ST. EUSTATIUS / 21 May 2024 / -- St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance
Monday, May 20, is the day that historian Prof. Dr. Nemata Blyden set foot on St. Eustatius for the first time. This is a special occasion for both Prof. Blyden and St. Eustatius, as she is a descendant of the famous pan-Afrikanist Edward Wilmot Blyden (St. Thomas 1832–Sierra Leone 1912), whose parents were born on the island. Prof. Blyden will stay for a week to learn about the island, meet people, and further research her family history.
Professor Blyden is a researcher and lecturer at the University of Virginia (USA), specializing in Afrikan history of the US, the Afrikan diaspora, and Afrikan history. Among other books, she wrote "African Americans and Africa" (2022), on the complex relationship between black Americans and the African continent, and "West Indians in West Africa, 1808-1880: The African Diaspora in Reverse."
Parents of famous pan-Afrikanist Edward W. Blyden born on St. Eustatius
As said earlier, Prof. Nemata Blyden is a direct descendant of the famous pan-Afrikanist, educationalist, writer, researcher, diplomat, and statesman, Edward Wilmot Blyden (1832-1912), whose parents came from St. Eustatius. They were Romeo Blyden, a tailor, and Judith Blyden, a teacher.
The St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance (in short, Alliance) made this discovery during the family heritage project, "Remember Statia: Tracing Our Origins. The surname Blyden, or Blijden, is still common on the island. Edward Wilmot Blyden himself was born on nearby St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands) and lived and worked most of his life in Liberia and Sierra Leone, where he was a presidential candidate in 1885.
Unexpected result in ancestral research of the “Remember Statia” project
Kenneth Cuvalay, president of the Alliance: "It was purely accidental that we found out that Edward Wilmot Blyden's parents were born on St. Eustatius. Or perhaps our Ancestors wanted it to happen that way, because we learned that Prof. Blyden herself has been researching her family history for some time. Naturally, she was eager to visit the island where her Ancestors were born, and we are thrilled and proud to welcome her here. Prof. Blyden was also one of the participants in our project, "Remember Statia: Tracing Our Origins."
"We hope that St. Eustatius will welcome her with warmth and that it will be an unforgettable experience for her. For St. Eustatius, the fact that we are bringing home one of our Ancestors spiritually, and that we can honor Prof. Edward Wilmot Blyden as well as Prof. Nemata Blyden in our island's Afrikan history, is truly beautiful," according to Cuvalay.
Special Webinar on May 26
On the occasion of Prof. Blyden's visit to St. Eustatius, the Alliance hosts a special webinar on May 26, in which she will be one of the speakers. Her presentation will be on "Family Ties: Exploring Connections between Africa and its Diaspora." The other two speakers are Prof. Dr. Kimani Nehusi of Temple University (USA) and Dr. Artwell Cain of Aruba. The topic of the webinar is "Preserving Endangered & Marginalized Afrikan Cultural Heritage."
The webinar will take place on Sunday, May 26, 2024, from 2-4 p.m. (St. Eustatius time).
Everyone is welcome to join. Please register to receive the Zoom link at bit.ly/webinar-seabg
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Information for the Editor
Photo: On the left: Prof. Dr. Nemata Blyden, on the right: Edward Wilmot Blyden (1832-1912)
Contact: Kenneth Cuvalay, President of the “St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance”
- Email: steustatiusafrikanburialground -at- gmail.com
- Website http://steustatiusafrikanburialground.org/ (or: https://afrikanhistoryandconsciousness.blogspot.com/ for older content)
- Facebook www.facebook.com/groups/steustatiusafrikanburialgroundalliance/
- Instagram @steustatiusafrikanburialground
- Twitter https://twitter.com/SE_ABG_Alliance
About the St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance (SE-ABG Alliance)
The SE-ABG Alliance came about as a result of the protests against the excavations on the 18th-century burial ground of enslaved Afrikans Golden Rock that were started by a team of international archaeologists in June 2021 in St. Eustatius (see https://www.change.org/LeaveOurAncestorsInPeace). The protests were initially led by the political party Ubuntu Connected Front Caribbean. Located in St. Eustatius and with allies around the world, the St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance broadened the scope of the struggle focusing on other Afrikan burial grounds in St. Eustatius such as the Afrikan Burial Ground Godet Plantation St. Eustatius (Godet/Fort Amsterdam).
One of the aims is to further broaden the scope of our struggle to the pan-Afrikanist level, connecting with and working with Afrikan-centered organizations and movements that are also fighting for the preservation of our Ancestors’ endangered Afrikan burial grounds around the world and taking control of our narrative that has been distorted. Among them are Annina van Neel, CEO of the Tiekie Box Project, and protagonist of the awarded documentary “A Story of Bones,” and Peggy King Jorde, consultant and defender of marginalized histories and Afrikan burial grounds.
Why we spell Afrika with a ‘k’
For the Alliance is Afrika spelled with a “k” instead of a “c” based on the following insights:
- It is a Pan-Afrikan spelling which relates both to the Afrikan continent and to the Diaspora.
- It reflects the spelling of “Afrika” in all Afrikan languages.
- It includes the concept of “ka,” the vital energy which both sustains and creates.
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