS) Christmas Song Contest, and a celebrated vocalist, having won ‘Best Lead Vocalist’ in the Rex Nettleford Choir Festival in Jamaica. She is an executive member and mezzo-soprano of Dominica’s National Choir, The Sixth Form Sisserou Singers, and has represented her country at the Music Model & Talent Showcase (MMTS) in The Bahamas.

The evening will also feature performances by the Antigua Dance Academy, Annia Matthew (Anni), Rashid Walker, King Zacary, Nyabinghi Drummers, Queen B, Kimmy, and the Point and Police Iron Band. The ABRSC is proud to host the 16th Anniversary of the Watchnight Gathering as part of this year’s Emancipation Celebrations.

The Emancipation celebrations will continue with the annual Emancipation Day Church Service at the Green Bay Moravian Church on Thursday, 1st August, at 6 am.